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Fans Call for Celtics' Jaylen Brown to Make Good on Promise From Last Year

Originally posted on Boston Celtics on SI | By Seth Quinn | Last updated May 14, 2025 9:21 PM ET

The Boston Celtics are in a worst-case scenario. They are down 3-1 to the New York Knicks in the second round of the NBA playoffs, and Jayson Tatum is out for the rest of the season after suffering a torn Achilles.

More Celtics news: Celtics Release Statement on Jayson Tatum Suffering Season-Ending Injury

However, Jaylen Brown has indicated in the past that he thinks he can thrive as the number one option for a team's offense, which is what the team needs if they want to survive this playoff deficit.

With Tatum being out, a tweet that Brown liked about a year ago is resurfacing, which talked about how Jaylen Brown would "average over 30 points per game and be in the MVP conversation."

Last year, Jaylen brown liked a tweet claiming that if he was the number 1 option, he would average 30 and be in the MVP conversation.

Now is the time to prove it pic.twitter.com/CqBOJoqGdT
— Jrue (@JrueeUTD) May 14, 2025

Brown has been a part of trade rumors for years, partly due to this sentiment. However, he is suddenly in a position to prove he is capable of what he seems to think he is capable of as a number one option.

The team has relied on Tatum's all-around game for years, but Brown also has versatility on the wing as both a primary scorer and defender. He isn't the ball-handler or playmaker Tatum is, but he is certainly capable of doing the other things the team asks Tatum to do.

Brown has struggled so far this series as the number two option, shooting under 44% from the field and under 33% from three in each game of this series so far. For the sake of the Celtics' playoff hopes, they will need much more than that from Brown if he wants to seriously be their number one option moving forward.

If Brown does struggle in the role, it will be interesting to see what the narrative is for the offseason. Another bad Brown game likely means the offseason will arrive immediately, so the narrative could begin as soon as in a few days.

With the Celtics already rumored to be making massive changes this offseason, which was further emphasized by Tatum's injury, Brown's performance in Game 5 and any other playoff games that may happen could be a huge factor in the team's future plans.

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Many teams would be chomping at the bit to acquire Brown to be their own number two option. The Celtics won't want to do it, but trading Brown would be an option on the table this offseason if Brown isn't able to fulfill his promise.

It isn't being talked about enough that Brown may be playing for his Boston Celtics life for as long as Tatum is out. It will be fascinating to see how much time general manager Brad Stevens grants Brown to prove himself.

More Boston Celtics news:

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Celtics Star Al Horford's Offseason Plans Revealed

NBA Announces Big Update in Celtics-Knicks Playoff Series

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This article first appeared on Boston Celtics on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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