The Boston Celtics' decision to trade Jaylen Brown this summer was controversial on its own, but it was especially so given that they sent him to the Philadelphia 76ers... after blowing a 3-1 series lead to them in the playoffs... for Paul George.
Only time will tell whether this trade will work out in Boston in the end (I genuinely think it might), but there is one clear advantage to this deal: we never have to wonder what a prime Jayson Tatum would look like as the No. 1 option. We're about to find out firsthand.
Jayson Tatum may have been hindered by Jaylen Brown's presence
Tatum has had Brown for his entire career in Boston. And while the two of them made a successful duo, ultimately winning a championship together in 2024, they didn't play off each other as well as they could have, especially in this system.
They weren't necessarily a cohesive unit. They didn't complement each other like Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray do, like Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns do, or even like Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett (and Ray Allen) did.
The Jays played more opposite of each other than off each other, and that's largely because their games were way too similar. They were both ball-dominant forwards who can space the floor, drive to the basket, do damage in the midrange and defend at roughly the same level. It's not like one of them was clearly better at cutting to the basket and the other was clearly better from the perimeter. They barely even played different positions.
This made it tough for the team to find its groove offensively. And while a lot of fans are (perhaps justifiably) still upset about Brown's departure, it at least opens the door for Tatum to run wild like Hulkamania in the '80s.
Jayson Tatum is finally the Celtics' clear-cut No. 1 guy
The Celtics' entire system in the Joe Mazzulla era has been built on Tatum and his strengths. He is an exceptional playmaker (especially for his position), he is a strong team defender, and while he's not as deadly as he was when he entered the league (probably due to his expanded role), he is still a threat as a three-point shooter.
All of those are pillars in Mazzulla Ball (particularly the ball movement and perimeter spacing) aspect, and with Brown out of the picture, we're about to see it reach its full potential.
Putting the ball in Tatum's hands more should only make the Celtics a better team. He is their entire offensive engine because of his elite all-around talent and gravity. Not having Brown could cause some short-term problems, but fans should expect to see Tatum reach a completely different level.
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