Shams drops obvious Celtics’ Jaylen Brown MVP truth bomb

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Shams drops obvious Celtics’ Jaylen Brown MVP truth bomb

Julian Ojeda, ClutchPoints · ClutchPoints

Fri, Jan 23, 2026 ·

4 min read

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ESPN insider Shams Charania delivered emphatic praise for Jaylen Brown on the latest episode of The Pat McAfee Show, placing the Boston Celtics star squarely in the NBA Most Valuable Player conversation as the regular season enters its second half.

Charania credited Brown for elevating Boston's performance amid injuries and lineup changes, emphasizing the impact of his production and leadership. He pointed to Brown's individual accolades and team success as justification for MVP consideration, particularly with the Celtics remaining near the top of the Eastern Conference standings despite extended time without Jayson Tatum .

"The Celtics have surprised everyone. You have to give Jaylen Brown a lot of credit. You think about MVP candidates, he has to be up there. His game, he's going to be an All-NBA player, he's already voted as an All-Star starter. So, what he's been able to do to propel this team to being a top three seed in the Eastern Conference without Jayson Tatum ."

Brown, 29, is in the midst of the most productive season of his career in his 10th year in the league. Through 40 games, he is averaging 29.8 points, 6.7 rebounds, 4.8 assists and one steal per contest while shooting 48.8 percent from the field and 36.4 percent from three-point range. He is logging 34.1 minutes per game and has helped guide the Boston Celtics to a 27-16 record, positioning them as the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference.

Shams links Jaylen Brown's MVP surge to Celtics' trade deadline aggression

Charania also addressed Boston's broader outlook, noting that the Celtics are expected to be active ahead of the Feb. 5 NBA trade deadline. He framed the Eastern Conference as competitive but unsettled, with several teams jockeying for position as the season progresses.

"And we'll see if and when Jayson Tatum exactly when he comes back for the second half of this NBA season but when I look at this Eastern Conference I think of Boston, think of Detroit , and you have to still put New York in there even though they've had this lull of the last 12-13 games where the have lost nine of their last 12 games. Cleveland still has some talent, Philadelphia has come on pretty strong, so the East is wide open. Detroit has been far away the best team in that conference so far in for a regular season perspective but you look at what Boston has: they've got the talent, they've done it before, so you have to put them up there."

Boston's roster construction could also shift as the deadline nears. Charania suggested the organization may reverse course from recent cost-cutting moves and instead look to add pieces to strengthen a playoff push.

"You look at this trade deadline, the schedule is starting to turn here… because the trade deadline is less than two weeks away and Boston could be a team where going into the year it's like, 'ok, are they going to shed some salary?' We know they shed Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday last offseason, who else will they shed in season? Will it be Anfernee Simons ? Will it be Payton Pritchard ? But those guys are essential parts to this team. I could see Boston going the other way and maybe adding a player or maybe another big man. They've been in the marketplace trying to get a big time starting center, potentially so they are going to be aggressive in moving the needle. They've got assets, they've got contracts to use to play with."

For now, Brown remains the focal point as the Celtics continue their road schedule. Boston opens a two-game trip Friday night against the Brooklyn Nets (12-30) at 7:30 p.m. ET, with Brown carrying momentum from an MVP-caliber first half of the season.

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