The Boston Celtics not only stumbled in their pursuit of the NBA championship in the 2024-25 season but also faced the setback of losing their star player, Jayson Tatum, to a serious injury. In response, the franchise appointed Jaylen Brown as its offensive leader with Tatum sidelined. Fans heavily criticized this choice, as they do not consider him as a true offensive leader. A six-time champion with the Celtics has echoed this criticism, further fueling the debate.
“In my judgment, Jaylen (Brown) is not quite at the superstar level that (Jayson) Tatum is at. Can he carry the load by himself? I see a major rebuilding effort here. Jaylen certainly won’t bring them to the promised land. Derrick White’s a good player and he’ll produce and he’ll be consistent, but his game doesn’t lend itself to carrying a team,” NBA legend Bob Cousy said, via The Boston Globe.
Throughout his nine-year tenure with the Boston Celtics, Jaylen Brown has demonstrated consistent offensive prowess. He has averaged 19 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 2.6 assists over 603 games. Despite these solid numbers, Brown has yet to establish himself as a primary offensive force, as he has never surpassed the 30-point scoring average in a season—a feat his teammate Jayson Tatum has already accomplished.
Celtics star Jaylen Brown speaks out on the candid debate surrounding him
Celtics legend Bob Cousy recently commented on Jaylen Brown’s role with clarity and respect, but his words were not meant to undermine the 28-year-old star’s abilities. Instead, he meant to emphasize Brown’s proven talent as an elite player capable of supporting a superstar. Nevertheless, he did not hesitate to address the criticism aimed at him.
“I disagree with a lot of things. I’ve had to change roles, styles. I’ve had to do things that other players of my talent just haven’t had to do, and I’ve been okay with them, because I’ve always been a team guy. I feel like sometimes that gets taken for granted… I feel like I’m very talented. I’m one of the talented people in this league, on this planet, I feel like. I’m looking forward to showing the world more,” Jaylen Brown said, via Noa Dalzell of CelticsBlog.
Jaylen stands at a pivotal point in his career with the reins of the offense firmly in his hands. If he delivers the necessary performance levels, his career could soar to new heights. This success hinges on showing not just his versatility but also his capacity to lead major sports initiatives. Despite these opportunities, his ultimate challenge lies in the postseason. He aims to replicate his stellar performance from the 2023-24 conference finals, where he impressively averaged 29.8 points.