Everything has been hunky-dory for the Boston Celtics since Jayson Tatum made his incredible return from a torn Achilles just under 10 months ago. As the days pass, JT looks sharper and sharper, the team is rounding into elite form, and the Celtics are suddenly legitimate title contenders—already the betting favorites to win the Eastern Conference.
Nobody could have scripted this kind of seamless comeback. With just a month left in the regular season, everything is falling perfectly into place. It feels like a dream.
But there’s one undeniable downside that nobody wants to talk about out loud.
Tatum’s return has quietly slowed Jaylen Brown’s momentum for MVP consideration and a first-team All-NBA nod.
All season long, Brown single-handedly kept the ship afloat. He delivered one elite performance after another, posting career-high numbers across the board and proving beyond any doubt that he can be the clear first option on a championship-level team. The praise he earned was completely deserved. For months, he sat squarely in the conversation for a top-five MVP finish and a first-team All-NBA spot—carrying a monstrous burden every single night.
Now that Tatum is back, the Celtics once again have two legitimate alpha scorers who can bend defenses with their gravity. The offense flows better, the defense clicks on both ends, and suddenly everything just makes sense. The team already looks like a different (and better) squad. To have any real shot at winning it all in June, they need both stars operating at full strength together—and they’re rapidly getting there. When it all clicks, they look borderline unstoppable.
At the same time, Brown’s individual production has understandably taken a small dip. He hasn’t taken a true backseat, but he’s deliberately making room for Tatum to find his rhythm and letting the team settle into the version of itself that gives them the best chance in the playoffs. It’s the smart, unselfish move—the one that maximizes Boston’s title hopes. Yet that very sacrifice is stripping some of the shine from what has been a spectacular individual season.
Just weeks ago, Jaylen was right there behind the frontrunners—Nikola Jokić, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Victor Wembanyama. Now the momentum has shifted. The way things are trending, he could easily get passed by players like Cade Cunningham, Luka Dončić, Kawhi Leonard, and others. He’s still a lock for an All-NBA team, but first-team honors are suddenly in jeopardy. He’ll almost certainly finish top-10 in MVP voting, yet a top-five finish now looks unlikely.
It’s not entirely fair. Once again, Brown is choosing to put the team first, and the narrative around him is already shifting. A modest statistical drop-off—however understandable—has opened the door for others to surge ahead.
In the grand scheme, none of this really matters. Brown wasn’t going to win MVP anyway, and the Celtics’ ultimate goal has always been the Larry O’Brien Trophy. Celtics fans and players know that. When the real hardware is handed out in June, all the individual award talk will feel completely meaningless.
Still, it’s a shame. Jaylen Brown has been unbelievable all year. And the one obvious downside to the best thing that’s happened to the Celtics this season? It might cost him the full recognition he so richly deserves.