Jaylen Brown has been carrying the Boston Celtics all season, putting up career numbers and keeping them near the top of the Eastern Conference standings. For a stretch, he was even considered a legitimate MVP candidate.
But since Jayson Tatum made his surprising return from injury, the conversation around Brown has shifted dramatically.
Skip Bayless Points to Shot Volume as Proof Jayson Tatum’s Return Ended Jaylen Brown’s MVP Chances
Skip Bayless, speaking on Gil’s Arena, has become one of the few voices willing to openly examine what that return has meant, not just for the Celtics, but for Brown’s individual legacy this season.
Often known to portray sharp arguments against the best in the NBA, people were surprised to hear Bayless showering Jaylen Brown with genuine sympathy. He opened his argument by discussing his predicament.
“It hurt my heart to watch what happened to Jaylen Brown over the last month because for a while I had him number one in the MVP,” he said. “He put that whole team on his back. When Jayson came back, they were 42–21 and second in the East, and they’ve been 9–2 since he returned.”
The sharpest part of his argument, however, came down to raw numbers. “When it comes to usage rate, Jayson Tatum is born to jack it up. He is ultimately the ball-hog gunner on that team,” Bayless said.
MORE: NBA Analyst Claims Lakers ‘Could Win the MVP’ for Victor Wembanyama During Upcoming Thunder Matchups
The message behind those numbers, to Bayless, was unmistakable. “Jayson came back and said, ‘No, no, it’s still my team, and my basketball.’ He’s just going to jack it up. And I feel for Jaylen. Because Jaylen has always had a kind of a backseat… He can’t be ‘that guy’, because ‘that guy’ is that guy. He’s the nice guy, and he’s the most popular guy.”
Tatum posted a triple-double against Miami, 25 points, 18 rebounds, 11 assists, while Brown added 43, yet neither performance revived his MVP case.
The cruel irony is that Brown’s numbers have not declined. He is still averaging 28.8 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 5.3 assists, all career highs. The production has not wavered; the narrative has.
Bayless did not soften the takeaway. “If Jaylen Brown hadn’t done what he did this year, there’s no way Jayson comes back early. Jaylen made Jayson possible, and it cost him any MVP consideration because as soon as Jayson stepped back on the floor, it was over for Jaylen in the MVP race.”
With Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Nikola Jokić, Victor Wembanyama, and Luka Doncic now leading the MVP conversation, Brown has little time left to reclaim his footing, and, according to Bayless, even less of a chance.