Celtics’ Brown disagrees with Brunson getting Player of the Month over him

Jaylen Brown didn’t agree with the NBA’s resolution to call Knicks guard Jalen Brunson the Jap Convention Participant of the Month for December, to say the least.

The Celtics’ star expressed displeasure over the NBA’s announcement of Brunson and Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander profitable the Jap and Western Convention Participant of the Month awards on Friday. Shortly after the league’s announcement, Brown wrote “Smh” in a social media post.

Brown continued to harp over the snub in a stream he did on his Twitch channel late Friday.

“No disrespect, no diss to any of these guys, Shai or Brunson, however neither one in all them had a greater month than I had,” Brown mentioned. “It’s all good. These are nice gamers. So, my entire factor is what’s the rubric, what’s the standards behind [picking the award]?

“Why do they choose this? Any individual within the again simply choosing their favorites? What’s the rubric? Ain’t no rubric. I’ve been telling this to the NBA Gamers’ Affiliation, and clearly, that is controversial and other people hold telling me, ‘Perhaps in case you get your mouth closed, possibly you’ll win some awards.’ That’s precisely why I’m going to maintain speaking.”

Brown later added that he didn’t care an excessive amount of in regards to the snub, however he would’ve appreciated the honour.

“That will’ve been my first [Player of the Month award]. I felt like I deserved it,” Brown mentioned. “However it’s all good. We’re simply going to maintain working.”

Brunson had a formidable month of December, averaging 30.6 factors, 7.1 assists, 3.3 rebounds, and a mixed one block and steal per sport. He additionally helped the Knicks put up a 10-4 document, profitable the NBA Cup.

However Brown was barely superior to Brunson in most particular person stats for the month. Brown’s 31.7 factors per sport led the league within the month of December, whereas he added 6.4 rebounds, 5.4 assists, and a mixed 1.8 blocks and steals per sport. He was additionally a extra environment friendly scorer than Brunson, capturing 53.8 p.c from the sphere and 42.6 p.c from distance.

Brown’s play additionally helped the Celtics surge up the Jap Convention standings in December. Boston went 9-3 within the month and now solely trails New York by 1.5 video games for the No. 2 seed.

On high of that, Brown additionally tied a fairly spectacular franchise mark throughout December. He scored 30-plus factors in 9 straight video games, becoming a member of Larry Chook as the one different participant in Celtics historical past to attain not less than 30 factors in that many consecutive video games.

One other Celtics legend got here to the protection of Brown on Friday.

“And might we put Jalen Brown within the MVP Discuss that is simply ridiculous how did he not get POTM Extra Celtic hate however we use to it,” Paul Pierce wrote in a post on X.

As Brown may be prepared to show the web page on the Participant of the Month snub, he appeared extra bothered by one thing else throughout his Twitch stream on Friday.

“They mentioned we have been alleged to tank, that we was alleged to be this, we was alleged to be that. Maintain that very same power,” Brown mentioned. “We’re No. 3 within the East. How did we go from tanking to being third within the East and shifting up? I don’t see the identical power. That’s the one downside that I’ve. We needs to be listening to extra discuss what’s occurring proper now.

“However I simply need y’all to recollect, they mentioned we was going to win 30 video games this yr. Y’all gotta hold that in thoughts after I include the power, as a result of they was being disrespectful after which they only wanna flip the web page as in the event that they weren’t being disrespectful.”

The Celtics have been one of many NBA’s high surprises this season, holding a 21-12 document forward of Saturday’s matchup towards the Clippers. After all, Boston is doing this with out Jayson Tatum and after saying goodbye to a number of key gamers from its 2024 championship workforce over the offseason, inflicting its preseason win complete over/beneath to be set at 41.5.

Because the Celtics are on tempo to surpass that mark, Brown solely sees the workforce getting bettering.

“We’re going to maintain profitable video games,” Brown mentioned. “We’re going to maintain getting higher. We’re going to maintain being humble. We’re going to maintain engaged on the small print.”