Jaylen Brown proved his haters wrong, making the Celtics more dangerous than you think

Entering the season, many pundits were wondering what Jaylen Brown would look like in a first-option role with the Boston Celtics. Frankly, I always thought these concerns were overblown; he's the Finals MVP after all. In general, Brown is one of the most scrutinized players, and I've never fully understood why. However, it was fair to wonder how Brown would look as the first-option, with the Celtics losing half their rotation this offseason.

21 games into the season, Brown has answered the call and then some. Brown is averaging 29 points, 6 rebounds, and 4.8 assists on 49.9/34.7/77.2 shooting splits. His 29 points per game ranks seventh in the NBA, and he accounts for 25.1 percent of the Celtics' points.

The Celtics would be lost without Jaylen Brown

Brown has been the engine for the Celtics' 12-9 start to the season. Many pundits wrote the Celtics off as a lottery team before the season, but Brown has led them to the No. 8 seed so far. After a statement win against the New York Knicks, where Brown poured in 42 points, I think everyone is starting to take note of Brown and the Celtics.

Let's further dive into Brown's incredible season and what the Celtics' ceiling is.

I'm not shocked that Brown is averaging 29 points. Before this season, he had averaged 27.3 points in games where Jayson Tatum didn't play. However, I'm surprised by how Brown has scored. JB has always been a high-level mid-range scorer, but he's been an absolute mid-range killer this season.

Impressively, Brown's 6.0 mid-range field goal attempts and 3.1 mid-range shots made lead the league, and he is shooting a staggering 52.7 percent on these shots. For reference, Brown attempted 2.5 mid-range shots on 40 percent shooting last year.

This has powered a massive stylistic change for the Celtics. Joe Mazzulla's system is infamously predicated on 3-point shooting. However, the Celtics rank second in mid-range shots per game. Last year, they ranked 17th in this stat. That's right, folks, Mazzulla ball is evolving. Brown has a career-best true shooting percentage of 58.7, and his mid-range game is a huge reason why.

In addition to his mid-range scoring, Brown is finishing at an elite rate, averaging 70.4 percent at the rim on 4.7 attempts (which ranks in the 92nd percentile). Brown is also a two-way star, holding opponents to 42.7 percent shooting from the field.

Playmaking has always been Brown's main weakness, but he's averaging a career high 4.8 assists and 25.2 assist percentage. He is simply doing it all, and it's hard to point out a weakness with his game now.

What's the Celtics' upside?

Now for the million-dollar question: What does this all mean for the Celtics? Currently, they are the No. 8 seed in the East. However, Boston has the No. 4 offense (in large part thanks to Brown) and the 11th-best net rating.

While I still think the most likely scenario is that the Celtics remain a frisky lower-seeded playoff team, I also believe there's a world where they end up being much more. Derrick White and Payton Pritchard are both shooting career lows from beyond the arc; at some point, there needs to be some positive regression to the mean. This, paired with Brown maintaining his excellence and the East being wide open, gives the Celtics a chance to shake things up.

The Celtics' main flaw is their frontcourt. Neemias Queta has been amazing, posting an absurd plus-18.4 net on/off swing (98th percentile), which is among the best in the league. Regardless, the Celtics lack a dependable big man outside of him, which I ultimately think limits their upside. Flipping Anfernee Simons for a big man is a real possibility that could change things, though.

Can the Celtics win in the playoffs without Jayson Tatum?

Now, the giant elephant in the room is Tatum's possible return. All signs point to him returning at some point this year. When will that be? Who knows, but it looks like he'll be back at some point; he said so himself. It's up for debate if this is in his best interest; an Achilles injury is, of course, severe. Likewise, it's unclear if Tatum will be his normal elite self when he returns.

Nevertheless, there's no denying that his return with Brown's elite play changes the Celtics' upside. Another big advantage for the Celtics is that the East doesn't have a clear favorite. The Knicks (13-7) and the Cleveland Cavaliers (13-9) haven't done much to prove that they're the favorites in the conference. Yes, the Detroit Pistons are 17-4, but they've never won a playoff series with this core.

The Celtics' championship DNA has to count for something, especially if Tatum returns while playing at an elite level. I can't emphasize enough that a lot would have to go right for the Celtics. However, I wouldn't rule out the possibility of another deep playoff run even if they end up as a lower seed.