Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown is averaging his fewest points per game since the 2019-20 season. But he’s scoring his 23.2 PPG on 58.3% true shooting.

That is his best mark since the 2020-21 campaign.

And yet, Brown’s offensive game isn’t nearly the polarizing talking point it might otherwise be for multiple reasons, including more offensive options around him this season. However, Brown’s defensive efforts have “inspired” his teammates, says Al Horford.

“Jaylen continues to take challenge after challenge,” Horford told reporters on April 3.

“It inspires the rest of us because he does a lot on the offensive end and then he wants the responsibility on the defensive end.”

Love this sequence from Jaylen Brown from the 4th quarter last night.

✦ fadeaway jumper
✦ steal and thunderous dunk
✦ great lockdown defense
✦ nice dime for Holiday's corner three

Here it is UNCUT as he just took control over the game: pic.twitter.com/Kpk2tfip3b

— Tomek Kordylewski (@Timi_093) April 4, 2024

Defensive metrics can be tricky in the NBA.

Brown – a three-time All-Star who earned Seconnd-Team All-NBA honors last season – ranks seventh among players who both meet the league’s 65-game requirement for postseason awards and who see at least 30 minutes per game, per NBA.com.

Three other Celtics rank ahead of him: Derrick White, Jayson Tatum, and Jrue Holiday. All three have better defensive ratings than Brown.

“A lot of people say they may want those challenges, but he’s facing all types of different players,” Horford said. “He’s guarding Steph Curry, he’s guarding Zion [Williamson], just different guys that he has to match up against. And just being very unbiased, [it’s] very clear you could [see] he’s First-Team All-Defense.

“You look at what he’s doing individually and the impact that he has on the defensive end. … We’re one of the best defenses in the league, have the best record. He deserves to be in that position.”

Celtics’ Jaylen Brown on Defensive Progress

Asked how the coaching staff has helped him take his defensive game up a level, Brown instead noted an intentional effort on his part.

“It was more so of emphasis on my part,” Brown told media members on April 3. “I think I’ve always been a good defender. But … over the years, we had some guys that took majority of the matchups like [Marcus] Smart. And it just I guess allowed a little bit of comfort. So this year, I wanted to reemphasize that I was going to be the one that was taking on those matchups.

“Regardless of how I’m feeling, the defense has always been there for the most part this season. … So, no, I think just this whole season man there just been an emphasis on my on my behalf and it wasn’t nothing the coaches said or did or anything like that. I think it was on me.”

Shout-out to Jaylen Brown for his defense on Zion 😤

He was Williamson's prime defender last night (36 possessions in over seven minutes overall) and held him to 3 points on 1-6 FG shooting: pic.twitter.com/GYIkODoaeI

— Tomek Kordylewski (@Timi_093) March 31, 2024

The Celtics were criticized for inking Brown to a five-year, $286.2 million contract.

His continued development in his eighth NBA season and the team’s current position – which is thanks in large part to Brown – would seem to justify their decision.

Celtics Face Favorable Closing Slate

The Celtics’ play has them positioned to close the season with the best record in the NBA. They will benefit from the NBA’s second-easiest slate of games to close the 2023-24 regular season schedule, per Tankathon.

All but one of their final six games will be at home in TD Garden Arena. They will also face three playoff teams.

Winners of 60 games, the Celtics have proven capable of winning regardless of locale.

Still, they now find themselves in a position to leverage rest and rust without the additional worries of jockeying for positioning in the playoffs. And history favors the No. 1 seeds, with 89 past top seeds reaching the Finals, per Land of Basketball.

51 of those previous top seeds won the whole thing – a .573 winning percentage – with 27 instances where both teams topped their respective conference entering the series.