Jaylen Brown comes up with rare musical analogy to describe guarding Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving - "Everybody is playing their own song"
Jaylen Brown has made a name for himself as one of the best two-way stars in the NBA. His 2024 finals performance against Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving further solidified his status. Brown has a unique way of breaking down the offensive player's game, which is related to music.
During an appearance on First We Feast's "Hot Ones" show, the reigning FMVP broke down Doncic and Irving's "rhythms" and how he uses that to his advantage while defending.
"If you see certain guys, they play to a certain beat, to a certain cadence, they play a certain style," Brown said. "And if you know their style you can time what they're gonna do next because you know the rhythm in the BPM that they kind of play at.
"Luka has a unique rhythm. It’s almost so slow that it’s hard to time. Kyrie has a unique rhythm … I look at basketball as [music]. Everybody is playing their song … If you want to stop them you gotta learn when their beat is about to drop."
Jaylen Brown was the primary defender against Luka Doncic during the 2024 NBA Finals. He was excellent as the point-of-attack defender, picking up the Mavericks star full-court and making it difficult for him to get to his spots and make plays.
Brown was seemingly just as comfortable guarding Kyrie Irving on switches. His strength, length, athleticism and speed are key factors that allow him to be one of the best perimeter defenders in the NBA.
Jaylen Brown's defense against Luka Doncic may have gotten him the edge over Jayson Tatum in FMVP race
It was a tough choice for voters when selecting the 2024 NBA Finals MVP. Jaylen Brown was edged by Jayson Tatum in major statistical categories. The former averaged 20.8 points, 5.4 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 1.6 steals on 44/24/73 splits, while the latter bagged 22.2 ppg, 7.8 rpg and 7.2 apg, shooting on 39/26/93 splits.
However, Brown was the more consistent of the two on offense with his overall efficiency, and he shouldered most of the responsibility to keep Luka Doncic at bay defensively. The All-Star limited Doncic to 40.9% shooting and forced five turnovers against him across the series.
Jaylen Brown's defense took Luka Doncic out of the game for the Mavericks, making it difficult for their offense to get going. Jayson Tatum also played a crucial role by guarding the center primarily, denying the Mavericks their pick-and-roll game.
However, Brown's direct impact against Doncic was the key difference in swaying the voters' decision.