BOSTON — Jaylen Brown has long been viewed by national audiences as the No. 2 to Celtics superstar Jayson Tatum. Green Teamers know, however, that JB is capable of being much more on any given night.
Thursday was just the latest in a long list of examples of Brown’s ability to be a bona fide No. 1 scoring option. Despite finishing with the same number of points as Tatum, Brown was far and away the more efficient scorer, and was looked at to stop the bleeding during an all-important fourth-quarter run to help the Celtics top the Los Angeles Clippers, 116-110.
It’s the way in which Brown went about helping the Celtics seal their 26th win, however, that acting head coach Damon Stoudamire admires.
“Watching JB play, to me he’s a bully,” Stoudamire said. “When I say bully I say it from the standpoint of it being a good thing. He’s the type of guy every team needs. I really believe that. The way he plays I think it balances (Tatum). I think he’s the total opposite of (Tatum), that’s why they work together.”
Brown’s “bully” mentality was on full display against the Clippers on Thursday. The 25-year-old finished 0-for-8 from beyond the arc, but still found a way to put up 29 points. All 12 of his field goals came within 16-feet of the basket, with 18 of his points coming in the paint.
Though he was clearly exerting dominance over the Clippers, Brown disagreed with the “bully” notion.
“I don’t know what the (expletive) Damon talking about,” Brown said with a smile. “… Now he the head coach he want to switch up on us.”
In his seventh season with the Celtics, it has become clear how high Brown’s ceiling is. And even more clear that he hasn’t even begun to reach it at this stage. Career highs have become common place in the past couple of seasons, with team success at its peak since he arrived in 2016.
“I think JB is at a point in his career where it’s about trying to get better,” Stoudamire said. “His teammates believe in him, coaches believe in him and the organization believes in him. I can see him getting better. For as great as he is, and I think he’s a great player, I think he can be better.”
That’s a scary thought for other teams around the NBA.
