All-NBA Honors Elude Jaylen Brown, Who is Chasing an NBA Title

The one-time Cal star has helped Boston to a 1-0 lead over Indiana in the Eastern Conference finals.

Jaylen Brown / Photo by Brian Fluharty, USA Today

Jaylen Brown, left off the All-NBA team, still can get the last word.

The one-time Cal standout was voted to the All-NBA second team a year ago, which qualified him to sign a super-max contract that made him the highest-paid player in the league.

This week he missed by one spot landing on the All-NBA third team despite delivering his most efficient season for a Celtics team whose 64 regular-season victories were seven more than any other team in the league.

It’s not like Brown had a subpar season. He averaged 23.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.2 steaks. He shot a career-best 49.9 percent from the field and routinely defended the opponent’s best player, limiting them to 44.8-percent shooting.

Brown’s 3-pointer with 6 seconds left on Tuesday night forced overtime and enabled the Celtics to beat Indiana 133-128 in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals. Brown finished with 26 points, seven rebounds, five assists, three steals and a blocked shot.

Game 2 of the series is tonight at 5:30 p.m. PDT on ABC.

Brown, who played the 2015-16 season at Cal before entering the NBA, told Yahoo in an interview prior to the playoffs that winning remains his top priority.

“For me, I've always been about winning and I think that's what the organization trusts. From Day 1, Jaylen is a team guy,” Brown said. “It’s always been a balance, kind of trying to decipher how to be the best version of you, and be the best version of you that's needed for this team. Sometimes those things are not always aligned. That was a balance.”

The Celtics are trying to capture their first NBA crown since 2008, when another former Golden Bear — Leon Powe — had a hand in things. Boston and the Los Angeles Lakers share the record with 17 all-time NBA titles.

Although Brown missed out on a $2.2 million bonus by not making any of the three five-player All-NBA teams, he can still earn his full bonus by making the NBA Finals, according to Spotrac's Keith Smith.

Brown did not receive any votes for first or second team but earned 50 of a possible 99 third-place votes. That gave him 50 points, leaving him 16th in the overall voting, immediately behind guard Devin Booker of the Phoenix Suns, who went 49-33 in the regular season and were swept by Minnesota in their first-round playoff series.

Sports radio station WEEI-93.7 FM offered this evaluation:

“It’s head-scratching how a supposed “Super Team” that won 64 games, finishing seven games ahead of the rest of the league, with 42 of their 64 wins (67.7%) coming double-digits, outscoring opponents by +930 points this season — the fifth-highest scoring margin in NBA history — finished with just one All-NBA player . . . nonetheless, Brown continues to be overlooked."

Yahoo also chimed in: 

“Boston finished 15 games ahead of the Phoenix Suns and 17 games ahead of the Los Angeles Lakers. Both those teams placed two players on the All-NBA squads, including Suns guard Devin Booker, who snagged the final spot in media voting.”

Here are the three All-NBA teams: 

First team

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City

Nikola Jokic, Denver

Luka Doncic, Dallas

Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee

Jayson Tatum, Boston

Second team

Jalen Brunson, New York

Anthony Edwards, Minnesota

Kevin Durant, Phoenix

Kawhi Leonard, LA Clippers

Anthony Davis, LA Lakers

Third team

LeBron James, LA Lakers

Stephen Curry, Golden State 

Domantas Sabonis, Sacramento 

Tyrese Haliburton, Indiana

Devin Booker, Phoenix