Celtics' Jaylen Brown Turned Supposed Gap Year Into MVP Case

The moment Jayson Tatum went down in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals at Madison Square Garden last May, you could feel the season pivot. One second he was rising off his right foot on the wing, the next he was on the floor. His torn Achilles robbed the Celtics of another title chance and immediately altered projections for the 2025-26 season. For years, Tatum set their scoring rhythm, absorbed the toughest defensive attention, and closed their biggest games. Take that pillar away and the team’s identity should be at risk.

By the time the offseason settled, the perception around the Celtics had shifted from confident to cautious. A step back felt inevitable to many observers. Without Tatum, and with more roster turnover driven by second-apron financial pressure, this season was framed as a likely gap year, maybe even a one-season tank job for a top prospect in a loaded 2026 NBA Draft class.

It was a reasonable projection. It just undersold how much room Jaylen Brown had to grow with a longer runway to lead this group.

Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images

MVP Case Being Made by Jaylen Brown

Last season, Brown averaged 23.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 3.6 assists. He made another All-Star team. He provided consistent impact coming off a NBA Finals MVP honor and a Celtics championship the season prior, but he still operated within a shared hierarchy. The offense flowed through two stars.

Without Tatum, Brown has stepped up as much as imaginable, not only keeping the Celtics afloat, but helping position them second in the Eastern Conference at 37-19.

Through 51 games, Brown is averaging 29.2 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 4.9 assists while shooting 48.1 percent from the field. His shot attempts have jumped from 17.9 per game to 22.6. He is shouldering a heavy offensive workload out of necessity and showing no signs of slowing down.

So why is he not receiving more consideration for this year’s MVP award? Brown spoke about his role in an exclusive interview with the New York Post, and he did not sound surprised by the conversation around him.

“I always knew I was one of the best players in the world,” Brown told the New York Post. “I always felt like that. And on top of that, the opportunity presented itself because we got guys that got traded and injured. So, I’m just grateful to be able to have great teammates that allow me to lead them.”

Jaylen Brown Has Shouldered a Primary Option Role

The most compelling part of Brown’s leap is not just the scoring jump. It is how he has taken control.

He has taken real control of the offense. He is initiating more possessions, running pick-and-roll as the primary ball handler, and reading the defense instead of predetermining the shot. He is hunting mismatches in the mid-post and leaning on his strength instead of just his first step when the moment calls for it. The late-clock possessions that used to swing somewhere else now stay in his hands.

His reads are sharp while he controls the game offensively. There is a difference between simply taking more shots and actually running the game. Brown is doing both in ways that are directly tied to Boston winning at a high level. The Celtics now have one of the league’s best records after an 8-8 start that seemed to confirm every “gap year” concern. With veteran talent gone and their best player rehabbing, they were expected to slide toward the middle.

Baylor Scheierman says Jaylen Brown is often sharing tips with the younger guys:

“He’s the leader of our team, and he’s always trying to help instill confidence in the young guys.” pic.twitter.com/HYJvLfVQjO

— Justin Turpin (@JustinmTurpin) February 24, 2026

Instead, Brown has set the tone for a Celtics team that is going beyond staying afloat. His recent outing against the Los Angeles Lakers captured what this version of Brown looks like. He finished with 32 points, eight rebounds, seven assists, and three steals in a 111-89 win. It was a strong showcase of how he dictates tempo, attacks mismatches without forcing, trusts teammates when the help defense rotates, and sets the defensive tone from the opening tip.

Afterward, LeBron James endorsed Brown’s MVP case.

“This whole MVP thing, I don’t understand why his name is not getting talked about some as well,” James said. “Like, nobody gave them a shot to start the season. And he’s averaging what, 30? Just under 30? It’s a popularity contest sometimes, I tell you.”

James pointed directly to the context that often decides these awards.

“I think he just used the motivation of a lot of people saying that they’re going to have a down year,” he said. “The whole championship team pretty much is kind of revamped, and he used it as motivation to keep them afloat. They’re playing great basketball, and it’s because of him and the rest of those guys. He’s taken that next step.”

“Next step” sounds simple, but Brown never needed to prove he could score, and he never needed to prove he belonged among the NBA’s best wings. What he had not done yet was guide a season where the team’s ceiling clearly rose and fell with him. Playing on such a talented team with Tatum never made that a necessity. Now that it is, he has capitalized.

Steady Results Despite Boston Celtics Roster Turmoil

This season is not just “no Tatum, more Brown.” He is leading a team that moved on from key members of a 2024 Finals group, including Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porziņģis.

To get under the second apron, Boston sent Holiday to Portland for Anfernee Simons and draft capital. Porziņģis was dealt to Atlanta in a three-team trade that brought back Georges Niang and a future second-round pick. In a matter of days, two starters from their title run were gone.

On paper, the depth chart looked fragile. Holiday’s point-of-attack defense and off-the-dribble punch were gone. Porziņģis’ spacing and rim protection left a void. Early reactions questioned whether Boston had taken too much off the table. Yet months into the season, the standings clearly tell a different story. Boston has remained near the top of the East in offensive and net rating, even after moving on from Simons at the trade deadline to further clean up the cap sheet, while leaning on Derrick White and Payton Pritchard in larger roles and a rotating frontcourt to fill gaps.

Players averaging 29+ PPG while holding opponents under 42.2% as the primary defender (min. 500 FGA)

1. JAYLEN BROWN

That’s the list. pic.twitter.com/d66Gf3xvYj

— Playoff BOS (@PlayoffBOS) February 23, 2026

The common denominator has been Brown’s dynamic impact. He has taken on the primary scoring role knowing he is the first name on every scouting report. He has continued to embrace high defensive expectations and the leadership vacuum that naturally follows when a franchise centerpiece and trusted veterans are no longer available.

Put simply, the Celtics’ floor never dropped out because the engine never stalled.

The MVP Landscape, and Where Jaylen Brown Fits

As it stands, the MVP race has its hierarchy with Brown still on the outside looking in. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander leads most MVP ladders. Nikola Jokić is right there. The next tier often includes Cade Cunningham, Luka Dončić, and Victor Wembanyama.

Brown, even with this season, is often treated as a dark-horse candidate. That disconnect makes his case interesting. On paper, he checks the boxes: elite production, real two-way impact, a winning team near the top of the standings, durability in a 65-game world, and a clear expansion of responsibility after losing a co-star and two starters.

Yet he is still framed as a long shot.

When the New York Post asked him directly whether he believes he should win MVP, Brown did not hesitate.

“Me?” he said. “I’m the best two-way player in the world.”

He elaborated.

“I play both ends on the court,” he explained. “Night to night, I’m available, which is hard to do. I’m a leader. I help lead my team, empower my team to come out and play confidently, stuff that doesn’t always show up on the analytics. And I’m a winner. I come out and try to win every single night.”

Availability might sound routine, but this year it matters. The 65-game rule makes durability part of the equation. Brown has started every game while carrying more workload and responsibility than ever. He still takes tough perimeter assignments. He still competes defensively on nights when the offensive workload is heavy.

A Season That Reframed Everything

Last year, Brown was a star inside a balanced machine. This year, he is the machine. That is the difference, and the narrative should follow suit. His scoring has climbed. His decision-making has sharpened. His voice carries more weight. The team has begun to orbit him.

The Celtics did not just survive losing their franchise cornerstone and two more high-level starters. They reorganized around another one. The MVP race will continue to circle familiar names, and the betting markets will mirror that. But value is rarely just numbers on a page. It is context, responsibility, and timing. It is what a player does when the safety net disappears.

This season, Brown did not just take on more. He reshaped what Boston looks like without its recent championship core, including his fellow star wing in Tatum. While it remains to be seen what Tatum can give them if, or when, he returns this season, the Celtics are positioned to have Brown at the peak of his powers now and a healthy Tatum alongside him in 2026-27.