Jaylen Brown has waited a long time for this moment - ten years, to be exact. But now that it’s here, he’s making the most of every possession, every game, and every leadership opportunity.
With Jayson Tatum sidelined due to an Achilles injury last spring, Brown has stepped up as the Celtics’ clear-cut leader. And so far, he’s thriving in that spotlight.
Boston sits at 18-11, good for third in the Eastern Conference, and a big reason why is the way Brown has elevated his game - and his team. He’s putting up career highs in scoring, assists, and field-goal percentage, all while anchoring an offense that ranks fourth in the league.
This isn’t just a hot streak - this is All-NBA level basketball, and Brown is playing with the kind of confidence and control that’s turning heads across the league. He’s even starting to creep into the MVP conversation, a testament to just how impactful he’s been.
Monday night at TD Garden was another example of Brown’s growing influence. With the Celtics down big in the third quarter against the Pacers, Brown poured in 14 points in the fourth to help complete the comeback win, 103-95.
As the final seconds ticked off, the Boston crowd let him hear it - “MVP” chants echoing through the arena. After the game, Brown spoke candidly about what this season has meant to him.
“It means everything,” he said. “This has been my favorite season so far - getting the chance to lead a group.
Some of us have championship experience, but we’ve also got five or six guys who haven’t really played NBA basketball. Now we look like one of the better teams in the league.
That’s credit to our coaching staff and to our leadership. We’ve helped those guys get comfortable, and we’re playing some good basketball.”
Brown’s not just talking the talk - he’s backing it up night after night. He’s scored 30 or more in seven straight games, and what’s maybe even more impressive is how the rest of the roster is growing around him. The Celtics brought back only four rotation players from last season’s 61-win squad - Brown, Derrick White, Payton Pritchard, and Sam Hauser - and yet they’re still finding ways to win, even with a retooled lineup full of newcomers.
Players like Neemias Queta, Jordan Walsh, Josh Minott, Hugo Gonzalez, and Baylor Scheierman are all getting real NBA minutes - many for the first time - and they’re contributing. Monday’s comeback was powered by a bench-heavy group of Gonzalez, Scheierman, Hauser, Anfernee Simons, and Luka Garza. That same unit helped flip the script just two days earlier in a road win over the Raptors.
Brown credits the team’s development to what he and head coach Joe Mazzulla jokingly call “Celtic University.”
“There’s been a lot of education,” Brown said. “We call it Celtic University - like you’re in class, and you’ve got to pay attention.
Sometimes we’re clapping our hands, like, ‘Wake up, Josh!’ But it’s like school - we’re breaking down film, trying to expand our knowledge of the game.”
The motto of Celtic U? “Be the smarter-playing team.”
Brown explained: “We’ve been saying it from the beginning. Sometimes it doesn’t look like it, but we approach every game with a strategy and tactical mindset.
From the start of the season to now, our basketball IQ has gone up, our poise has improved, and our understanding of the game has grown. That’s really what it’s about - continuing to grow and get better.
And I’ve seen these guys become better basketball players in just a few months.”
The results speak for themselves. Boston owns the sixth-best net rating in the NBA, trailing only Oklahoma City, Houston, Denver, New York, and Detroit.
In the East, only the Knicks and Pistons are ahead of them. The Celtics have gone 13-4 over their last 17 games and have only lost by more than 10 points three times all season - a sign of consistency, resilience, and a team that’s starting to figure things out.
Of course, the big question remains: how long will Brown be Boston’s go-to guy? Jayson Tatum is progressing well in his rehab and hopes to return later this season. But for now, this is Jaylen Brown’s team - and he’s proving he’s more than ready for the responsibility.