Jaylen Brown has cemented himself as one of the most important players on the Boston Celtics. He is a former Finals MVP, an NBA champion, multiple time All-Star, and Jayson Tatum’s co-star. Despite this, the Celtics’ versatile shooting guard/small forward still does not warrant the respect he truly deserves. When Tatum went down with an Achilles injury in the playoffs last season, many NBA peers expected the Celtics to take a step back. They may not be dominating the Eastern Conference now. However, the team still possesses a win-loss record of 18-11. Plus, they are third in the conference as of December 24th, 2025. While Boston as a collective is one of the most cohesive units in the league, Jaylen Brown’s career year as the first option in Tatum’s absence has been somewhat overshadowed. How well is Brown playing exactly? Well enough to warrant legitimate MVP consideration.
Jaylen Brown’s Underrated Case for MVP Thus Far
Jaylen Brown: An Underappreciated Star
Brown may not get the recognition as the MVP frontrunners such as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Nikola Jokić, or Luka Dončić receive. However, the Celtics are still looking stabilized. Additionally, with Brown having a terrific individual campaign, one has to consider the former California product a sleeper for the MVP award. So far, he is averaging a career-best 29.4 points, 4.9 assists, 6.4 total rebounds per game, and an effective field goal percentage of 54.6 percent.
Furthermore, Brown is one of the more underappreciated perimeter defenders in the Association. He is currently tallying 1.1 steals and can hold his own while matched up with the opposition’s best perimeter player. He has held the likes of Ausar Thompson, Paolo Banchero, Tyrese Maxey, and Cade Cunningham under 10 points while guarding them so far this year. All in all, one should not discount the season that Jaylen Brown is having. Especially as the first option for the Boston Celtics.
Boston Celtics Still Looking Strong Even Without Jayson Tatum
The Boston Celtics are still one of the best teams in the NBA even without Jayson Tatum. That is not to say that Tatum is not vital to Boston. However, Jaylen Brown and this supporting cast have proven capable enough to remain a legitimate threat in the Eastern Conference. Even while Boston’s superstar rehabs from his Achilles injury. Head coach Joe Mazzulla also deserves a ton of credit for keeping this unit competitive. They currently rank 13th in three-point percentage (36.2 percent), seventh in team blocks per game (5.4), and seventh in team box plus/minus rating (6.0). Considering all of this, one should not sleep on the Boston Celtics led by Jaylen Brown this year.
