After years of being the second option within the Boston Celtics‘ offensive system, Jaylen Brown will get his chance to shine in the 2025-26 season. The 2024 NBA Finals MVP is expected to step into a much larger role in the upcoming campaign, as the burden of leading Joe Mazzulla’s team falls onto his shoulders following Jayson Tatum’s Achilles injury against the New York Knicks in the 2025 Eastern Conference Semifinals.

Brown is among the most talented wings in the NBA. He’s an elite interior scorer, both at the rim and in the mid-range. He’s also an exceptional on-ball defender. However, questions remain over his ball-handling, playmaking and ability to guard within a defensive scheme, especially when tasked with operating off-ball.

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In a recent episode of the “Hoops Tonight” podcast, The Volume’s Jason Timpf broke down why Brown must embrace the opportunity in front of him and prove that he’s capable of being the leading star on a team, regardless of the talent around him or the situation that has put him in that position.

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This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: Jaylen Brown must step up for the Celtics in Jayson Tatum’s absence