Jaylen Brown gets real opportunity to lead Celtics in wake of Tatum injury
Jaylen Brown has a huge opportunity in front of him to lift the reeling, Tatum-less Celtics.
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – MAY 07: Jaylen Brown #7 of the Boston Celtics is defended by Jalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks during the third quarter in Game Two of the Eastern Conference Second Round NBA Playoffs at TD Garden on May 07, 2025 in Boston, Massachusetts.
Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty ImagesJaylen Brown just got the biggest opportunity of his NBA career.
It's unfortunate that it comes because his superstar teammate, Jayson Tatum, is done for the 2025 playoffs due to a ruptured Achilles tendon. But the Boston Celtics are not eliminated from the playoffs just yet, and they've led by at least 14 points in all four of their second-round playoff games against the New York Knicks.
A comeback from down 3-1 can't be completely ruled out for this Celtics team, even without Tatum. But if they are to pull it off, it's going to have to come on Brown's shoulders.
The reigning NBA Finals MVP and Eastern Conference Finals MVP, Brown is no stranger to performing at a high level on the biggest stage. But he's never had to do it as the guy for the C's, for multiple games, with Tatum unavailable. Game 7 of the 2023 conference finals against the Miami Heat doesn't count, as Tatum suffered an ankle injury after the game started.
Photo by Elsa/Getty ImagesBrown now knows. The team knows. Going into a do-or-die Game 5 against New York, it's time for Boston to run through No. 7.
It'll have to be a sudden turnaround from what's been a rough series for Brown so far. He's shooting only 37.7% from the field, 22.6% from 3-point range, and 70.8% on free throws through four games against the Knicks. He's also averaged 3.5 turnovers, markedly up from his career regular-season average of 2.1.
But if Brown still believes he can be the No. 1 driving force on a championship team, this is his chance to prove it. Even without Tatum, the Celtics are talented enough to beat the Knicks. They were never a one-man team in the first place. If Brown is who he believes he is, he will elevate for the rest of this series.
The Tatum news is devastating, for both him and the Celtics organization, in both the short-term and the long-term. But they still have basketball left to play. It'll be up to Brown to lead the team out of this mess going forward, and Wednesday's Game 5 will be his first opportunity.
