Awards Series

Taylor Snow

It’s awards season at Celtics.com! We’re handing out six awards over the final 10 days of July as we roll through this year’s Celtics.com Awards Series. We may not have trophies or acceptance speeches, but we do have some top-flight Celtics performances to outline. Here we go...

Jayson Tatum scored more points than anyone in the NBA this season. He logged the highest scoring average in Celtics history. He led the team in rebounds, 3-pointers, and free throws, and was second in assists and steals.

Without question, JT is our 2023 Awards Series MVP.

This was the fourth consecutive season in which Tatum has won this award and it was also the fifth straight season in which his production has climbed. He posted career highs in most major statistical categories, including scoring average (30.1 PPG), rebounding average (8.8 RPG), assists average (4.6 APG), field-goal makes (727), 3-point makes (240), and free-throw makes (531).

Tatum’s 2,225 total points were the most in the league, as he finished 42 points ahead of NBA MVP Joel Embiid. It also represented the fifth-highest single-season total in Celtics history. He became just the second Boston player to lead the league in total points, joining Paul Pierce, who paced the NBA in 2001-02 with 2,144 points.&nbsp;

JT also became the first Celtics player to average at least 30 PPG in a single season, surpassing Larry Bird’s oh-so-close mark of 29.9 PPG from the 1987-88 campaign.

The sixth-year forward ranked second in the NBA in field goals made with 727, and sixth in 3-pointers made with 240, finishing just five makes behind Isaiah Thomas’ franchise record of 245.

Tatum scored at least 30 points in a franchise-record 42 games and scored 40-plus points 11 times, tying Bird’s single-season team record.

In addition to his scoring, Tatum was also one of the league’s best rebounders and a strong facilitator. He’s the only player in the NBA to record at least 2,000 points, 600 rebounds, and 300 assists.

Tatum was one of the more durable stars in the league, appearing in 74 contests and averaging the third-most minutes at 36.9 per game. He made the most of those minutes by producing the sixth-best plus/minus in the NBA at +470.

In past years, Tatum has often taken a couple of months to hit full stride, but this season he came out on fire. He scored 104 points through the first three games of the campaign, becoming the first player in team history to cross the century mark so early in a season.

Tatum earned Eastern Conference Player of the Month for games played in October and November, during which he led the East in scoring with 31.6 PPG while shooting 48.8 percent from the field, 36.6 percent from 3-point range, and 87.3 percent from the free-throw line.&nbsp;

His scoring barely dipped from that point forward. Even in the All-Star Game, he set the event record with 55 points on his way to earning ASG MVP honors.

At the end of the regular season, Tatum finished fourth in MVP voting behind Joel Embiid, Nikola Jokic, and Giannis Anteotkounmpo, respectively. He also earned his second straight First Team All-NBA nod, earning 92 out of a possible 100 First Team votes.

In the playoffs, all of Tatum’s major statistics rose with the exception of scoring. He was a double-double machine, averaging 27.2 PPG, 10.5 RPG, 5.3 APG, 1.1 SPG, and 1.1 BPG in 20 appearances. His turnover rate dropped significantly from his previous postseason going from 4.2 per game down to 2.8 per game despite a higher usage rate. He also became the youngest player in NBA history to produce 500 points in back-to-back postseasons.

Tatum’s biggest playoff effort came with the season on the line in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals. He poured in a Game 7 record of 51 points against the Philadelphia 76ers, leading the Celtics to a 112-88 win and a trip to their fifth Eastern Conference Finals in the past seven seasons.&nbsp;&nbsp;

In the ECF, Tatum logged four 30-point efforts and six double-doubles. His value was truly emphasized during their Game 7 loss to the Heat after he sprained his ankle on the first possession of the game. The injury hobbled him for the rest of the night and was ultimately the difference-maker in a potential trip back to the NBA Finals as the Heat prevailed.

The Celtics went as far as Tatum could take them, and next season he hopes to carry them a couple of steps further with the help of Jaylen Brown, Kristaps Porzingis, and the rest of the crew.

At age 25, he’s only scraping the beginning of his prime, and he’ll be putting forth MVP-caliber seasons for years to come.

sidebar-offseason-20230731-2023-awards-series-most-valuable-player-jayson-tatum

2023 Awards Series Most Valuable Player: Jayson Tatum

Being thrown into the mix on a Finals-bound roster midway through the 2021-22 season wasn’t the easiest transition for Derrick White. But after having a full offseason to settle in and prepare for his first full run with the Boston Celtics, the sixth-year guard emerged into the new NBA campaign visibly more comfortable in his role.

As White’s confidence rose, so did his production, steadily throughout the season. He went from a reserve role to a reliable starter. He provided consistent offense, made enough of an impact on the other end to earn NBA All-Defense honors, and hit the biggest shot of the entire season.

White got better not only from one season to the next, but he also made continuous progress from Opening Night all the way through the Eastern Conference Finals. That’s why he is our Most Improved Player of the Year.

Typically, an MIP will see vast statistical improvements from one year to the next. Such wasn't totally the case for White, however, the numerical comparison between his first half-season with the Celtics and his first full season doesn’t tell the whole story of why he deserves this recognition.

His scoring average (12.4 PPG) improved by just 1.4 points, his rebounds ((3.6 RPG) went up by 0.2, his assists (3.9 APG) went up by 0.4, his steals (0.7 SPG) went up by 0.1, and his blocks (0.9 BPG) went up by 0.3. All improvements, albeit small ones.

White's shooting development was a bit more impressive. His field-goal percentage jumped from 40.9 percent to 46.2 percent, his 3-point percentage skyrocketed from 30.6 percent to 38.1 percent, and his free-throw percentage went from 85.3 percent to 87.5 percent.

However, to fully understand the significance of his upswing, White’s season needs to be split into two parts.

White's rise began toward the end of January, right around the time when Marcus Smart sustained an ankle sprain and missed significant time. Smart’s absence meant more opportunity for White, and he seized the moment.

Prior to the Jan. 23 turnaround date, White had started 39 of the first 47 games, mostly at the shooting guard spot. During that time, he averaged 9.8 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game while shooting 43.9 percent from the field, 36.6 percent from long range, and 85.7 percent from the free-throw line.

During Smart’s 11-game absence, White slid into the starting point guard role and saw his scoring average more than double to 20.1 PPG on 49.1 percent shooting, including 43.6 percent from 3-point range, while also handing out 5.8 APG and corralling 4.6 RPG.

At the end of that stretch, he earned his first career Conference Player of the Week award. While leading the C's to a 4-0 week, White averaged 24.5 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 7.5 APG, 1.5 BPG, and just 1.5 turnovers per game while shooting 52.2 percent from the field, 51.5 percent from 3-point range, and 90.0 percent from the free-throw line.

Also during that stretch, White became just the fourth player in franchise history to log at least 23 points and 10 assists in three consecutive games, joining Larry Bird, Bob Cousy, and John Havlicek. He also became the first player in NBA history to make at least five 3-pointers, hand out at least nine assists, and commit one or fewer turnovers in consecutive games.

Looking back, that was an important sample of games because now that Smart is no longer on the team, White will now be sliding into Boston’s starting point guard role, according to head coach Joe Mazzulla.

White finished off the season strong, particularly on the defensive end where he was a shot-blocking machine. He blocked at least one shot in 11 consecutive games from March 15 to April 5, which was the second-longest stretch by a player under 6-foot-5 in NBA history (David Thompson, 13 games).

He led all NBA guards with 76 blocked shots while becoming just the fifth player under 6-5 in NBA history to block at least 75 shots in a season (Dwayne Wade, David Thompson, Dennis Johnson, Ron Brewer). &nbsp;

White also led all NBA guards in shot contests (507), including 335 contests from inside the 3-point arc. The next-closest number of contested 2-pointers by a guard was Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s mark of 245.

After producing such impressive numbers on that end of the floor, it was no surprise to see White earn his first NBA All-Defense selection as a member of the Second Team.

He also became the first Celtic since Isaiah Thomas in 2016-17 to play in all 82 regular-season games. On top of that, he played in all 20 postseason games for a total of 102 appearances.

White took his game to another level in the playoffs, especially from an efficiency standpoint. Across three series, he averaged 13.4 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 2.1 APG, and 1.0 BPG while shooting 50.5 percent from the field, 45.5 percent from deep, and 91.2 percent from the free-throw line. He joined Ray Allen and Eddie House as one of three players in team history to shoot 50/40/90 during a single postseason run.

And to top it all off, he hit the most memorable shot of the season: a buzzer-beating tip-in to win Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals in Miami, which saved Boston from elimination (for the moment, at least).

That shot was an impeccable way for White to cap off a season of progress – a year in which he was Boston’s Most Improved Player.

sidebar-offseason-20230729-2023-awards-series-most-improved-player-derrick-white

2023 Awards Series Most Improved Player: Derrick White

If someone were to say in 2015 that Al Horford would have a sharpshooting award coming his way in the future, it would’ve raised more than a few eyebrows.

Yet here we are in 2023, naming the 16-year veteran our Sharpshooter of the Year.&nbsp;

Horford has gone through a remarkable transformation over the years, going from a low-post, back-to-the-basket scorer to a 3-point marksman.

Through his first eight seasons, Horford attempted just 65 3-pointers, including only 18 attempts through his first six.

In his last eight seasons, he has attempted a whopping 1,952 long-range shots at a 37.6 percent clip.

His latest campaign was by far his best yet in that regard. In fact, it was one of the greatest shooting seasons in Celtics history.

Horford made 145 3-pointers on 325 attempts for a conversion rate of 44.6 percent, which ranked second in the NBA behind Memphis wing Luke Kennard’s clip of 49.4 percent.&nbsp;

Horford’s efficiency was the highest single-season mark in franchise history (minimum 60 games played). His previous career high of 42.9 percent in 2017-18 holds the No. 7 spot on that list. He also smashed his previous career highs of 99 long-distance makes on 283 attempts in 2019-20.

Horford was most productive from the corners where he shot 49.2 percent on 126 attempts. The next-closest clip by a player with at least that many attempts was Miami wing Max Strus’ mark of 44.1 percent.

The 37-year-old big man set his single-game career high with six 3-point makes on eight attempts Nov. 11 against Denver. He then matched that effort March 1 against Cleveland with a 6-of-8 performance, which was followed four days later by a 6-of-10 outing against New York.

Horford had been shifting toward a 3-point specialist role over the past several seasons. He fully committed in 2022-23 with 67.8 percent of his field-goal attempts coming from long distance, smashing his previous career high of 46.6 percent the year prior. That's quite impressive coming from someone who, in his first eight seasons, attempted just 1.2 percent of his field goals outside the 3-point arc.

“It's been a big adjustment,” Horford said last November. “Last summer, that's something that we looked at and I understood that I needed to work on that even more, be more comfortable, and we really worked at it. Mentally, I'm getting into that mindset of understanding&nbsp;that I'm shooting more 3s. That's just the way it is. The game continues to change and for me, it's trying to find a way that I can change, too."

Making such a change is one of the main reasons why Horford is still going strong more than 1,000 games into his career. Not only is he still going strong, but he’s starting for a championship contender at age 36.&nbsp;

Horford’s transformation has also been for the betterment of the team, seeing as the Celtics rely on his ability to space the floor. His willingness to adjust his game and mold to the team’s needs is why he is a role model for the rest of the guys on the squad and it’s why Jayson Tatum considers him to be “one of the best teammates I’ve ever had at any level.”

Tatum told&nbsp;Celtics.com, “He’s extremely selfless, always wants what’s best for the team, and years later now, for him to still be the same person, and at 36 years old to still be a starter for us this season and last season just shows how he takes care of his body every single day. It’s not a given you’re going to play 16 years in this league, and he’s still at the top of his game.”

At the top of his game, and at the top of our list for Sharpshooter of the Year.

Jayson Tatum told&nbsp;Celtics.com&nbsp;postgame that Horford is “for sure one of the best teammates I’ve ever had at any level,” and he’s been the ultimate role model for Tatum from his rookie season six years ago to now.

“He’s extremely selfless," Tatum elaborated, "always wants what’s best for the team, and six years later now, for him to still be the same person, and at [37] years old to still be a starter for us this season and last season just shows how he takes care of his body every single day.

"It’s not a given you’re going to play 16 years in this league, and he’s still at the top of his game.”

sidebar-offseason-20230727-2023-awards-series-sharpshooter-of-the-year-al-horford

2023 Awards Series Sharpshooter of the Year: Al Horford

For the second straight season, the Boston Celtics overcame a 3-2 deficit in the second round of the playoffs to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals.

And for the second straight season, a dominant and historic Game 7 conference semifinals performance at TD Garden has earned our Game of the Year award.

Following a tight, Game 6 victory in Philadelphia, the Celtics stepped back on their home court and took care of business in a convincing fashion.

Boston’s defense was suffocating in a 112-88 drubbing of its Atlantic Division rival, while Jayson Tatum was masterful on the other end, pouring in 51 points to break Stephen Curry’s Game 7 record which had just been set two weeks prior.

The game drew remarkable parallels to last season’s ECSF Game 7 victory at TD Garden where the C’s dismantled the Milwaukee Bucks, 109-81, as Grant Williams knocked down seven 3-pointers to tie Curry’s Game 7 long-distance record.

An electric atmosphere got Boston’s juices flowing early during the May 14 showdown, as Jaylen Brown made back-to-back layups followed by back-to-back dunks by Tatum and Rob Williams all within the first 3:13.

Tatum erupted for 25 points in the first half, but Boston couldn’t shake Philly off its heels as it went into the break barely hanging onto a 55-52 lead.

However, the tone changed almost immediately following halftime. After Tobias Harris tied the game with a 3-pointer on the first possession of the third quarter, Boston went on a 33-5 run, effectively putting the game away. Tatum scored 17 points during that stretch, including four makes from 3-point range.

Boston shot 11-of-19 from the field during that frame, including 8-of-12 from 3-point range. Philly, meanwhile, shot just 3-of-21 from the field during the quarter, as it went into the fourth trailing 88-62.

Tatum’s record-breaking shot came with plenty of time to spare, as he knocked down his 49th, 50th, and 51st points on a 3-pointer at the 7:21 mark of the fourth quarter. If it weren’t for him being subbed out due to the nature of the blowout, he easily could have gone for 60.

Brown was the only other player to reach the 20-point mark, finishing with 25 in the scoring column. Both he and Tatum individually outscored the combination of Joel Embiid (15 points) and James Harden (nine points).

Al Horford did a tremendous job guarding Embiid, matching up against the league MVP on 49.4 defensive possessions and limiting him to a 4-of-17 shooting effort.

Meanwhile, Embiid could not contain Tatum whatsoever. The 7-footer guarded Tatum on 13.1 possessions, and on those possessions, Tatum scored 24 points while shooting 8-of-10 from the field, 4-of-4 from 3-point range, and made four trips to the free-throw line.

JT finished the game with a clip of 17-of-28 from the field, including 6-of-10 from long range.

Tatum also led the game in rebounds (13) and steals (two) and led his team in assists (five). The most eye-popping number on his stat line was the zero in the turnover department, signifying a mistake-free 42 minutes of action. He became the first player in NBA playoff history to score more than 50 points without committing a turnover.

The Celtics gave their fans heart palpitations pushing the series to seven games, but it was all worth it by the end. It was one of the most exciting Game 7s in franchise history and wholly deserving of our Game of the Year.

sidebar-offseason-20230725-2023-awards-series-game-of-the-year-game-7-vs-philly

2023 Awards Series Game of the Year: Game 7 vs. 76ers

It’s awards season at Celtics.com! We’re handing out six awards over the last 10 days of July as we roll through this year’s Celtics.com Awards Series. We may not have trophies or acceptance speeches, but we do have some top-flight Celtics performances to outline. Here we go...

The Boston Celtics had the second-best defensive rating in the league this past season, which is a team statistic through and through. However, if there’s one individual who deserves credit for setting the tone on that end and bringing consistent defensive energy for all 82 games, it's Derrick White.

As phenomenal as Boston’s defense was, White was its only NBA All-Defense selectee, earning a spot on the Second Team. In truth, he could’ve earned a spot on the First Team, considering the numbers he put up and the impact he made, establishing himself as the best shot-contesting guard in the entire league.

White led all guards in both blocked shots (76) and shot contests (507), including 335 contests from inside the 3-point arc. The next-closest number of contested 2-pointers by a guard was Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s mark of 245 – just an absurd difference from first to second place.

White’s 76 blocks were also 15 more than any other player on the Celtics, which is a remarkable feat for a player who is only 6-foot-4. He’s one of only six players in NBA history at 6-foot-5 or under to block at least 75 shots in a season. His 11-game streak with a block from March 15 to April 5 was the second-longest in NBA history for a player under 6-foot-5 behind Hall-of-Famer David Thompson’s stretch of 13 games in 1977-78. 

The only Celtics guard with more blocks in a season was Reggie Lewis, who surpassed 75 in three separate campaigns.

Among Celtics starters, White had by far the best defensive rating with a mark of 107.2. The next-lowest mark was Jayson Tatum at 110.8.&nbsp;

White was also fourth on the team in steals (54) and fifth in both defensive rebounds (241) and total rebounds (293). In addition, he had the highest plus/minus among all Eastern Conference players at plus-488.

“He’s one of those guys out there that makes the game easier for everybody because he knows how to play,” Malcolm Brogdon said of his backcourt mate in March. “He’s incredibly versatile and can impact the game in a lot of ways.”

Perhaps White’s most impactful trait was his durability. He was one of only 10 NBA players to not miss a single game and he became the first Celtics player to appear in all 82 contests since Isaiah Thomas in 2015-16. As a result, he played the third-most minutes (2,319.3) on the team behind Jayson Tatum (2,732.2) and Jaylen Brown (2,404.9).

White was the seventh guard in Celtics history to earn All-Defensive team honors, along with John Havlicek, Don Chaney, Dennis Johnson, Rajon Rondo, Avery Bradley, and Marcus Smart.

He’s the third different Celtic to make it to one of the teams over the past two campaigns after Smart and Rob Williams did so last season.

White’s 24 First Team votes were the most among any player who didn’t make the First Team. He was beat out by Milwaukee’s Jrue Holiday (94 First Team votes) and Chicago’s Alex Caruso (50 First Team votes) at the guard position. Though, he very well could have made the First Team with the fantastic defensive statistics he produced.

Either way, a Second Team nod was an incredible honor for a player in his first full season with a team, as head coach Joe Mazzulla explained in May: "It’s always an adjustment playing in our system, and I think he’s done a great job of navigating that, being effective in different areas of our defensive system. And so I’m happy for him. It’s great to see our guys take ownership of stuff like that.”

White was as reliable and durable as anyone could have hoped he would be on the defensive end, and he was the primary reason why the C’s ranked among the top two defenses in the league.

sidebar-offseason-20230723-2023-awards-series-defensive-player-of-the-year-derrick-white

2023 Awards Series Defensive Player of the Year: Derrick White

It’s awards season at Celtics.com! We’re handing out six awards over the next 10 days as we roll through this year’s Celtics.com Awards Series. We may not have trophies or acceptance speeches, but we do have some top-flight Celtics performances to outline. Here we go...

We’re tipping off our Awards Series with the biggest no-brainer of the bunch. He was the league’s Sixth Man of the Year, therefore he’s our Sixth Man of the Year: Malcolm Brogdon.

It was around this time last summer when Brogdon joined the Celtics via a trade with Indiana, which sent Malik Fitts, Juwan Morgan, Aaron Nesmith, Nik Stauskas, Daniel Theis, and a first-round pick (Julian Strawther was later selected) to the Pacers.

It turned out to be one of the NBA’s most significant moves of the offseason.

After being one of Indy’s primary scorers over the previous three seasons, Brogdon joined his new, star-laden team knowing that his role would be reduced. Yet, he was willing to take a backseat in order to provide depth and stability within Boston’s second unit, which he did while putting up some of the best bench statistics in the NBA.

Brogdon was the only player in the league to rank among the top three in scoring, rebounding, and assisting among full-time reserves. He finished the season with averages of 14.9 points (1st), 4.2 rebounds (3rd), and 3.7 assists (2nd) per game, while also owning the fourth-best 3-point efficiency among all players at 44.4 percent.

Head coach Joe Mazzulla praised Brogdon’s team-first, selfless mentality throughout the season, noting how crucial it was toward the team’s success.

“Each guy has had to sacrifice or put something aside for the better of this team, and when you have the depth and talent that we have, you can’t be in the position that we are without it,” Mazzulla said in April. “I thought Malcolm taking on the identity of the second unit, getting with the patience of sometimes finishing halves, sometimes not. Sometimes finishing games, not finishing games. I thought just he handled it with an open mind, he handled it with humility, and, kind of regardless of what his sub-pattern was or what he was doing, he just played. And we’re grateful for that.”

Being a part of such a deep roster means that several players must sacrifice their individual workloads in order to help the team reach its highest maximum value. Derrick White could appreciate what Brogdon did for the group, having played a similar role and made similar sacrifices during the previous year’s NBA Finals run.

“We came here wanting to win, so we knew there were going to be sacrifices,” White said. “Obviously Malcolm could start on a lot of teams in this league, and he does a lot of great things for us as soon as he comes into the game. Kind of settles down if we need him to, can do a lot of different things offensively that have been special for us. It's a big addition to have on our team this year.”

Boston’s primary scorers, such as Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum, have admired Brogdon’s sacrifices, as well. JB spoke at the end of the regular season about how important Brogdon’s role has been.

“Malcolm, on any given night, can come out and be one of the best players on the floor,” said Brown. “His decision-making, his poise, his athleticism – Malcolm is definitely a game-changer for us being on the ball or off. He finds ways to make an effect on the game and games like today, where you don't pay attention to him, he'll light you up. That's super key. It's tough coming off the bench, I'm sure. It's been a process for him. I think this is probably the first time he's ever been asked or ever had to come off the bench in his career, and he's accepted that role and he's been great.”

Such sacrifice, preparedness, and competitiveness are what make a Sixth Man of the Year candidate. And Brogdon was this year’s leading candidate – by far. For the official league award, he earned 60 out of 100 first-place votes from the media, nearly doubling the 34 first-place votes earned by runner-up Immanuel Quickley of the New York Knicks.

Brogdon became just the third player in Celtics history to win the award along with Kevin McHale (1984, 1985) and Bill Walton (1986).

Fittingly, Brogdon ended Boston’s 37-year Sixth Man drought in the same season of the award’s renaming to the John Havlicek Trophy in honor of the Celtics Legend who has often been tabbed as the "original" sixth man.

Brogdon’s 2022-23 campaign ranks among the best by any reserve in team history and was easily the best by any bench player leaguewide this season.

That’s why he’s not only ­our Sixth Man of the Year; he’s the Sixth Man of the Year.

sidebar-offseason-20230720-2023-awards-series-sixth-man-of-the-year-malcolm-brogdon

2023 Awards Series Sixth Man of the Year: Malcolm Brogdon

Earning our Most Improved Player award in back-to-back seasons is a remarkable feat.

Winning it three times in a span of four years is just straight-up absurd.

But for a man who lives by the motto of “Faith Consistency Hard Work Pays Off,” such an accomplishment is almost to be expected, as the act of improving is what Jaylen Brown is all about.

Brown won his first Celtics MIP after his sophomore season in 2017-18, during which he saw his scoring average more than double from 6.6 points per game as a role-player rookie to 14.5 PPG as a full-time starter.

He then won it again last season after taking on a more significant offensive role, which allowed him to post career-highs of 20.3 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game.

This past season, he transitioned into stardom, logging 24.7 PPG, 3.4 APG, 6.0 RPG, and 1.2 steals per game, while shooting 48.4 percent from the field, 39.7 percent from 3-point range, and 76.4 percent from the free-throw line. Every one of those numbers, except for the one in the rebounding department, represented a new career-high for Brown, who earned his first All-Star appearance alongside Jayson Tatum.

Unfortunately, Brown’s season was cut short just ahead of the playoffs after tearing a ligament in his left wrist which required surgery. But up to that point, he had been consistently rising in just about every aspect of his game.

First, let’s take a dive into Brown’s scoring spike. Prior to this season, he had never scored more than 34 points in a game. He reached or surpassed that total six times during the 2020-21 campaign, including three efforts of 40 or more points.

Brown became a far more aggressive and confident offensive player this season, as he saw jumps in his drives per game (from 8.5 to 10.5), catch-and-shoot attempts per game (from 4.3 to a team-high 4.9), and pull-up attempts per game (from 4.1 to 6.4).

Yet, the most interesting part about Brown’s increased scoring was that his total number of field-goal attempts actually decreased. He was simply far more efficient in his shot-making across the board.

Aside from his scoring, Brown’s most impressive improvement came on the playmaking front. He logged seven of his top nine career assisting efforts throughout the season, including a career-high 10-assist performance on Feb. 11 against Toronto. The points he created off assists jumped from 5.2 to 8.7 per game, and that was largely due to his enhanced court vision, a more controlled handle, and the improved ability to make the right pass at the right time.

Veteran floor general Marcus Smart lauded Brown’s decision-making a month into the season after noticing significant improvement in that area.

“His rookie year and Year 2, that Jaylen Brown would just put his head down and go and not understand where he was going,” Smart said on Jan. 23. “But he worked hard, you’ve gotta give him credit. And it shows. That’s why he’s one of the best young players in this game and doing what he’s doing, and doing what he’s doing for this team. So I’m just very, very proud of the way that he approaches every game, and you can see it’s working out for him.”

It's working out for Brown because he approaches every game with an “FCHWPO” mentality. His consistent work ethic and determination to get better every day led him to place sixth on this year’s NBA Most Improved Player ballot, and it led him to earn our team MIP for the third time in four seasons.

addByline("Taylor Snow", "Celtics.com", "taylorcsnow");

2021-awards-series-most-improved-player-jaylen-brown

2021 Awards Series Most Improved Player: Jaylen Brown

Marc D'Amico

It’s that time of the year again: Awards Season at Celtics.com! As we do every offseason, we’re handing out six virtual trophies as we roll through this year’s Celtics.com Awards Series. There are no acceptance speeches, and the voting committee is made up of only two of your favorite beat writers, but we do have some top-flight Celtics performances to outline. So here we go...

There are great games, and then there are instant classics. Boston’s miraculous come-from-behind victory over the San Antonio Spurs back on April 30th unquestionably falls into the latter category.

The Celtics stormed back from as many as 32 points down during the first half and by 29 points at halftime to log not only the win of the year, but the win of the decade. To put into context just how extraordinary this victory was, it marked the second-largest halftime deficit overcome in NBA history, and teams had previously lost 1,014 consecutive NBA games after trailing by 32 or more points – until Boston pulled off this 143-140 win in overtime in front of a raucous crowd at TD Garden.

Not only did the Celtics make history as a team, but star wing Jayson Tatum made history individually. He dropped a career-high 60 points to tie Larry Bird for the highest individual scoring output in franchise history. Boston wouldn’t have had a chance at the win had Tatum not displayed true greatness.

“He did exactly what a great player is supposed to do,” teammate Jaylen Brown said of Tatum after the game. “He was efficient, led us, hit timely shots, big baskets. Real big-boy basketball.”

Boston played big-boy basketball as a team over the final 18 minutes of regulation and five minutes of overtime, which makes the comeback even more remarkable.

San Antonio still led by 28 points after Lonnie Walker IV drained a 3-pointer at the 6:41 mark of the third period. It was not until Rob Williams dropped in a layup off a pass from Marcus Smart seven seconds later that the Celtics began to build their unstoppable momentum.

Starting with that layup from Williams, Boston outscored the Spurs 25-10 to close out the third quarter, and it did so as a team. Six different Celtics scored during that run, including six points from Jaylen Brown and five apiece from Evan Fournier and Aaron Nesmith.

At that point, the C’s and their faithful inside TD Garden felt like a miracle was on its way. All they needed was someone to carry them home to the Promised Land, and that person was Tatum.

The dynamic, fourth-year wing went off during the fourth quarter, scoring 21 points to go along with two assists. He scored or assisted on 26 total points during the frame, which is one more than San Antonio’s entire team scored during the fourth.

Boston finally erased its deficit completely when Marcus Smart canned a triple with 5:36 left in regulation to make it a 116-116 game. Neither team led by more than two points for the remainder of regulation before they headed to overtime for an extra five minutes.

Tatum continued to take it to the Spurs during overtime, attacking over and over while pouring in another 10 points. He got to the line for six free-throw attempts during the extra session and canned all of them, including four during the final 11.3 seconds to seal Boston’s win and to push him into a tie with Bird atop the franchise’s single-game scoring list.

“That is… it’s hard to – I don’t know,” Tatum said after being notified that he and Bird would be tied together forever. “Obviously anytime you’re mentioned with a top-10 player of all time in any stat, obviously that is a good thing. It’s something I never think I would have imagined at this age.”

In the same vein, the Celtics and their fans could have never imagined that their team would storm back for a win after trailing by 32 points during the first half.

It’s incredibly rare for a team to pull off a 32-point comeback in the NBA. It’s also rare to have a player score 60 points, as is evidenced by the fact that only Tatum and Bird have done so in a Celtics uniform. On this late-April night, both happened in the same building, for the same team.

That’s why this game will forever be remembered, and why it has been stamped as our Game of the Year.