Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd offered a bold take on Celtics forward Jaylen Brown ahead of Game 2 of the NBA Finals.
When speaking with reporters on Saturday afternoon, Kidd labeled Brown as No. 1 on Boston’s roster.
“Well, Jaylen’s their best player,” Kidd said.
His comments are somewhat surprising, considering most people would argue Brown’s teammate, Jayson Tatum, is the Celtics’ best player. Among the five Celtics to average at least 30 minutes per game this postseason, Brown’s net rating (7.6) is the worst.
However, the third-year Mavs head coach backed up his opinion with valid points.
“Just looking at what he does defensively. He picked up Luka (Doncic) full-court,” Kidd said. “He got to the free-throw line. He did everything, and that’s, you know, what your best player does.”
In Boston’s 107-89 Game 1 rout, Brown led the Celtics with 22 points on 7-of-12 shooting. He also led all players with 11 free-throw attempts.
According to NBA.com tracking data, Doncic, when guarded by Brown, scored eight points on 4-of-6 shooting but also recorded two of his four turnovers.
Brown, the No. 3 overall pick of the 2016 NBA Draft, is coming off being named Eastern Conference Finals MVP. In the sweep of the Pacers, Brown averaged 29.8 points, five rebounds, three assists and two steals per game.
“I wasn’t expecting that at all,” Brown said after receiving the honor. “I never win s—.”
With three more wins, Brown might not only add another piece of hardware to his growing collection but also have people reconsidering who runs the Celtics.