Stevens confident Jaylen Brown will ‘thrive’ in lead role for Celtics originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
Jaylen Brown knows what it’s like to be a focal point of the Boston Celtics offense.
He has averaged 20-plus points per game in six straight seasons, and during that stretch he has made four All-Star appearances, been selected to the All-NBA second team, and helped lead the Celtics to a championship as the MVP of the 2024 NBA Finals.
But the 2025-26 season will present a new challenge for Brown: being the primary focus of the opposing team’s defense every night for 82 games.
With superstar forward Jayson Tatum in the midst of a long recovery from a ruptured Achilles suffered in May, all eyes will be on Brown as the team’s No. 1 option on offense next season.
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Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens isn’t worried about Brown’s ability to step up in this new role.
“There’s no question Jaylen will draw the most attention and that Jaylen will thrive in that,” Stevens said at a press conference Tuesday. “You saw him several times — certainly in the few games in the playoffs where we had to play without Tatum, and I thought he did a good job, especially those two home games.
“I think he’s ready for any challenge. He always has been. I’m excited to see all these guys take a step up.”
Brown scored 36 points with 10 rebounds and five assists in Game 2 of the first-round playoff series against the Orlando Magic back in April. Tatum missed that game due to a wrist injury. Brown also scored 26 points with 12 assists and eight rebounds in a Game 5 win over the New York Knicks in the conference semifinals. It was one of two games Tatum missed in the series after injuring his Achilles.
In three 2025 playoff games without Tatum, Brown averaged 27.3 points, 8.0 rebounds and 7.7 assists per game. And Brown also had an injured knee that required offseason surgery.
Despite his wealth of experience, career accolades, and the fact that he’s one of the top 20 players in the sport, plenty of people will still question Brown’s ability to be a No. 1 option.
It could provide a new source of motivation for Brown.
But that won’t be exclusive to him. The entire team will have something to prove during the upcoming season as a result of so many people not viewing them as a contender.
“I’m excited to see the chip on their shoulder,” Stevens said. “I think we’ve always had it. We’ve had a competitive group and a competitive mindset. But we’ve maybe had much higher expectations or some higher expectations. So I’m excited to see us get ready to go, and Jaylen will be a big part of that.”
Stevens confident Jaylen Brown will ‘thrive’ in lead role for Celtics
Jaylen Brown is ready to take on the role of Boston’s No. 1 option offensively with Jayson Tatum injured.
Jaylen Brown knows what it’s like to be a focal point of the Boston Celtics offense.
He has averaged 20-plus points per game in six straight seasons, and during that stretch he has made four All-Star appearances, been selected to the All-NBA second team, and helped lead the Celtics to a championship as the MVP of the 2024 NBA Finals.
But the 2025-26 season will present a new challenge for Brown: being the primary focus of the opposing team’s defense every night for 82 games.
SIGN UP HERE With superstar forward Jayson Tatum in the midst of a long recovery from a ruptured Achilles suffered in May, all eyes will be on Brown as the team’s No. 1 option on offense next season.
🔊 Celtics Talk: Horford’s return unlikely, the Jays’ INCREDIBLE rehab, and more from C’s summer state of the union | Listen & Subscribe | Watch on YouTube
Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens isn’t worried about Brown’s ability to step up in this new role.
“There’s no question Jaylen will draw the most attention and that Jaylen will thrive in that,” Stevens said at a press conference Tuesday. “You saw him several times — certainly in the few games in the playoffs where we had to play without Tatum, and I thought he did a good job, especially those two home games.
“I think he’s ready for any challenge. He always has been. I’m excited to see all these guys take a step up.”
Brown scored 36 points with 10 rebounds and five assists in Game 2 of the first-round playoff series against the Orlando Magic back in April. Tatum missed that game due to a wrist injury. Brown also scored 26 points with 12 assists and eight rebounds in a Game 5 win over the New York Knicks in the conference semifinals. It was one of two games Tatum missed in the series after injuring his Achilles.
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In three 2025 playoff games without Tatum, Brown averaged 27.3 points, 8.0 rebounds and 7.7 assists per game. And Brown also had an injured knee that required offseason surgery.
Despite his wealth of experience, career accolades, and the fact that he’s one of the top 20 players in the sport, plenty of people will still question Brown’s ability to be a No. 1 option.
It could provide a new source of motivation for Brown.
But that won’t be exclusive to him. The entire team will have something to prove during the upcoming season as a result of so many people not viewing them as a contender.
“I’m excited to see the chip on their shoulder,” Stevens said. “I think we’ve always had it. We’ve had a competitive group and a competitive mindset. But we’ve maybe had much higher expectations or some higher expectations. So I’m excited to see us get ready to go, and Jaylen will be a big part of that.”
