Is star Boston Celtics forward Jaylen Brown a top-15 player in the NBA? While the Georgia native has never doubted his own position in the league, serious flaws in an otherwise very complete game have held the Celtics star back until this season.
Now armed with a tighter handle, better decision-making skills and self-awareness of his game and his limits, Brown has not only morphed into one of the league’s best scorers, but one of the NBA’s best two-way talents. And nowhere was it on display more than in the 2024 NBA Finals, which saw the Cal alum justifiably earn the Finals Most Valuable Player award for his efforts guiding Boston to a league-record 18th banner.
“The arc of Brown’s career is a story of growth—a gradual refinement that, over time, turned a raw prospect into one of the most resourceful basketball players in the world,” writes the Ringer’s Rob Mahoney.
The #Celtics are heavy favorites to repeat next year – but which team could stop them in the 2025 NBA Finals?@CAlmanza1007 of Thunder Wire joins @CelticsLab
— Celtics Lab Podcast (@CelticsLab) July 18, 2024
to talk the threats of the West.: https://t.co/ehf7S7Yb0J
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by @Gametime pic.twitter.com/3yvJV5zvcy
“For so long, it was easy to get stuck on what Brown wasn’t”, adds the Ringer analyst. “Yet over the course of this championship season, Brown shifted the focus from the deficits in his game to the incredible breadth of his contributions.”
“Brown made himself a star, and then he made himself essential,” Mahoney adds. “(…) But don’t take our word for it—just check his trophy case.”
His ranking by the Ringer? No. 15 overall in the NBA headed into the 2024-25 season.
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