It’s quite understandable if fans see Jayson Tatum as the Boston Celtics star with the higher upside when it comes to sports cards. This season alone, the fourth-year player is averaging career highs in points, assists, and 3-point percentage. While that’s the case with Tatum, Jaylen Brown is making a strong argument for himself at the same time.

In 18 games this season, the fifth-year player is averaging 27.1 points, 5.4 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.4 steals in 33.1 minutes per game. Brown has knocked down 44.3% of his 5.9 attempts from beyond the arc. With these numbers, you can see why some people are becoming so high on Brown. 

If you take a look at his progression, it’s evident that Brown has come a long way. Back during his rookie season, the 6-foot-6 wing averaged 6.6 points and 2.8 assists while playing 17.2 minutes per game off the bench. He showed major improvement in Year 2 before stagnating a bit in Year 3, but he has really blown up the last two seasons. 

Even though Brown is seen as the Robin to Tatum’s Batman, there’s still a strong case to be made for the 24-year-old. His overall game speaks volumes about how underrated he is, both on the court and the card market. Take a look at these three reasons why this Celtics star needs to be your next card investment right away.

Jaylen Brown’s potential will soon be realized

After the departure of Kyrie Irving, Brown became a borderline All-Star last season for a Celtics team that reached the Eastern Conference Finals. Brown has taken another major leap in 2020-21, making him deserving of his first All-Star nod. 

Jaylen Brown Celtics

More and more fans are taking notice of Brown's exploits. If this trend continues, he could even nab a spot on one of the All-NBA squads.

Keep in mind that if this happens, Brown’s stock on the card market will definitely shoot up. The prestige of becoming an All-Star or the credibility of being an All-NBA player would certainly do wonders for Jaylen Brown rookie cards.

He’s having a better season than Tatum

As mentioned, Brown is posting insane stats this season and even better numbers than Tatum. When it comes to points, steals, effective field goal percentage, and 3-point percentage, Brown is in the lead over his younger teammate. On the other hand, Tatum is ahead when it comes to rebounds, assists, and blocks per game.

Celtics, Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Carsen Edwards, Grant Williams

Looking at the advanced stats, Brown is ahead of Tatum. The former boasts a 6.4 Offensive Box Plus/Minus score over the latter’s 4.9 rating, per Basketball-Reference.com. Overall, Brown has a 6.6 BPM, while Tatum is at 4.8. Brown also boasts a .201 Win Shares per 48 mark, which is well above Tatum's stellar .148 mark. 

It's still early in the season and Tatum missed time due to COVID-19, but Brown has truly been the Celtics' best player thus far.

Jaylen Brown rookie cards are tremendously underrated

It’s a given that Jayson Tatum’s card market value is the higher of the two studs right now. Tatum’s raw 2017-18 Prizm rookie card was last sold at $174.5. In comparison, Brown’s very own raw Prizm rookie card fetched $107.5 on Jan. 31, 2021.

Jaylen Brown, Celtics

Those who are faced with the choice to buy rookie cards of either Tatum or Brown could opt for the latter. Brown’s tremendous showing this season, if maintained, will have a positive effect on his stock. As a result, his card value will go up and the money invested in his stock will yield significant profits down the line. Because of his potential, Brown has a good chance of making any card fan’s investment more valuable.

It’s best to keep a close eye on Jaylen Brown these days. The Celtics are currently below some of the other favorites in the East, like the Brooklyn Nets, Milwaukee Bucks, and Philadelphia 76ers. However, with everybody back in the lineup, Boston will surely rise up the standings soon, which should only help Brown.