Jaylen Brown’s 10 seasons in Boston left him scattered all over the Celtics’ record book.
Before being traded to the Philadelphia 76ers, Brown played 674 regular-season games for the Celtics and piled up numbers that place him firmly among the franchise’s most productive players. His final season was especially loud on the stat sheet, and several of his marks sit near the top of Boston’s single-season lists.
Brown averaged 28.7 points per game last season, which tied him for the fifth-highest scoring average in a single season in team history. He also finished sixth in field goals made per game at 10.4 and seventh in field goal attempts per game at 21.7.
When adjusted to 36 minutes, though, Brown’s 10.8 field goals per 36 minutes were the most in any single season in Celtics history. He ranked seventh in field goal attempts per 36 minutes at 22.7.
Over the full span of his Boston career, Brown’s place in franchise history is just as striking. He finished as the Celtics’ 10th all-time leading scorer and averaged 20 points per game, which ranks eighth in team history.
A big chunk of that production came from beyond the arc. Brown is one of only three Celtics - along with Pierce and Tatum - to have more than 1,000 made threes and more than 3,000 attempts.
The top three in Celtics history for three-pointers made and three-pointers attempted are the same. Derrick White and Payton Pritchard should get to 1,000 made threes this season.
Brown also shows up on the glass. He is 17th all-time in total rebounds with 3,700, and seventh in defensive rebounds.
That rebounding list comes with an important wrinkle. Bill Russell does not appear there, even though his 21,620 total rebounds are second all-time behind Wilt Chamberlain’s 23,924.
The reason is simple: the NBA did not begin separating offensive and defensive rebounds until the 1973-74 season. The same issue applies to blocks and steals, which also were not official stats until then.
Russell should lead the Celtics in blocks, and he should be somewhere near the top of the steals list as well.
Brown’s final Celtics standing reaches into a wide range of categories. Here’s where he lands all time:
Games Played: 15th (674)
Minutes Played: 14th (20,908)
Total FG: 11th (5,034)
Total FGA: 15th (10,533)
Total FT: 16th (2,122)
Total FTA: 16th (2,872)
Assists: 18th (1,953)
Blocks: 18th (255)
Turnovers: 6th (1,536)
Playoff Games Played: 7th (142)
Playoff Rebounds: 12th (811)
Playoff Assists: 14th (369)
Playoff Steals: T-6th (140, Dennis Johnson)
In Other News...
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Brad Stevens has never been shy about making a move that forces a second look, and this one fits that pattern. The Celtics president of basketball operations has built a reputation for taking calculated swings since moving from the sideline to the front office, and the latest decision only adds to the sense that he is willing to trust his own read even when it runs against the public reaction.
The comparison to Bill Belichick is hard to miss for Boston fans who remember how often the Patriots coach leaned into unpopular choices before the results caught up. Stevens has already shown a similar appetite for risk with past deals involving Marcus Smart and Al Horford, and now the question is whether this latest bet will age like one of those bold calls or become the kind of move that lingers over the franchise. [Read more 🡒]
Celtics Deadline Decision May Have Changed LeBrons Entire Free Agency
The ripple effect of Bostons roster decisions has a way of showing up far beyond the parquet, and this latest one reached all the way into LeBron James free agency. Golden State spent part of that chase trying to position itself as a serious landing spot, but the bigger swing came from Philadelphia, which changed the conversation by bringing in Jaylen Brown and altering the balance of power around James decision.
For the Celtics, the interesting part is how close Brown came to being part of a different kind of domino chain. Golden State had a chance to get him earlier in the season, but the price in future draft capital was too steep for the Warriors, and that choice now looks more consequential in hindsight. Brown remains a centerpiece in Boston, on a massive long-term deal, while the rest of the league is left to wonder how differently this all might have played out if one deadline conversation had gone another way. [Read more 🡒]
Brad Stevens May Have Finally Ended Boston's Tax Nightmare
The Celtics have finally given themselves some breathing room on the books, and it is a welcome change after a stretch when every roster move seemed to come with a tax bill attached. With 14 players in place and payroll sitting at about $198.72 million, Boston is currently below the NBA luxury tax line and has enough flexibility to keep operating without immediately triggering the kind of penalties that have hovered over the franchise in recent seasons.
Brad Stevens and the front office can still add help if the right move comes along, whether that is through a trade or a free-agent signing, as long as the money going out and coming in stays close enough to keep the team under the line. The Celtics also have room to consider bringing in second-round rookie Dillon Mitchell on a standard deal and still remain in the clear, which gives them a little more room to maneuver than they had a year ago. [Read more 🡒]
