“Not only the Finals loss but also the way you possibly can be traded for somebody that’s older than you” - NBA analyst backing Jaylen Brown to be in top 5 players for MVP contention
Boston Celtics superstar Jaylen Brown has had some high expectations placed on him for this upcoming season. With NBA analyst Eddie House taking note of Brown's rise, he voiced his thoughts on the Celtics star potentially becoming a top 5 MVP candidate this season.
Jaylen Brown is coming off a rather impressive season with the Boston Celtics. Although the team came up short in the NBA Finals, the Celtics made a miraculous run through the playoffs.
In this span of time, the Celtics' superstar duo of Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum looked particularly impressive. As the duo led the team with their contrasting styles of play, the team benefitted from their contributions.
The team's relative inexperience became their undoing in the Finals. However, Brown was still one of the most potent offensive weapons Boston had in their arsenal.
Given the series of events that have followed since the Finals loss, former Celtics player Eddie House stated that Brown could see a huge jump in the upcoming season. Joining the panel of NBC Sports Boston, House said:
"He's in midseason form during the preseason right now. Not only the Finals loss but also the way you possibly can be traded for somebody that's older than you."
He added:
"You've been here with the franchise for a long period of time. They drafted you, you've done a lot of things. You've gotten them to the Finals and was the best offensive player in the Finals. He has a chip on his shoulder."
Taking note of all the factors influencing Brown's rise, House built his case for considering the Celtics star as a potential MVP candidate.
"I'm going to go out of my way and say I have Jaylen Brown as being one of the top five players for MVP this year."
BOLD PREDICTION 🗣️☘️
@EddieHouse_50 "I have Jaylen Brown being one of the Top 5 players for MVP this year." 😤 https://t.co/ycJyLZxfy6
Eddie House also listed some of the additional requirements for Brown to be considered an MVP candidate.
With an emphasis on being the team's leading scorer, House laid out the template for the 25-year-old to become one of the best players in the league.
Heading into next season with a massive chip on his shoulder, Jaylen Brown certainly has the potential to be one of the best two-way players in the game.
Jaylen Brown due for another huge jump in improvement
The Boston Celtics are served by some of the most talented young players in the game. While Marcus Smart may not provide much in terms of star quality, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown certainly make up for it.
While Tatum has certainly emerged as the perennial All-Star in the team, the Celtics are quite likely to see Brown enter that realm this season. Brown, who has been an All-Star in the past, is due to make a huge jump this season.
Despite his series of impressive performances in the playoffs, the 25-year-old was still a part of trade rumors. While he was linked to a superstar such as Kevin Durant, Brown may still have taken these rumors to heart.
This could be considered fuel as Brown is known to play with a chip on his shoulder. After leading the Celtics in scoring in the preseason as well, the 25-year-old is certainly playing like he has a point to prove this season.
Jaylen Brown’s final preseason stats:
22.3 PPG
59.3 FG% (32-54)
51.9 3P% (14-27)
4.5 RPG
27.4 MPG https://t.co/Sw3fwZGnWU