In the blink of an eye we have passed the halfway point of the season. Without having to look too far, the All-Star 2022, which will be held in Cleveland, is already beginning to be seen. For a few weeks, the fans’ votes have been open and, so far, two updates have already come out about who is the most voted. Under the prism of the Boston Celtics fans, one player among the candidates is missed: Jaylen Brown.
The Boston Celtics player did not even appear in the first published rankings. However, the good performances of the Celtics shooting guard began to happen, who knows if he was spurred on by being left off the list. After the second update Brown already appeared among the most voted, he was tenth —last of those shown— among the guards of the Eastern Conference.
Jaylen’s curious absence did not go unnoticed. It is true that he has missed several weeks of competition, but in the last month he has put his physical problems behind him and has already played 31 games. His individual performance is remarkable and he has led the team on multiple occasions. In general, we can say that he is having a similar season to last year, when he was selected for the All-Star Game.
It’s clear that the level of the Eastern Conference has risen this season. Several players have stepped forward and the battle to participate in the all-star match has hardened. However, the sentiment among Celtics fans is common: is Jaylen Brown the great forgotten?
Dancing among the top scorers
The main argument to defend his candidacy is clear: the annotation. brown is fourth guard of the Eastern Conference that averages the most points per game (24.2), only surpassed by Trae Young and the Bulls duo, LaVine and DeRozan. As mentioned, he is only a few tenths below the 24.7 points that last season helped him to sneak into the best.
In addition, this season Brown has left us several games for history. Without going any further, in the first duel of the season, he signed a great individual performance at Madison Square Garden. That day he finished with 46 points, 9 rebounds and 6 assists. It would not stop there, as soon as 2022 began, he achieved the best scoring mark of his career: 50 points that he accompanied with 11 rebounds. Only Kevin Durant and Trae Young have scored more in a game this season. It seems incredible that a player with this scoring ability, available to very few, goes so unnoticed.
The element of surprise works against
One of the reasons that can explain the lack of the Celtics player is that he does not have the element of surprise that others do. Unlike players who are above him in votes such as Garland, VanVleet or LaMelo Ball, Jaylen’s season falls within “expected”. The numbers that he is averaging, despite being more than decent, do not surprise anyone because he was already able to achieve them last season.
| Season | PTS | ABOUT | REB | TAP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20/21 | 24,7 | 6 | 3,4 | 1,2 |
| 21/22 | 24,2 | 6,5 | 2,9 | 1,1 |
On the other hand, he also does not have the support and affection of the fans that other players like Derrick Rose or Kyrie Irving have, who are direct competitors for the position. Despite doing better season number for number, Rose is ahead of Jaylen in voting. Even more flagrant is the case of Uncle Drew, who despite being practically unpublished, also appears in the ranking ahead of the Celtics player.
Results that do not accompany
If there is something that can tip the balance and keep Brown out of the All-Star it is the performance of the team. The bad season of the Celtics may be too big a handicap to solve it and get a place. And it is cumbersome to find a way to shine with your own light when your franchise is in the midst of a disappointing season.
The opposite case is found in the Chicago Bulls. LaVine and DeRozan are having a magnificent season but their numbers, despite being better, are not so far compared to the Jays in Boston. Although the environment that surrounds the two stars of both franchises is totally different. While the Bulls have the right pieces to accompany their players, the Celtics are still looking for the ecosystem that can benefit them. In this sense, Brown is also affected, it is more complicated to vote for players from teams that are not in positions of playoffs.
Brown is one of the best players in the Eastern Conference. It is irrefutable that talking about him for the starting positions in the All Star It is still a utopia, but it should be a fixture among the substitutes. We are facing the classic dilemma of the player who, due to lack of poster, does not shine as much as his direct rivals for the position despite making sporting merits to achieve the goal. Unfortunately, it seems that only the votes of coaches, players and journalists can save Jaylen and make him a star for the second year in a row.
(Photo Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
