How Jaylen Brown is having the best season of his career and making the Celtics more dangerous than expected

As the final seconds ticked away in Tuesday night's primetime matchup between the Boston Celtics and the New York Knicks, Jaylen Brown snuck free behind the defense and threw down a slam, which gave him a season-high 42 points and cemented the Celtics' 123-117 victory. 

The Celtics have now knocked off the Knicks and Cleveland Cavaliers -- the clear preseason favorites in the Eastern Conference this season -- in consecutive games, and have won seven of their last 10 contests to improve to 12-9. During that stretch they've also beaten the East-leading Detroit Pistons, and are now in eighth place, just 2.5 games back of the No. 2 seed. 

This was supposed to be a gap year for the Celtics, who are still without Jayson Tatum while he rehabs from a torn Achilles tendon, and lost Kristaps Porziņģis, Jrue Holiday, Al Horford and Luke Kornet during the offseason. Prior to the season, there were plenty of calls for the team to tank and secure a high pick in the loaded 2026 draft. 

Brown, who shot 16 of 24 from the field on Tuesday and added four rebounds and four assists in another strong all-around showing, isn't letting that happen. He's too prideful, and, more importantly, too good. For the entirety of his Celtics career, Brown has had to play Robin, whether it was in support of Isaiah Thomas, Kyrie Irving or Tatum. Now, he has the opportunity to be Batman, and he's proven more than capable of handling that responsibility. 

Brown hasn't missed a game yet this season and is averaging 29 points, six rebounds and 4.8 assists on 49.9% shooting from the field. He's putting up career-highs in scoring and assists, and is seventh in the league in the former category. After Tuesday night's effort, Brown already has three 40-point games, which is tied for his most in a single season and tied for fourth in the league. 

NBA leaders in 40-point games

Mid-range maestro

Brown has been finishing extremely well around the basket (70.7% in the restricted area) and is making a solid amount of his 3-point attempts (34.7%), but he is enjoying the best season of his career in large part because he's been nearly automatic from the mid-range. 

He's taking a league-high six mid-range attempts per game and making 52.8% of them. Of the 10 players taking at least four mid-range attempts per game, no one has been more efficient than Brown. What Brown is doing has him on pace for one of the best mid-range seasons ever. 

Since 1996-97, which is as far back as the NBA's tracking data goes, the only player to shoot 50% or better on at least six mid range attempts per game for an entire season is Kevin Durant, who did so three times (2022, 2023, 2024). 

Historically, it has been almost impossible to marry significant mid-range volume and efficiency, but Brown has managed to do so thus far. 

"A lot of people look at the game analytically, and they look at the percentages or whatever, but for me, to get into a comfort zone on the floor helps make all the other shots so much easier," Brown said earlier this season. "Once you see one go in, once you see them go down, then the 3-ball gets going.

"It's always been something that kind of can get me going. But the analytics won't show the potential of somebody getting hot."

Against the Knicks, Brown was 5 of 7 from the mid-range. "Just being aggressive, just taking my time. I think that was the difference," Brown said Tuesday. Just taking my time and getting to my spots. No rush." 

His ability to create these shots himself has been vital to the Celtics' success this season without Tatum around. 

'Having a great balance'

Brown has always been able to score, but there have long been questions about his decision making -- in regards to both his shot selection and passing (or lack thereof). Through the first quarter of this season, Brown has made tremendous strides with his ability to run an offense. 

His 4.8 assists per game and 23.9% assist rate are both career-highs, and he tied his career-high in assists with 11 when he recorded the fourth triple-double of his career in the Celtics' win over the Cavaliers on Sunday. 

"To me, it's about having a great balance -- knowing when it's his time versus when it's time to make a play," Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said after the win over the Cavs. "I think that's been a huge growth of his, not just this year but in the past as well, and that's what you want from your best players. I think he takes just as much pride in watching someone else close the game as he does in closing it himself. You saw that in the plays he was able to make throughout the game."

Brown's play in the fourth quarter against the Knicks was a perfect example of what Mazzulla was talking about. 

After he had torched the Knicks through the first three quarter, they started trapping him all over the floor in the fourth as they tried to make a furious comeback. Brown would have been well within his rights to force a few looks, but he continually made the right play, which led to open shots time and again for the Celtics and ensured they held on to what had been an 18-point lead. 

Brown only had five points and one assist on 1 of 2 from the field in the fourth, but the Celtics don't win without his playmaking down the stretch. 

'Don't count us out'

Just how far can the Celtics go? 

Heading into the season, even the most bullish Celtics supporters weren't expecting more than a Play-In Tournament berth and perhaps a frisky first-round exit. But after their recent hot streak, which again, includes wins over the Orlando Magic, Pistons, Cavaliers and Knicks, it's fair to wonder if the Celtics are more of a threat in the Eastern Conference. 

The Celtics are fourth in the league in offensive rating (120) and 11th in net rating (plus-4.4). They rarely turn the ball over (12.1% turnover rate, first in the league), continue to shoot a ton of 3-pointers (42.8 attempts per game, third in the league) and play super hard on both ends of the floor. 

As long as Brown continues to play like this, the Celtics have proven they can hang with anyone. And who knows, maybe Tatum will come back this season after all. 

"We're getting better every day. Don't count us out," Brown said after beating the Knicks. "We're learning and growing, we got a new group, we got a bunch of young guys that are playing for the first time. I'm proud of what I'm seeing so far, we just gotta keep going."