Why Jaylen Brown Should’ve Been MVP

How Do We Measure Greatness?

Jaylen Brown is the best player in the league and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander shouldn’t even be considered for MVP this season… is something I’d say if I was incredibly biased and didn’t have evidence! Thank goodness I do have evidence, and I’m not just incredibly biased. Whilst his numbers aren’t the best in the league, I believe Jaylen Brown is the most tenacious player. He is the most valuable player not only on his team, but in the NBA. In this article, I’ll go over what to consider when naming a player MVP, and why it should’ve been Jaylen Brown of the Boston Celtics. 

MVP? Jaylen Brown? SGA? What does this mean? 

During every NBA season, there’s a ranking of the most valuable players in the NBA. As the season progresses, teams and players change along with the rankings. This influences the impact they have on the league. Currently, the favorites to win MVP are Nikola Jokic, Victor Wembanyama, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. These guys are the best of the best, from averaging triple-doubles to shooting 3 pointers while being 7’5”. These players have stats that go above and beyond the NBA standard, and really make a name for themself in the current season. Both Nikola Jokic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander are prior champions, which makes sense as to why they would be MVP favorites. But the true threat is Victor Wembanyama, the 7’5 Center on the Spurs. It’s only his third year in the league and he’s already averaging 25 points, and 11 rebounds while acting as an all-around player. He is a basketball player’s nightmare, and the only player I’d favor over Jaylen Brown for MVP. Victor Wembanyama is a perfect example as to how elevated players are in order to be considered for MVP. But I believe Jaylen Brown is just as capable as the rest.   

Where does Jaylen Brown come in?

What differentiates Brown from the rest of the players is that he defied all expectations. With the season-ending Achilles injury of Jayson Tatum, and the Boston Celtics trading away their Championship lineup, the people expected the Celtics to tank in order to save face. Even expert sports analysts thought that the Celtics weren’t going to succeed with the lineup they had. But that’s where Jaylen Brown comes in. Despite the league deciding the fate for the Celtics, Jaylen Brown took this as an opportunity to show the extent of his abilities. He was named Finals MVP in the 2024 championship, but people still saw Jayson Tatum as the star of The Celtics. This season was his chance to show the league who he truly was. Jaylen Brown took a team full of bench players, and new additions, and worked their way to the second seed in the East. He was averaging 30 points per game, working hard and playing even harder. The Celtics, without Jaylen Brown’s tenacity, would have fallen from grace. This is what I believe is MVP-candidate worthy. Teams like the Oklahoma City Thunder, or San Antonio Spurs could lose their star players and still be afloat. But Jaylen Brown was the one to single handedly bring his team to the playoffs. This is a great feat within itself, and goes to show how badly Jaylen Brown wants to prove himself, and more importantly, how much wants his team to succeed.  

To compare, the prior Finals MVP, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the favorite to win MVP once more. And I think it’s completely incorrect. I do believe he is the most valuable player on his team, but not in the league. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander didn’t prove his skills through hard work and ethical basketball, but rather foul-baiting and practicing how to shoot from the free-throw line. Despite averaging 31 points this season, numbers aren’t all that makes up a MVP. It takes teamwork, diligence, and most importantly, good basketball. All these traits can be found in Jaylen Brown, who earned his spot as a top player through perseverance. 

For Your Consideration

Jaylen Brown is an unstoppable force. And even if he and the Celtics faced an unfortunate end to their season, they are bound to come back even stronger. He has displayed his skills to establish that he can contend with the greats. And to carry his fresh starting lineup to the second seed, and the playoffs, lets the league know that he is just as great. So I wish for the league, and the people, to consider Jaylen Brown as MVP in the coming seasons. He has showcased how valuable to the Celtics, and encourages the league to be just as resolute.