Jaylen Brown is elevating his game as the Celtics’ offense runs through him for the first time
So the rematch with the Jazz, which handed the Celtics one of their more disheartening defeats of the season in early November, becomes a critical game in Boston’s quest to not only stay competitive in the Eastern Conference but hold on to a top-four seed.
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Brown is the team’s unquestioned leader with Jayson Tatum recovering from injury. Tatum is on every road trip, rehabbing and working out, and he sees firsthand the elevation of Brown’s game. Regardless of when Tatum rejoins the Celtics, he’ll pair with a player who is at the peak of his powers, and he’s comfortable in his adjusted role as the primary option.
“Just playing my game, that’s really it. Just playing my game,” Brown said when asked about his success. “I get to take the shots that I feel comfortable with. I get to attack when I want. So it’s more like a rhythm thing. So I’m in a really good rhythm. The pace is kind of around me, so I’m able to kind of dictate where, when I want to go, what spots I want to get to throughout the course of the year.”
Brown is in his 10th season and is playing with a freedom he’s never experienced. The difference in his shooting statistics between this season and last season are stark. For example, Brown attempted 98 shots last season between 15 and 19 feet, making 42.9 percent.
This year, through 37 percent of the season, Brown has taken 124 such shots and made a startling 55.6 percent. Last season, Brown attempted 80 shots between 16 and 24 feet. This season, he has already taken 116.
“I’m just being aggressive, taking what the defense gives me. Also taking what I want from the defense, but just being patient, trusting my teammates,” he said. “Kind of the balance between letting the game come to you and then being aggressive in certain spots. I think I’m really getting good at that.”
Jaylen Brown has been the unquestioned leader of the Celtics this season with Jayson Tatum recovering from his Achilles injury.Ben Pennington/for The Boston Globe
He has lived in the midrange and he has become a brilliant shooter from that distance. He said he enjoys being the focal point of the offense and although this stretch is eventually going to change when Tatum returns, it may benefit the Celtics in the long term because Brown has cemented his status as an untradeable cornerstone.
“This is the first time where it’s been like, everything going into the season was featured around me,” he said. “That hasn’t been the case any other point in my career where it’s, like, whatever Jaylen wants to do is like, what we’re gonna do. We’ve had other players and things like that that we’ve had to, like, figure it out. This is the first time where it’s been like we’re going to play to your rhythm, to your cadence. We’re gonna put you in a spot where you can be successful.”
He said the new offensive responsibility called for his game to change and called for his vast improvement.
“And I think that makes a big difference for me, of like, why we are seeing it, [and why] I’m seeing some of the productivity that I have now,” Brown said. “But you know, in the past, we’ve had other star players and talent. So you got to do what’s necessary to win games and win a championship. I’ve always been OK with that, but this year is just a new year, more catered to me, year to year things change. Things might change in the future, but I’m enjoying it, and I’m taking advantage of it.”
Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla has been more complimentary of Brown’s defense and playmaking. In one sequence Sunday, Brown could have taken on three defenders for a midrange jumper, but instead found a wide open Hugo González at the elbow for a 3-point swish.
“It’s extremely difficult for a guy like him to play balanced basketball and play team basketball,” Mazzulla said. “You saw, you know, the assists down the stretch there, whether it’s to Hugo and Derrick [White]. So not only is it extremely difficult to do that, it’s extremely difficult to play well-balanced basketball. I think it’s something that you know he does consistently for us, whether it’s his playmaking or his defense on both ends of the floor.”
Brown said he’s not done turning the heads of his critics yet. There’s plenty more games left and the Celtics need every bit of it.
“Starting from where I started my career, to the MVP chants and even being in a conversation is pretty cool,” he said. “I feel like I still have some more to show this season, so I’m still excited about that. We’ve just got to take it one game at a time.”
Gary Washburn is a Globe columnist. He can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him @GwashburnGlobe.
