Tomase: Jaylen Brown must wake up to keep Celtics' season alive originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
Jaylen Brown is about to become the highest-paid player in NBA history, and he's got one more chance to play like he deserves it.
The All-NBA forward has easily been the biggest disappointment of the Eastern Conference Finals vs. the Heat, though there are many candidates for that distinction. He can't make a shot, he's once again playing on roller skates, and he's not boxing out or showing much defensive will. Shooting, passing, defending -- that's the trifecta of disappearing acts.
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For the Celtics to advance, they're going to have to succeed where 149 previous teams have failed and overcome a 3-0 deficit. Given their disinterest level in Game 3, it's hard to seriously discuss them winning four in a row against a Heat team that has actually beaten them five straight times dating back to the regular season.
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So we're going to start small and ask the Celtics to show some pride on Tuesday night, and that starts with Brown.
If he's the leader and foundational piece that he believes, and that his paycheck will soon reflect, then find that player in Game 4 and give the Celtics a chance to fight for at least one more day.
It's hard to overstate just how invisible Brown has been all series. He has more turnovers (11) than assists (10), is shooting just 2 for 20 on 3-pointers, and in his last two games combined is a minus-49. It's no coincidence that the Celtics played their best basketball of the series with Brown on the bench in Game 2 during a 19-2 run. Watching him struggle to contain Caleb Martin and get beaten backdoor by Duncan Robinson, both of them undrafted, is an unwelcome development.
It's shocking because despite his propensity for turnovers and shaky ballhandling in clutch spots, Brown typically embraces the spotlight. He did his best to will the Celtics back into last year's Finals vs. the Warriors, dropping 34 points in Game 6 as the team's prime scoring option and perhaps the only player on the court not willing to concede defeat.
Tomase: Celtics will never win until they kick this infuriating habit
He shot well in an efficient series vs. the 76ers, but he has been MIA vs. MIA and that can't continue. He has been reduced to a one-dimensional one-on-one player who is easily bottled up by Miami's zone, and the Celtics need him to be so much more.
If nothing else, Brown should want to leave a better taste heading into a summer that will see him eligible to sign a five-year, $295 million supermax extension, thanks to his appearance on the All-NBA second team. He has earned a massive payday, and we've already laid out the case why the Celtics should open the vault, but they'd feel a lot better about their investment if they saw Brown at his best before this series concludes.
Barring a miraculous comeback, the Celtics face massive decisions this summer. Is Joe Mazzulla the right head coach? Has the Marcus Smart Era run its course? How much does Al Horford have left in the tank as his 37th birthday looms?
Brown's future shouldn't be on the list, but with the Celtics fading in Year 6 of his partnership with Jayson Tatum, management will have to consider all alternatives, and it's safe to say Tatum isn't going anywhere.
So if the season is going to end, here's hoping Brown doesn't go quietly. He's too good to be this bad with so much at stake.
