The Boston Celtics are bracing for what feels like a gap year with Jayson Tatum sidelined for the season as he recovers from injury. Without their top option, scoring duties are expected to be spread more evenly across the roster, especially among the team’s top scoring options.
Naturally, Jaylen Brown is the obvious candidate to lead the way. He’s long been Boston’s No. 2 scorer behind Tatum and even averaged a career-best 26.6 points per game during the 2022-23 season. But there’s also a new wrinkle in play with Anfernee Simons.
Simons was acquired by the Celtics in the Jrue Holiday trade. With a career-high of 22.6 points per game, he’s proven to be no slouch as a scorer. An anonymous NBA executive now believes he could outscore Brown for Boston this season.
“I bet you he’s their leading scorer. Even with Jaylen. He’s going to have the ball a lot, and that dude can really score. That offense is going to have to change to accommodate him, and, on the last year of his contract, he’s going to let it fly. As the kids say, he’s a bucket. He is. That dude is a bucket. He can really fill it up. And remember, he was averaging around 20 in the West. What do you think he’s going to do in the Eastern Conference, which is a LOT less competitive? How’s he not going to score and score big?”
