Celtics' Al Horford on Jaylen Brown Stepping Up in Jayson Tatum Absence

Al Horford, at 38 years old, is a clear leader of the team. He not only has a ton of NBA experience relative to the rest of the roster, but he also knows what it takes to win.

One thing he knows is that the next man up mentality is an important part of a successful team.

With Jayson Tatum out in Game 2 and potentially in upcoming games, Jaylen Brown is the next man up. He had a strong game in Game 2, putting up 36 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists, serving as essentially a direct replacement for the kind of production the Celtics often need out of Tatum in the playoffs.

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Brown also won MVP of both the conference finals and the NBA finals last year, so clearly he is capable of leading the team to playoff victories.

Al Horford stated that exact sentiment to the media.

Al Horford on Jaylen Brown stepping up:

“This time of year is what we’ve been waiting for: to be in this position, to be in the playoffs. Now that we’re here, we all want to take advantage. Regardless of where JT is in or out, JB is going to be ready to go & he’s going to lead… pic.twitter.com/XpiVvPjv90
— Noa Dalzell 🏀 (@NoaDalzell) April 25, 2025

“This time of year is what we’ve been waiting for: to be in this position, to be in the playoffs. Now that we’re here, we all want to take advantage. Regardless of where JT is in or out, JB is going to be ready to go & he’s going to lead us.”

The beauty of the Celtics roster is that they have plenty of versatile players who can step up and play more significant roles for the team when called upon. Brown is the face of that, being the man who is required to step up whenever Tatum is out or struggling.

Through two playoff games, Brown has been outstanding, averaging 26 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 3.5 assists on 55/55/92 shooting splits. It is a small sample size, but against an elite Orlando defense that is extremely impressive.

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Last year, Brown put up stats closer to what he produced in this year's regular season with 23.9 points per game, 5.9 rebounds, and 3.3 assists in 19 games.

That means if Tatum is out long term, Brown should put up even better numbers than last year where he won multiple playoff awards. That is a scary thought for the rest of the teams in the NBA playoffs.

Looking further in the playoff bracket, the Knicks and Pistons seem vulnerable, meaning a JB-led Celtics have a chance against them. The series where it would be hard to imagine JB leading the team to victory is the Cavaliers, who seem talented enough to beat the fully healthy Celtics.

While it is unclear how long Tatum will be out for, the way Brown has been playing could mean the Celtics could hold out Tatum for longer than necessary to give him extra rest.

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