Jaylen Brown has opened the 2025-26 NBA season in dominant fashion, taking on an expanded offensive role for the Boston Celtics while Jayson Tatum remains sidelined with injury. His elevated production has been a central reason Boston has surged into the top three of the Eastern Conference standings.
Brown’s performances have quickly pushed him into elite company. He currently sits seventh on the NBA’s MVP ladder and appears firmly on track for another All-Star selection, with All-NBA consideration also well within reach.
Late in December, Brown used social media to make a bold statement about his current level of play, asserting that he views himself as the league’s top two-way player. The message reflected both his confidence and the responsibility he has assumed during Boston’s early-season success.
Long regarded as one of the NBA’s strongest point-of-attack wing defenders, Brown has paired that defensive reputation with a significant offensive leap this season. He has taken on the challenge of leading the Celtics’ scoring attack and has done so efficiently, emerging as one of the league’s most reliable three-level scorers and ranking among the NBA leaders in mid-range shooting efficiency.
Through 31 games (as of January 2), Brown is averaging 29.5 points, 6.4 rebounds, and five assists per contest while shooting 50.3 percent from the field and 35.6 percent from 3-point range. Advanced metrics, however, paint a more mixed picture defensively. According to Dunks and Threes, his Defensive Estimated Plus/Minus currently sits at minus-0.5, placing him in the 32nd percentile among forwards.
Following Boston’s 129-119 win over the Utah Jazz on December 30, head coach Joe Mazzulla highlighted Brown’s growing feel for the game. Mazzulla emphasized Brown’s ability to read situations, balance scoring with facilitation, and elevate teammates as one of the more overlooked aspects of his impact.
The Celtics’ offense this season has been primarily guard-driven. Derrick White leads the team in touches per game at 80, followed by Payton Pritchard at 68.1, with Brown close behind at 67.4. While touches often reflect playmaking responsibility, Brown’s assist numbers have steadily climbed in recent seasons and are now at a career high. Turnovers remain an area for improvement, as he is averaging 3.6 per game.
Former Celtics champion Paul Pierce recently argued on a podcast appearance that Brown’s MVP case has not received sufficient attention, suggesting that Boston’s status as a polarizing franchise may be a factor. Pierce pointed to the Celtics’ strong record without Tatum and Brown’s consistent scoring output as reasons he deserves greater recognition in league-wide discussions.
While that perspective carries weight, Brown faces intense competition in a crowded MVP field. The league is overflowing with elite talent, and several stars are posting career-best seasons. Still, if Brown continues to deliver at both ends of the floor and sustain Boston’s position near the top of the East, his name is likely to remain firmly in the MVP conversation as the season progresses.
