Former Celtics Forward Drops Take on Jaylen Brown

With Jayson Tatum sidelined for the 2025-26 NBA season, Jaylen Brown will be the Boston Celtics‘ primary offensive option. Brown will likely be tasked with shouldering a significant amount of the team’s playmaking and shot creation, too.

During a recent appearance on NESN’s “Hold My Banner” podcast, former Celtics forward Malik Fitts explained why he believes Brown will rise to the challenge of his increased role.

He’s Finals MVP,” Fitts said. “I don’t know how you can doubt that. That year that he won Finals MVP, you saw the level at which he was playing. He was playing at a really, really high level. Even the year that I was there, we lost to the Warriors. He was playing at a really high level even then.”

Fitts continued.

“And I never really understood the hatred or any of the bad mouthing that they (some fans) had towards Jaylen. But I am curious to see how he will lead the team while Jayson is out. Personally, I think he’ll handle it well. I think he’s going to lead the team pretty well.” 

Fitts played eight regular-season games for the Celtics during the 2021-22 season, averaging 1.9 points per outing. He spent last season with SIG Strasbourg of the LNB Elite League in France.

Anfernee Simons Could Help Brown And The Celtics

According to an anonymous executive who recently spoke with Steve Bulpett of Heavy on Sports, Anfernee Simons could emerge as a key contributor for the Celtics next season.

“I don’t know what the Celtics are thinking, but other than Jaylen Brown, there’s not a better scorer than Simons on that roster,” the executive said. “Nobody can score like him on that team other than Brown. He’s the second-best scorer, and it’s not even close…I bet you he’s their leading scorer. Even with Jaylen. He’s going to have the ball a lot, and that dude can really score. That offense is going to have to change to accommodate him, and, on the last year of his contract, he’s going to let it fly.”

If Simons eases some of the soring burden on Brown, it will free up some bandwidth for him to excel as a point-of-attack defender. Now that Jrue Holiday is no longer on the team, Brown is arguably the best perimeter defender on the roster. However, if he’s carrying a heavy load on offense, it will be tough for him to also step up as a lockdown defender.

Therefore, Simons’ importance to the Celtics could be greater than many are expecting.

Brown Can Thrive As Celtics’ Leading Star

Assuming Joe Mazzulla alters the Celtics’ offensive approach, Brown should have no problem thriving as the Celtics’ top star. He’s an elite interior scorer, both at the rim and in the mid-range. He’s also a reliable catch-and-shoot and catch-and-drive threat from the perimeter.

Brown has proven himself to be among the elite wings in the NBA in recent years. However, he’s never had the opportunity to be the Celtics’ primary scorer. Now that the opportunity has presented itself, Brown will likely grasp it with both hands. It will be interesting to see what results the role change will yield.

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