Why Jaylen Brown believes he’s worthy of an All-NBA nod this season
Brown's scoring 26.6 points per game this season, but his chances to make an All-NBA team are far from a sure thing.
Celtics star wing Jaylen Brown has a lot on the line entering the postseason.
Of course, Brown and the Celtics are seeking redemption for last season’s NBA Finals loss when the playoffs tip a week from Saturday. But he also has a lot at stake financially, too.
The All-NBA teams, which will be voted on by media in the coming days and will likely be revealed at some point later in the playoffs, will determine if Brown is eligible for a super-max extension this summer.
If Brown makes one of the three teams, the Celtics can offer him a five-year, $290 million extension this offseason. If Brown doesn’t make any of the three teams, the biggest extension offer he can receive this offseason is a four-year, $189 million deal a year before his current deal is set to expire.
Questions about which position Brown plays have made his case for an All-NBA spot tricky. In the Celtics’ ideal starting lineup, Brown plays at shooting guard, which would make it tougher for him to reach an All-NBA team this season due to the perceived competition at guard. However, Brown has played most of his minutes at forward this season (Basketball Reference projects that he’s played 61 percent of his minutes at either small or power forward).
Regardless of which position he should be voted at, Brown thinks his play has been worthy enough to make one of the three All-NBA teams.
“I think I’m more than deserving,” Brown told The Boston Globe’s Gary Washburn on Friday. “This is the second-best team in the league. I’ve played nothing but winning basketball, helped lead my team and I’m in the [top] 10 in scoring and I’m efficient. I guess you look at the criteria and I think I more than meet it. We’ve dominated for the most part of the season. I’ve been available. What more do people want?
“But it’s out of my control.”
Players who’ve had the kind of season Brown’s had have typically either made an All-NBA team or were a tough exclusion. He’s ninth in the league in scoring at 26.6 points per game, shooting 49.1 percent from the field and 33.5 percent from 3-point territory as he has a 58.1 true shooting percentage. The Celtics outscore opponents by 5.4 points per every 100 possessions Brown plays and he’s played in 67 games this season, something a few of his competitors for the honor can’t say.
Yet, Brown’s case for an All-NBA spot is still up in the air. The Ringer’s Michael Pina, who is an award voter, voted for Brown to make the All-NBA second team at forward. However, a pair of Pina’s colleagues at The Ringer didn’t include Brown on their All-NBA teams while a third did. It’s unknown if either of those three are award voters. The Athletic’s John Hollinger, who isn’t an award voter, also didn’t have Brown on one of his three All-NBA teams.
Even if the media members who have excluded Brown from their All-NBA teams so far don’t have a vote for the award, it could be reflective of how the voting base views his candidacy for one of the prestigious spots.
Brown admitted to Washburn that it’s “uncomfortable” to have to deal with something that’s out of his control. But as he also admitted that it “has a role or an effect on your future,” Brown feels like he doesn’t have much of a choice but to speak up for himself.
“I see myself as a guy who is constantly having to prove myself. That’s fine. But in reality, I don’t feel like I have anything to prove to anybody,” Brown told Washburn. “I’m going to come out and do my job each and every night, what’s asked of me on a consistent basis. I’m going to come out and get better every year until the day I die. That’s just the type of guy I am. That’s how my brain functions. I like to concern myself less with what others think, but now you get put into these moments and it’s like you don’t have a choice.
“[Bleep] it, I’m campaigning for myself.”
Brown’s teammate Jayson Tatum and Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo have both been viewed as locks for the two forward spots on the first team. After those two, though, the other four forward spots are seen as more up-in-the-air.
Other players viewed as common candidates for the other four forward spots include Jimmy Butler, Julius Randle, Lauri Markkanen, LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard, and Anthony Davis. Voters will have the challenge of weighing just how much missed game action should hurt a player’s chances.
To comment, please create a screen name in your profile
To comment, please verify your email address
Conversation
This discussion has ended. Please join elsewhere on Boston.com