Would NBA Finals MVP Mean Jaylen Brown’s Better Than Jayson Tatum?

The highly contested debate throughout the NBA Finals has been who the No. 1 guy is on the Boston Celtics: Jaylen Brown or Jayson Tatum?

That question could be answered by who wins series MVP honors.

Brown is the favorite to win NBA Finals MVP heading into Game 4 against the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center on Friday. The 2023 All-NBA guard has made flashy plays and hit clutch baskets, but the underlying numbers have been there for Tatum.

Travis Thomas and George Balekji discussed the Finals MVP race Friday on NESN’s “Boston Has Entered the Chat” podcast. They agreed a sweep could mean the Celtics paced their way to victory. And while Tatum and Brown get their production, someone like Jrue Holiday could emerge in the conversation, as well.

Thomas and Balekji pondered whether Brown should be crowned the best player in Boston if he wins NBA Finals MVP. That will depend on how Brown and Tatum perform Friday night, but it’s a debate that will continue if the Celtics finish the job in Game 4.

Surely, this will be discussed further in future podcast episodes, but hear Thomas and Balekji’s conversation about the Finals MVP race on “Boston Has Entered the Chat” in the video above.