Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics
For a few years now, the Boston Celtics have been contenders in the East, but despite making three of the last four conference finals, they have no NBA Finals berths to show for it. They always seem to be one piece away from breaking that barrier and competing for a title, yet for one reason or another, it just hasn’t happened. For one of the most storied franchises in North American sports, such constant disappointment must be frustrating.
The answer to their woes, however, may already lie in their roster. While Jayson Tatum gets all the attention as an All-NBA selection and a superstar in the making, Boston secretly counts on a step-up from Jaylen Brown. Selected with the third overall pick in 2016, Brown has been a steady contributor to the Celtics’ success since the moment he set foot on an NBA court. Last season, he put up a quiet 20.3 points per contest to go along with 6.1 rebounds and solid shooting splits of 48 percent from the field and 38 percent from beyond the arc.
All-Star point guard Kemba Walker is out until at least January with a knee injury. This will give Brown a string of games to be the undisputed second option and increase his production. Even upon Walker’s return, Brown could still find himself getting more touches, as the Celtics may opt to ease the 30-year-old’s reassertion into the lineup to reduce his wear before the playoffs.
Brown’s two-way prowess already makes him a very valuable asset, and if he gets more chances to show his scoring chops, perhaps Boston will find themselves in the Finals again.