With Jaylen Brown playing at a first-team All-NBA level, and Jayson Tatum looking more and more comfortable by the day, the Jays are back to torching the league like nothing has changed.
But something has changed. It may not be as noticeable to fans of other teams, but to those of us who watch the Celtics regularly, there’s a subtle yet significant shift in their on-court symbiosis.
The conversations of whether or not Tatum and Brown could coexist were always extremely silly. That’s not up for debate.
But the conversations regarding how they coexisted were always more thought-provoking and worthwhile.
For most of their careers, Tatum has been the clear 1A and Brown the clear 1B. While Brown was fully capable of dropping 30 and getting you a bucket at any moment, Tatum was always “the guy.” While Brown handled that dynamic with grace and maturity, you always got the sense that there was a part of him who craved more.
It was nothing against Tatum. It never has been and never will be. It was simply about Brown genuinely believing that he was one of the best players in the NBA and having to accept that he was the widely regarded as the second-best player on his own team.
That mix of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation fueled Brown and helped him to develop into, in fact, one of the best players in the NBA.
While Tatum’s injury was crushing in so many ways, there was one silver lining: It allowed Brown to evolve into the undisputed alpha and take his killer instinct to the next level. We all believed he could do it, but I don’t think any of us expected just how well he would do it. Brown won’t win the Most Valuable Player award, but he’s playing at an MVP level and is unquestionably playing the best basketball of his career.
He’s averaging 28.8 points, 7 rebounds and 5.3 assists, while shooting 47.6 percent from the field, 34.4 percent from 3-point range and a career-best 79.4 percent from the line. His usage rate has gone up, and his efficiency hasn’t suffered. Brown has a look on his face every game, like, I’m the best player in the gym, and you can’t stop me. He’s right. They can’t stop him. He knows it. They know it. The fans know it. It’s genuinely a joy to watch.
I was curious to see how that mentality would shift, if at all, once Tatum returned. So far, it looks like the same exact Brown. Brown is the 1A, Tatum is the 1B, and together, they’ve found perfect harmony.
The best version of the Celtics as they currently stand, given Tatum’s situation and Brown’s dominance, is to run the lion’s share of the offense through Brown. When he needs an assist, both literally and figuratively, Tatum is there to provide it. While the Celtics have exceeded expectations defensively, on the glass and with their playmaking this season, Tatum’s ability to excel in those areas is even more important than his isolation scoring right now.
His 25-point, 18-rebound, 11-assist triple-double in Wednesday’s 147-129 win over the Heat was a prime example. Tatum shot 9 for 21 from the floor and 4 of 13 from 3, but he still made his presence felt in so many ways. Can we all just take a moment to appreciate how insane it is that he’s averaging 21.3 points, 9.8 rebounds and 4.8 assists coming off an Achilles injury? That’s not normal, but nothing about Tatum has ever been normal.
Perhaps his greatest contribution is his mature approach to easing his way back in and letting Brown run the show. It was never about JT vs. JB. It was always about JT making JB better and vice versa.
So as you watch this playoff run, I encourage you to appreciate the versatility and brilliance of each player. Whatever the team needs, that’s what they’ll do, and that unselfishness shouldn’t be taken for granted.
