Perhaps some of the advanced stats don’t see it this way, but Jaylen Brown has been one of the best players in the NBA this season. The only All-Star on a depleted Celtics roster, JB has led Boston to a 36-19 record, good for second place in the Eastern Conference, while doing it all for the team on both ends of the floor.
He has personified what a leader should be, picking his spots and giving this team whatever they need on a given night to win the game, whether it’s scoring, playmaking, shutting down the other team’s best player, rebounding, or something completely different. When the Cs have needed something, Jaylen has delivered. Over and over again.
It’s the biggest reason why Boston boasts a top 10 offense and defense this season, with the third-best Net Rating in the league, and why, despite all odds, they are positioned to make a run at the East and the NBA Finals.
Jaylen has played in 50 of a possible 55 games this season, putting up 29.2 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game while carrying a massive offensive burden and contributing elite defense for one of the best teams out there.
Lowe leaves Brown off first-team All-NBA
And still, that’s apparently not enough for some people, as Zach Lowe, on his most recent podcast with Howard Beck, selected All-NBA teams and left JB off of his first team. Beck had Brown first-team, along with Nikola Jokic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Victor Wembanyama, and Cade Cunningham. But Lowe only agreed on Jokic, SGA, and Wemby, having Donovan Mitchell and Luka Doncic as his final two.
Not only that, he went on to say that his first two omissions from his first team were Anthony Edwards and Kawhi Leonard, who he claimed are both “objectively better than Jaylen Brown”. That’s debatable at best, and certainly not objective, and besides, we’re supposed to be judging based on what the players have accomplished this season.
Brown’s Celtics have a better record than the Cavaliers, Lakers, Timberwolves, and Clippers, and JB’s numbers are comparable or better than those of the other players named. Plus, he has done more with less around him, as those other teams all featured multiple former All-Stars.
JB leaves his competitors in the dust
Stacking them up one by one, Brown has a strong case, no matter how you spin it. He basically has the same stats as Mitchell, while being worlds better on the defensive end, and leading the better team. Doncic has been a negative on defense, and his shooting numbers are no better than Jaylen’s. He also has an All-Star teammate, his team has a worse record than the Cs, and he’s missed 12 games.
Ant is averaging the same amount of points as Brown, but he’s getting fewer rebounds and assists and playing worse defense on a T-Wolves team that’s in jeopardy of falling into the play-in. Finally, Kawhi has fewer points, rebounds, and assists per game than Brown, plus he has missed 14 games, and his team has a losing record and currently sits outside the top eight.
I get that Jaylen’s shooting splits aren’t the greatest, and I know his on/off numbers don’t paint the kindest picture. But seriously, watch the games and look at the results. Lowe is one of the best analysts the league has to offer, but unfortunately, he seems to have outsmarted himself on this one. There’s still plenty of time for him to change his mind. Hopefully, he does.