Boston is now 5-0 without Brown this year. The pattern continues yet again.
I’m not sure these two wins against Charlotte should count. *Everyone* beats Charlotte. The Cs most likely would have lost to the Pelicans without JB scoring 41.
Surely you’re not suggesting the team would be better simply by subtracting him…?
I'm merely suggesting that every year this happens. It isn't an isolated incident.
Boston's record without Brown available / with Brown
17-18 season - 8-4 / 47-23
18-19 season - 8-0 / 41-33
19-20 season - 10-5 / 38-19
20-21 season - 6-8 / 30-28
21-22 season - 8-8 / 43-23 (most of that was early as Boston was 7-7 without Brown and 6-7 with him at one point last year)
Thus far this season 5-0 / 28-12
Brown's on/off differential per 100 possessions over those seasons
18 +8.2 (playoffs -0.1)
19 -3.7 (-16.3)
20 -0.8 (-4.7)
21 +0.6 (no games)
22 +5.4 (-1.5)
Thus far this year -2.2
Brown quite simply is not and has never been all that important to Boston actually winning games. He is an excellent player, the team would obviously be worse without him, but I don't think the team would necessarily be worse swapping him out for a player or players that have elite skills and that better compliment Tatum (even if they are lesser players). Brown does everything well, but he isn't elite at anything. He doesn't act as a multiplier and his skill set isn't all that great as a secondary player (and he isn't good enough to be a primary player). Brown doesn't shoot well enough, pass well enough, dribble well enough, take well enough care of the ball, etc. to be a player that truly impacts winning in the secondary role he is in, and because he basically plays the same position and of a similar style of play as Tatum, he makes Tatum worse. It isn't a coincidence that historically Tatum plays better when Brown doesn't play at all (which is why Boston's record doesn't crater in Brown's two weeks he always misses every year). Tatum not only ups his attempts, but also increases his FG%, gets more assists, more rebounds, etc. when Brown is out. Tatum is the engine of the team. He is the guy that drives the wins and losses and he simply plays better when he doesn't share the floor with Brown.
I mention this every year during Brown's missed games. Every year we have the same debate about how it is a small sample size, I'm misusing stats, etc. And yet every year it keeps happening in exactly the same manner. Maybe just maybe because I'm not wrong on this one. Brown just doesn't impact winning on this team. Tatum always does. He is the guy and basically the only guy that reliably affects the scoreboard in the positive for the Celtics.