Jayson Tatum's ruptured Achilles did more than prematurely end the Boston Celtics' 2024-2025 season. With his injury sidelining him for at least a year, the Celtics will be forced to temporarily move forward without him, thrusting Jaylen Brown into a full-time featured role.

Though Brown, the 2024 NBA Finals MVP, has shown the ability to take over games in spurts, many doubt his ability to be the No. 1 scorer of a championship team. Gilbert Arenas is one of those skeptics, saying Brown does not have the skill set to be a year-long hero when asked by ESPN's Molly Qerim.

“As of how [Jaylen Brown] finished the season, no,” Arenas said on ‘First Take.' “He doesn't have the playmaking skills. He's a slasher, scorer-style. He can be Batman some nights, but Batman for the whole season? We haven't seen that yet… His moments in the fourth quarter are suspect at best. I don't think, with the tools he has now, he can be a lead dog on a contender team. Going into this summer, he's going to have to break down his game and rebuild it back up.”

At the end of his ninth professional season, Brown's scoring numbers regressed for the second straight year. After posting a career-high 26.6 points per game in 2022-2023, his averages dropped to 22.2 points per game in 2024-2025 while shooting a career-worst 32.4 percent from three-point distance.

A four-time All-Star, Brown has never been the Celtics' No. 1 option. He began his career as a project on the Isaiah Thomas-led team before developing into a sufficient complement to Kyrie Irving. Once Irving moved on to the Brooklyn Nets, Tatum took over as the team's top scorer with Brown as his sidekick.

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Jaylen Brown to lead Celtics in 2025-2026 season

Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) is helped off the court by after an injury in the second half during game four of the second round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Tatum would leave the game with an injury after this play.
Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Unless the Celtics make a seismic trade in the 2025 offseason, Brown is going to have to be “Batman” in 2025-2026. He will have help, in the form of Kristaps Porzingis, Derrick White and Payton Pritchard, but the team will go as far as Brown takes them.

The Celtics will also retain Jrue Holiday, though the defensive stalwart's 35th birthday approaches in June. With Tatum, Brown, Porzingis, White and Holiday each owed over $30 million in 2025-2026, Boston has little cap space to make any further additions.

Despite claiming the 2024 title, the Celtics' immediate future is suddenly murkier than ever. Achilles injuries are notoriously career-altering, with previous victims like DeMarcus Cousins, Elton Brand and Klay Thompson never returning the same.