After select games this season, the Jaylen Brown trade beliefs led to a division among Celtics fans.
Some want the Finals MVP gone because of his regressing shot efficiency. While the shooting guard’s impact feels different than last season, his numbers tell a different story.
Brown’s effective field goal percentage, 50.4%, is the only significant category dip this season. Although this rating is the lowest in his career, his net rating increased to +9.6.
C’s fans are particularly frustrated with the guard’s turnovers. Brown’s assist-to-turnover ratio is 1.72:1, better than the previous year’s 1.5:1.
All the hate directed at him is unwarranted because his stats show a clear willingness to create more chances. Fellow teammate Jayson Tatum has a 1.95:1 AST:TO ratio – a minimal difference from Brown.
One bad start to the season doesn’t mean he should be shipped to another team, and Brown deserves to be on the Celtics roster for the remainder of the year.
ROTATION
For some time, the narrative was that Tatum and Brown couldn’t coexist without one being upset with the other, yet that’s far from true. Brown’s removal from the team impacts not only Tatum but the rotation as well.
When the Finals MVP suffered an injury earlier in the year, Sam Hauser replaced him. However, Hauser is only a formidable option in the short term, as he can’t sustain prolonged minutes in the starting core.
Joe Mazzulla is reluctant to use his bench and has experimented with lineups this season.
A Brown-less Celtics roster means Mazzulla must get creative with his rotation, especially with sizing matchups. The guard alleviates defensive issues and has what some superstars lack— a yearning to guard some of a team’s best athletes.
Another option is to start Tatum, Jrue Holiday, Al Horford, Kristaps Porzingis, and Derrick White. However, this lineup doesn’t make sense due to offensive spacing.
PRODUCTION
Celtics fans expect a lot of production from anyone wearing a green and white uniform. Like some superstars, number seven can alter his team’s output on and off the floor.
Boston averages 117.7 points per game without Brown on the court compared to 118.5 points per game with Brown. Again, these are fine margins, but they can be the difference between a win and a loss.
Brown’s dip in form isn’t cause for concern, either. He’s improving his teammates and giving them confidence to knock down shots.
The guard’s assist ratio (a player’s average number of assists per 100 possessions) is 16.6, meaning instead of giving up possessions, he’s recognizing when others are open. This is the highest of Brown’s career.
Brown contributes much more to the squad on both ends than people think.
CONTRACT SITUATION
Money is always a factor whenever there are trade rumors or wishes. In 2023, Brown signed one of the most lucrative deals in the NBA.
This begs the question of why the Celtics would offload a superstar who is guaranteed to make money if he wasn’t part of the organization’s future. The answer is that he is part of their future.
With the team under new ownership in the coming year, Boston cannot afford to splash the cash because some are unhappy with Brown.
A trade also means there needs to be a matched salary offer. Agreeing with other teams can be daunting, given an uptick in his demands or due to the nature of the Finals MVP’s age.
Brown’s replacement will be hard to come by because of the long-term contracts. Some athletes may remain on the Celtics for a couple of years, which wastes a spot.
SOMETHING TO PROVE
It may sound wild, but Brown has something to prove. Yes, he earned numerous accolades last season and played some of his best basketball.
With that said, he won many trophies last season. To be the best, people expect someone to win awards and be recognized and honored more than once.
Given the noise surrounding his playing style, Brown is playing with a chip on his shoulder. Mazzulla and his teammates have allowed him to rise to the ranks of all-time greats.
His playing days are far from over, and there’s still room to add more trophies to a stacked cabinet. One of the best ways to silence doubters is to let one’s play speak for itself.
We’ve previously seen what happens when Brown has his back against the wall. An improvement to the slump doesn’t mean the Jaylen Brown trade beliefs will go away.
It will only fuel him to want to create more.
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