Jaylen Brown has expanded his game this season out of necessity, as this was his first season as the undisputed number one option for the Boston Celtics amid Jayson Tatum's lengthy absence due to a ruptured Achilles tendon. Brown has responded with his best season as a pro, and even with Tatum returning, he remains the Celtics' fulcrum and cornerstone, the man they rely on to take them home on a nightly basis.
On Thursday night, Brown certainly did his part in getting the Celtics in a position to win. He put up 34 points, six rebounds, and seven assists, answering the call for his team amid Tatum and Derrick White's absences in a heated clash against the Oklahoma City Thunder. While a late-game call that went against the Celtics ended up putting them on the losing side, 104-102, that should not diminish Brown's efforts whatsoever.
In fact, Brown has become so dangerous of a playmaker that he became the first Celtics player since Rajon Rondo in 2014 to record at least seven assists in at least seven consecutive games, as pointed out by Taylor Snow of Celtics Stats.
Considering how Rondo is one of the best playmakers in Celtics franchise history, being mentioned in the same sentence as him as a passer is not a mean feat whatsoever for Brown.
Jaylen Brown has become more than a scorer for the Celtics
Through the years, Brown's dribbling and playmaking have been called into question. The Celtics star invited criticism for not having a secure left-hand dribble, and passing has never been one of the biggest strengths of his game.
But with him being the top dog of the team for most of the season, Brown had to adapt and make the most of the defensive attention he's getting on a nightly basis. And he's passing that test with flying colors.
