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Jaylen Brown’s Legacy Is on the Line in 2025–26

Originally posted on The Lead | By Ryan Croke | Last updated Jul 12, 2025 5:31 AM ET

The 2025-26 season presents Jaylen Brown with an opportunity he has never had in his nine-year NBA career: Leading a team as its primary offensive engine.

With four-time All-NBA First Teamer Jayson Tatum sidelined for most, if not the entirety, of the year, the Boston Celtics look to Brown to fill Tatum’s role as the first option.

Many view the upcoming season as a gap year for the Celtics due to Tatum’s absence. For Brown, however, it is the most important campaign of his career.

INCONSISTENCY IN THE LEAD ROLE

Because of Tatum’s remarkable reliability until his recent Achilles rupture, Brown has not had extended time as a first option. His number has been called in big moments, however.

Game 7 of the 2023 Eastern Conference Finals against the Miami Heat is the most notable. Boston was trying to complete an improbable 3-0 series comeback by winning Game 7 on its home floor.

Things went awry in the first half-minute of the game, as Tatum suffered an ankle injury on the opening possession. He played the rest of the contest visibly hobbled, requiring Brown to act as the primary scorer.

The pressure got to him. He scored 19 points on 8 for 23 from the field and 1 for 9 from 3-point range. He had eight turnovers as well.

Boston’s 103-84 loss was heartbreaking, and Brown shouldered the responsibility. After the game, he said, “We failed. I failed and we let the whole city down.”

Brown recently served as the offensive engine in another emotional game for the Celtics: Game 5 of a second-round series against the New York Knicks. Game 4 saw Tatum rupture his Achilles and left Boston down 3-1 in the series.

The series felt lost, but a Game 5 win at TD Garden would have meant a great deal to a fanbase reeling from Tatum’s injury.

Brown met the moment and did so with flying colors. He scored 26 points on 9 for 17 field goals, 3 for 5 from deep, along with 12 assists and eight rebounds. Boston’s 127-102 win marks one of the finest performances of Brown’s career.

Statistically, Brown has thrived in the absence of Tatum. Including Games 5 and 6 against New York this past May, Brown averages 28.1 points without his co-star since the 2021-22 season. He shoots 49.3 percent from the field and 33.5 percent from beyond the arc.

In 29 games without Tatum in that time frame, Brown has scored fewer than 20 points just three times. All three took place this past season. The Celtics won all three.

Boston is 20-9 since 2021-22 with Brown as the first option.

THE CHALLENGE AHEAD

Brown gets his first opportunity to helm the Celtics’ offense as its long-term engine this season.

Brown will have support from Derrick White and reigning Sixth Man of the Year Payton Pritchard. Should Anfernee Simons remain with Boston through the offseason, he will help shoulder the load as another capable scorer.

The role will be more demanding than in years past due to roster turnover. The departures of Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis deplete Boston of shotmakers who provided space for Brown to operate inside.

The Celtics are set to regress from boasting the league’s highest offensive rating over the past five seasons.

That makes Brown’s job more difficult, but there is a silver lining. The added challenge provides him with a valuable opportunity to showcase his skills.

Brown’s role in the offense over the past two seasons was reduced due to the presence of Porzingis and Holiday. As the focal point this upcoming year, he should enjoy jumps in scoring averages.

Brown is a gifted scorer, earning All-NBA Second Team honors for 2022-23 after scoring 26.6 points per game. He has scored 20-plus points per game each year since 2019-20, when he became a full-time starter.

Brown’s efficiency as a starter has been dependable, shooting 48.3 percent from the field and 35.7 percent from three since 2019-20. This past season, however, the nine-year veteran saw dips in those categories. Brown’s 46.3 field goal percentage was his lowest since his rookie season. His 32.4 3-point percentage was a career low.

Despite regressions in efficiency, Brown’s growth as a facilitator this past season cannot go unnoticed. The four-time All-Star notched a career-high 4.5 assists per game in 2024-25, eclipsing his previous career-high of 3.6 set in 2023-24.

Brown will be a primary facilitator in place of Tatum, who has thrived in that role.

WHAT’S AT STAKE FOR JAYLEN BROWN THIS YEAR

While Brown would add a great deal to his legacy should he lead a Tatum-less Celtics squad to a championship, that scenario is nearly impossible to envision.

The Celtics are not expected to be serious contenders for the 2026 NBA title. The 2024 Finals MVP has already solidified his legacy as a winning player and playoff riser.

The pressure of raising a banner is not what’s on the line for Brown this season. Instead, Brown’s legacy as an individual talent will be greatly helped or harmed by his performance in 2025-26.

Despite an NBA title and Finals MVP in 2024, doubts in Brown’s ability to be successful as a top offensive option persist. This might be the best chance he will ever get to put those doubts to bed.

If Brown thrives as a top option, conversations will be had about where he ranks in the NBA talent landscape. If the shoes prove too big to fill, he could struggle to escape the “elite second option” archetype like many before him.

An opportunity Brown hasn’t had for his entire career has presented itself. Only time will tell what he makes of it.

This article first appeared on The Lead and was syndicated with permission.

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