When you picture Jaylen Brown, the first thing that comes to mind is usually scoring: explosive drives, midrange pull-ups, and impressive transition dunks. But heading into a season where Jayson Tatum will be out for at least a majority of the year, Brown’s evolution as a playmaker could be the key to keeping the Celtics’ offense afloat.
The Numbers Don’t Lie
Last season, Brown averaged a career-high 4.5 assists per game, while also taking fewer shots — 17.7 shots per game, his lowest volume in five years. This shift in offensive production speaks volumes. Brown wasn’t just hunting for his own looks, but he was actively redistributing the ball to his teammates.
The difference is even more apparent when you look at Brown’s numbers when Tatum isn’t on the floor. In 39 career games without his co-star, Brown has averaged 27.3 PPG, 7.1 RPG, and 3.9 APG. The scoring is expected, but the assist increase is over one more per game than his career average, showing a willingness and ability to take on more responsibility as a playmaker.
And when the stakes are the highest, Brown has shown flashes of brilliance. Take Game 5 against the Knicks last season as an example: 26 points, 8 rebounds, and 12 assists on a partially torn meniscus. That performance isn’t a fluke; that’s evidence that when Brown is forced into a lead role, he can elevate his passing.
With a guard-heavy roster and question marks in the frontcourt, Boston may lean into smaller lineups where Brown shifts to the 4 or slides in as a slightly undersized three. That puts him in a position where he’s not just a scorer but the offensive hub for the Celtics. Surrounded by shooters like Derrick White, Payton Pritchard, and Sam Hauser, plus a huge rim presence in Neemias Queta, Brown’s decision-making in this starting unit may determine if those units flourish or flounder.
If defenses go big, Brown has the quickness and the footwork to blow by slower forwards. If defenses go small, Brown has the size and strength to bully mismatches and work in the post, where he is very efficient. Either way, he will draw extra attention from defenses, which makes his reads out of doubles and kick-outs even more critical.
Of course, there’s work to be done for Brown. Brown still struggles with turnovers, especially when asked to be the primary ballhandler. Over the last five seasons, Brown has averaged more than 2.5 turnovers per game in four of them. The next step in his development is to improve his processing speed by making quicker decisions on when to drive, kick, or pull up, while limiting his turnovers.
But the progress is undeniable. With Brown’s assist numbers trending upwards, his chemistry with shooters only increasing with time, and he’s already shown his ability to score in the clutch when the Celtics need him the most.
No one expects Brown to transition into a point forward in Tatum’s absence immediately; that’s not his game. But for a team that is going to be without one of the league’s best players for most, if not all, of next season, leaning on Brown’s playmaking is less about reinventing him as a player and more about trusting him with the ball in his hands for the majority of the game. Trusting him to make the right reads, to punish mismatches, and to prove once again that he is more than the “other guy.”
If the Celtics are going to maximize this roster next season, they are going to need Brown not only as a scorer but as a distributor. And based on what we have already seen, JB is ready for the challenge.
