Celtics' Jaylen Brown Receives Unfortunate Prediction By NBA Insider

May 7, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (7) react after a play against the New York Knicks in the second quarter during game two of the second round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images | David Butler II-Imagn Images

Jaylen Brown has some big shoes to fill this upcoming year for the Boston Celtics.

In the wake of Jayson Tatum's Achilles injury, Brown will undoubtedly be not only the leader on this year's team but also the primary scoring option. It's a role Brown's held in small doses, and as such, it'll be quite fascinating to see how he'll respond now that he's been assigned more responsibility comparatively speaking.

More news: Celtics News: Trainer Reveals Why Jayson Tatum, Other Young Players Are Suffering Achilles Tears

Grant Hughes of Bleacher Report recently penned an article with predictions on the upcoming NBA season. Most notably, Hughes pegged his opinions on who could be the 'risers' and 'fallers' in 2025-26.

When it comes to the Celtics, Hughes doesn't appear too bullish on Brown's prospects to have a good year without his running mate, Tatum.

The BIG3 All-Star game is this weekend in Orlando!

Jaylen Brown was the 1st active NBA player to play in @thebig3 game

(Via @Hoopsfix) pic.twitter.com/5KGevU8ewT

— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) August 21, 2025

"Brown's scoring average dipped to a five-year-low of 22.2 points per game last season. Maybe he'll beat that number as Boston's alpha stand-in for Tatum, but Brown is bound to have major efficiency struggles."

Hughes went further into Brown's possible weaknesses — specifically mentioning his lack of durability and a shaky shot from 3-point range.

"A shaky handle, inconsistent three-point shooting and durability issues that make big minutes dangerous (Brown hasn't played more than 70 games since he was a sixth man in 2018-19) will all be more clearly exposed with less talent surrounding him. Couple that with opposing defenses treating him like a first option, and Brown might miss his first All-Star game since 2022."

More news: NBA Insider Labels Celtics Offseason the Worst Among All Teams

Brown's new role will result in him facing the opposing team's best defender. Teams will swarm Brown whenever he attacks off the bounce (which is his major strength). Given that, he'll be forced with having to hit perimeter shots with decent regularity. While his statistical numbers may go up, his efficiency (turnovers, shooting percentages) may take a dip.

As pointed out above, staying healthy is also something to take note of. Brown has battled some knee issues over the last handful of seasons. Based on Tatum's unavailability, Brown will likely be playing some heavy minutes. He'll need to prove he can stay on the floor for the Celtics to have any semblance of a prayer in what's a wide-open yet mediocre Eastern Conference.

For more news and notes on the Boston Celtics, visit Boston Celtics on SI.