MVP: Can Jaylen Brown and the Boston Celtics SUSTAIN Historic Scoring to Dominate the NBA?

Summary

Locked On Celtics – MVP: Can Jaylen Brown and the Boston Celtics Sustain Historic Scoring to Dominate the NBA?

Date: December 30, 2025
Host: John Karalis (Boston Sports Journal)
Guest: Tom Westerholm

Episode Overview

This episode is a deep dive into Jaylen Brown’s breakout season, as he racks up individual accolades and inserts himself into the MVP conversation. Host John Karalis and guest Tom Westerholm break down Brown’s historic scoring run, discuss whether this level of performance is sustainable (especially with Jason Tatum sidelined), and analyze the broader context of the Celtics’ season. Along the way, they explore the pressures and growth Brown has faced during his career, and what his evolution means for the team’s championship prospects.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Jaylen Brown’s Awards & Record-Setting Play

• Player of the Week & Record Tying:

  • Brown has been named NBA Player of the Week for the second time in three weeks and is likely on his way to Player of the Month.
  • He tied Larry Bird’s franchise record with nine straight games of 30+ points—a feat that elevates his standing in Celtics lore.
  • "Whenever you do something that Larry Bird did and only Larry Bird did in Celtics history, it's like, okay, that's a really good thing because Larry Bird is the best." (John Corrales, 05:14)

• Improvements on the Court:

  • Brown is thriving as the #1 scoring option with Tatum out for most of the season.
  • All his shooting percentages are up across the court (restricted area, mid-range, three-point zones).
  • "Every zone that you can look at, he's just shooting so much better in all of these spots. The mid range shots are in that acceptable zone for the first time in his life." (Corrales, 10:37)

2. Is Jaylen Brown an MVP Candidate?

• The Meaning of ‘Valuable’:

  • Brown is sixth in the NBA in scoring (29.7 ppg), comparable to Jokic, Donovan Mitchell, Maxey, SGA, and Luka Doncic.
  • His value goes beyond the box score, driving the Celtics’ success in Tatum’s absence.
  • "When you take the word valuable at face value, right? ... It doesn’t get a whole lot more valuable than Jalen Brown." (Tom Westerholm, 09:50)

• Where Does He Rank?

  • While Jokic and SGA are the clear front-runners, Brown belongs in the next group for MVP conversation, not just as a token vote-getter.
  • "Jalen is one of those players... there’s going to be five, six, seven names that we can throw in there that have a case to be the third in the conversation." (Corrales, 09:22)

3. Sustainability of Brown’s Historic Scoring

• Is This Run Realistic Over a Full Season?

  • There is healthy skepticism: Could this be an extended hot streak, or has Brown fundamentally changed his game?
  • "Did he figure something out or is he on some sort of extended heater? We'll ... tackle that." (Corrales, 13:36)

• The Role of Confidence and Opportunity:

  • Westerholm suggests Brown’s comfort as the unquestioned #1 scoring option is fueling his run.
  • "What we are seeing is Jaylen Brown when he feels comfortable in that one, a role ... When you feel comfortable, it is a completely different game." (Westerholm, 16:40)
  • Karalis questions how this holds once Tatum returns and roles realign.

• Physical & Mental Toll:

  • Both hosts note the immense workload on Brown, especially as defenses focus on him.
  • "He's doing so much. He's carrying such a load. Can you do this for the whole season?" (Corrales, 22:25)
  • Comparable to a high-rep bench press: will fatigue set in, particularly during the ‘January doldrums’?

4. Team Dynamics & Supporting Cast

• The “1A” has been Brown, young players (like Ugo and Jordan Walsh) have stepped up, but there’s a lack of steady 1B or #2 options.
• "No one has shown up as a truly reliable guy to take the pressure. Everyone else has been... stretches ... of hit or miss." (Corrales, 26:09)
• Derrick White and Payton Pritchard have been inconsistent offensively, putting more pressure on Brown.

5. The January Test Looms

• The grueling January schedule with frequent games and few rest days will be the biggest challenge for Brown’s sustainability.
• "January is the doldrums... There's only one bit of two days off on the road between Indiana and Miami... Everything else is either back to backs, three games in four nights..." (Corrales, 29:15)
• The physical and mental exhaustion of the grind—and whether Brown can maintain his level—will be crucial for the team.

6. Brown’s Personal & Professional Evolution

• Karalis reflects on misjudging Brown’s ceiling early in his career; Brown has consistently broken through expectations.

• "What he's done is not normal. The level of improvement year in, year out." (Corrales, 31:11)

• Brown has handled adversity—some public, some private—with a determination that sets him apart.

• Brown’s Public Persona and Streaming:

  • Brown is more visible than ever through streaming and greater openness.
  • He has made some missteps (e.g., controversial language on streams), but continues to show growth and resilience.
  • "Sometimes you say things you don't realize and you have to apologize for it... Jalen has never been one to give in to distraction." (Corrales, 36:07)
  • His belief in things like astrology and numerology is discussed with good-natured skepticism but respect for his authenticity.

• Mental Freedom as a Key:

  • Both hosts agree that this 'free' season, post-championship, may be letting Brown play with less pressure—even as he carries a heavier load.
  • "This is a guy who's had so much weight on his shoulders for so much of his career ... All of a sudden, here's this freebie season ... What a fun night that would be. What a fun season this has been for Jaylen Brown." (Westerholm, 34:28)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Tying Larry Bird:

  • "Whenever you do something that Larry Bird did and only Larry Bird did in Celtics history, it's like, okay, that's a really good thing because Larry Bird is the best." (Corrales, 05:14)

• On MVP Value:

  • "When you take the word valuable at face value, right?... It doesn’t get a whole lot more valuable than Jalen Brown." (Westerholm, 09:50)

• On Brown’s Comfort in the Alpha Role:

  • "We are seeing the comfort level that you get when you are a star player who is entrusted with the keys." (Westerholm, 16:44)

• On the Physical Demands:

  • "What Jalen Brown's brain is doing in that moment, calculating how hard he should shoot the ball ... it's a scientific formula that his brain is doing in an instant." (Corrales, 21:35)

• On Brown’s Growth:

  • "What he's done is not normal. The level of improvement year in, year out." (Corrales, 31:11)

• On Mental Freedom:

  • "Maybe he just feels freer to be himself. ... I'm free to be myself no matter what." (Westerholm, 36:52)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Jaylen Brown’s Awards & Comparison to Larry Bird: 04:35 - 06:52
• How Valuable is Brown to the Celtics & MVP Talk: 08:44 - 10:28
• Breakdown of Brown’s Improved Shooting: 10:28 - 13:36
• Is This Sustainable? – Deep Dive Begins: 14:57 - 18:58
• Physical & Mental Toll of Workload: 18:58 - 22:25
• Supporting Cast Analysis: 26:08 - 28:33
• January Schedule & Upcoming Test: 28:33 - 30:35
• Reflections on Brown's Growth & Mindset: 31:10 - 34:37
• Discussion on Brown’s Streaming, Authenticity, and Public Challenges: 35:02 - 36:52

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Closing Thoughts

Both Karalis and Westerholm are fascinated with Jaylen Brown’s journey this season: the remarkable leap, the historic scoring, the leadership under pressure, and the unique freedom Brown is showing on and off the court. Whether or not he maintains this MVP-level play, Brown has redefined his ceiling and changed the narrative about himself and the team. The coming months—especially January—will be a proving ground both for Brown’s endurance and for the Celtics’ aspirations.

Summary Tone: Insightful, slightly playful and conversational, with a deep respect for Brown’s achievements and honest acknowledgment of the challenges ahead.

Transcript

[John Corrales]

Foreign Podcast Network your team every day. This is Nick Gangstead of the Lockdown Mavericks Podcast. This message is a paid partnership with Apple Card. I love that I can earn up to 3% daily cash back on every purchase with my Apple Card, which can be automatically sent to my High Yield Savings account through Apple Card right in the Wallet app with my iPhone I can use Apple Card with Apple Pay basically everywhere I go.

[Tom Westerholm]

You can.

[John Corrales]

You can apply for Apple Card too, right in the Wallet app on your iPhone. Subject to credit approval. Savings is available to Apple Card owners subject to eligibility savings and Apple Card by Goldman Sachs Bank USA Salt Lake City Branch Member FDIC terms and [e-mail] the Kia Sportage Turbo Hybrid has a bold design, a spacious interior with 232 horsepower and a 12.3-inch panoramic display to keep the adventure going and fit with the way you live. And with SiriusXM, every drive comes alive, bringing you closer to the music, sport, sports talk and podcasts you love right in your vehicle or on the SiriusXM app. Every SiriusXM equipped Kia Sportage Turbo Hybrid includes a three month trial subscription to SiriusXM, so the experience begins the moment you drive. Learn [e-mail] Sportage Hybrid Kia Movement that inspires another award for Jaylen Brown can he really keep this up for a whole season? Is he really going to be an MVP candidate like Drake May said? We'll talk about it right now on the Locked on Celtics podcast. Who else could it be? What they gonna say now screaming like J.T. corralis recap the madness Every game, every practice, prime time Depp and D White on the sideline Rena J's how we started raising ban that's how we finish. Locked on Celtics Pod Home of the winners hey there. Welcome back to the Lockdown Celtics Podcast right here in the Lockdown Podcast Network. Where does your team every day? Your team is the Boston Celtics and I talk about them every Monday through Friday on Saturdays and Sundays whenever they have a game on the weekends. Shows free. It's available everywhere. Wherever you get your podcast, you can find this on YouTube as well. I'm John Corrales. If you're new to the show and you don't know me, I'm a beat writer that covers the Celtics for Boston Sports Journal. I've been doing a version of this job for about 20 years now. I've been hosting this podcast for 10 and I've written a couple of books about this team. So long resume. It's a much longer resume than I'm prepared to admit, but I have to. So thank you all for being here, being everydayers, joining me every, every day, every weekday, plus these weekends. Today is the Jaylen Brown show because Jalen was named the Player of the Week again. Second time in three weeks. He's on his way to being named Player of the Month, I would assume for December. Another award. He has written his name in the record books next to Larry Bird all of a sudden, and people are calling him an mvp. Drake May called him an mvp. So this whole show is going to be about can he be, can he stay in this conversation, how much of this is sustainable, a look at how tough the shots are that he's hitting to make himself an MVP candidate. All of that is coming up on today's show, and it's all coming up with our guy, Tom Westerholm, everybody.

[Tom Westerholm]

What up? I feel like the easiest pandering that we could do would be to say, like, and you know, Drake May knows a thing or two about MVPs, am I right? Knows a thing or two about that.

[John Corrales]

From one MVP to another. Yeah, that was good. I like that. That was solid clip that. So. Yeah.

[Tom Westerholm]

No, but having watched one and many more Patriots games this year, for sure.

[John Corrales]

It's all you need, Tom. It's all you need to know that he's, he's it. He's him, as the kids say.

[Tom Westerholm]

I mean, listen, we just, last, last podcast, we were just talking about Ugo and how you just know it when you see it. And I mean, as a football guy, I know it when I see it.

[John Corrales]

Yeah. I mean, people are saying Ugo and Drake May are one in the same.

[Tom Westerholm]

Well, and Drake May is saying he and Jaylen Brown are one in the same, so.

[John Corrales]

Well, right. So we're here to talk about the second best player on the Celtics, Jaylen Brown.

[Tom Westerholm]

It's been football.

[John Corrales]

Yes, that was that. And that was football talk kind of.

[Tom Westerholm]

Analysis you would get from us if we were a football podcast.

[John Corrales]

Football podcast. Drake May is good. He threw ball good. That's, that's the depth of my football knowledge. But, but I know a little thing about basketball. And Tom, Jalen Brown is good. He's also good. He's very good. Let's start with the Larry Bird thing because he caught Larry nine straight games with 30 plus points, which is like, you know, a made up thing because we, we didn't know. No one knew what the, what the record was. Right. Yeah, but people, yeah, this is not.

[Tom Westerholm]

Mark McGuire chasing, like the home run record. This was Made up one.

[John Corrales]

But whenever you do something that Larry Bird did and only Larry Bird did in Celtics history, it's like, okay, that's. That's a really good thing because Larry Bird is. Is the best. And so we always, like, when Jason Tatum was doing it, you're like, man, this dude is just. It's Larry Bird and Jason Tatum. That's just amazing company. And Tatum sits out for, you know, the year or most of the year. And Jaylen Brown is now getting the opportunity to write his name. And you're like, okay, man, this dude is. This dude is. Is really continuing to surprise.

[Tom Westerholm]

Yeah.

[John Corrales]

Some people will be like, I was never surprised. But okay, that's. That's fine. You're a Jalen Brown fan, and that's fine. You can claim it, be proud of it. I think considering where he was and all of the things it's. I. It's a high compliment to, in my opinion, to say this guy has worked on his game, he's continued to improve, and he's gotten himself to. To where being the number one option on a team where Jason Tatum is out for most of the season was like a perfectly fine thing. The Celtics are a surprisingly good team because Jalen Brown stepped into this role and is not just, wow, he's doing pretty good. He is thriving in this role. And so that Tom is super impressive, and he gets to have these. These moments of like, wow, it's just Jalen Brown and Larry Bird. Not Jalen Brown, Jason Tatum, Miller. It's just Jalen and Larry Bird.

[Tom Westerholm]

Yeah. Yeah. I mean, it's. And it's been. It's been wild to watch the quality of. Of like, just the quality of the way he's playing. Like, the. The shots that he's making are tough. The. But also, like, the basketball he's playing is like, it's so under control. We've talked about that a lot. Like, just. He's getting shots that he wants to get a lot of the time, right? Like, he's getting to spots he wants to get to. Like, there's. I don't know. There's just only so many ways. I posted this the other day. There's. I'm running out of creative ways to say that Jaylen Brown is great. He is. Like, he's. He's been awesome. And like you said, the Celtics don't get to where they are without him. They don't. You know, they're not. They're certainly not the three seed. They certainly don't have a three seed cushion where they can drop a disappointing game to the Blazers and still be the three. Like, none of that stuff is possible without Jalen Brown. It does not matter how good Ugo Gonzalez and Jordan Walsh are, if Jalen Brown is not Jalen Brown this season, he makes all of this possible. And I think that's one of the biggest reasons. You know, you see people drawing comparisons to the Isaiah Thomas years with this season, and it's. It's partly, obviously, that they're kind of plucky underdogs and, you know, they're, they're fun to watch and all that stuff. Like, it's partly that, but then it's also the fact that there is a singular, you know, really crucial player driving, like, you know, really powering this engine forward and that. And that's been Jaylen Brown. So, yeah, I mean, it's. It's been really fun to watch. It's been fun to kind of see. It's been fun to just. Just watch him test what he's got. What do I have? What. Who can I be? And the answer is, I mean, maybe not like, certainly not, I wouldn't say likely to win mvp, but a guy who can get himself into the MVP conversation.

[John Corrales]

I.

[Tom Westerholm]

How. How many of us realistically thought that Jalen Brown had that? I. I don't think I did.

[John Corrales]

No, I, I didn't. I didn't think he would be as, as good or as, as big a part of the conversation. Right? Like, okay, so Drake May is going to say he's the mvp. Well, of course Drake May is going to say that. But, but the, the. I think conversation has to include Jalen Brown and not in a, hey, I'm going to throw him some votes. Like, this is not fifth place MVP Jalen Brown right now. This is. Jokic is. Is number one. We can say Shay Gilgis Alexander is probably number two. And then after that, it's open. It's open to me with a bunch of very worthy candidates, right? There's going to be five, six, seven names that we can throw in there that have a case to be the third in the conversation. Jalen is one of those guys. He is one of those players, especially.

[Tom Westerholm]

When you take the word valuable at face value, right? It's like, yeah, right. I mean, because the stats are. Are there, right? The stats are. Are there to put him right up there with everybody else. And then you take the semantics of the word valuable and it's like, it does. I mean, yeah, Jokic, Shay Gilgis Alexander, and then it doesn't get a whole Lot more valuable than Jalen Brown.

[John Corrales]

Right, right. And so Jalen is currently sixth in the league in scoring points per game, 29.7, Nicola Jokic 29.9, Donovan Mitchell 30.2, Tyrese Maxey 30.7, SGA 32, and Luka Doncic, 33.7.

[Tom Westerholm]

Now, by the way, the Cavaliers being terrible is robbing Donovan Mitchell of a genuine MVP push because he's been a monster.

[John Corrales]

Yeah, nice editing there too.

[Tom Westerholm]

Thank you. Thank you. I, I caught it.

[John Corrales]

Just an expletive deleted monster. But, but, yeah, and, and so, you know, he's starting to rack up these awards, these little pockets of recognition, the players. So second player of the week, Player of the month is likely coming because at this point, he's scored over 30 points in every game. And if you can keep that going, then it's going to be hard to argue right. In the East. So that when you start to pile all those up, you get into, okay, where does he fit in the MVP conversation? And when we talk about like the shots last year, these, these, like every percentage from every zone here is up. So you start in the restricted area. Last year, 67 and a half percent. This year, 71.5, paint non restricted, 44 and a half up to 48.4, mid range, 40 last year. Historically, somewhere in that range, that's where he's been. This year he's at 49.7 corner threes left corner, 40 left corner. Last year, 39.4 right corner, 47.4. This year, 40 and 60. So up, you know, a tick above the break. This year is up from 29.6 to 36.1. Like every zone that you can look at, he's just shooting so much better in all of these spots. The mid range shots are in that acceptable zone for the first time in his, in his life. Yeah, and that's his bread and butter. Like when he's, when he's cooking, when he was cooking in that second quarter, that, that was, you know, he was killing the blazers from 15, 17ft in that, in that area. That's, that's the, the, the question where, when I say, is it sustainable? It. He's shooting so well, but historically he has not. And just it, you have to ask the question, did he figure something out or is he on some sort of extended heater? We'll, we'll start to tackle that when we come back. Today's show is brought to you by. Game time during basketball season, there's nothing like being in the building, the energy, the crowd I love it. That first big run that gets everybody on their feet, especially at TD Garden, sends the place into a frenzy. You want to be there for that. Not stuck refreshing screens or guessing what tickets really cost. That's where game time comes in. So if you're in the Boston area or maybe you're in one of these cities like Salt Lake or Sacramento or la, and you want to be in on the action, you can do that with Game Time. The app is straightforward. I've used it a ton. You can find tickets in just a few taps. You can see the view from your seat right from your phone. So if you're going to a new building, you want to make sure it might look good on, on the, you know, oh, this row and that number. You want to make sure that you like what you see. The price upfront is what you pay and you even have zone deals that unlock great seats at an even better value. So NBA game, another live event. It's all there on Game Time. You can take the guesswork out of buying those tickets by downloading GameTime app, creating an account and using the code locked on MBA that's locked locked on NBA for $20 off your first purchase. Download the Game Time app today and get in on the action.

[Tom Westerholm]

Locked on listeners asked for more and now you can get it with the everydayer. For just $5 a month, you'll get every episode ad free, plus access to our members only discord, exclusive audio from Locked on Sports today and other perks you won't find anywhere else. If you never miss a show, this is the next step. Join the Everydayer Club today at lockedonpodcast.com everydayerclub or visit the link in the show notes. That's lockedonpodcast.com/everyday club, part of the Locked on podcast network. Your team every day.

[John Corrales]

Thank you for making Lockdown Celtics your first listen. Thank you for making it the number one Boston Celtics podcast on the planet and it is on the number one sports podcast network on the planet. So lots of number ones and it's all because you the Everydayer has joined me Monday through Friday has joining for these bonus podcasts. I can't thank you enough for making this, this podcast, this network, what it is. It's all because of you. So thank you, thank you, thank you for doing so. All right. We are continuing the conversation here about Jalen Brown and I think the sustainability, Tom is, is at the heart of like and maybe it's two separate conversations. The sustainability, when Jason Tatum comes back, is going to Be I think a very fair thing to watch.

[Tom Westerholm]

Yep.

[John Corrales]

But that, that's down the road. The sustainability now is, is going to be the question. Now he's been just off the charts. At some point everybody kind of goes through a little slump and whenever that happens, if it happens, I'll say if, but probably when just because everybody goes through it, does he bounce back or is that water finding its level? If, if he can bounce back, then it's like, wow, what a, like it, it's already a special season. But because we've never seen this before, that's gonna, that's the biggest question. I, I, we can say what we think. Yeah, but that's the thing that I'm watching for.

[Tom Westerholm]

It's definitely the thing to watch for. I, I mean to that point I will say what I think. Right. Like what I think. And, and I, I could be, you know, I could be wrong. I actually think that they aren't that those two conversations. Right. I don't think that they are separate. I think I, my, or at least the thing that I'm, my guess, I guess is what I would say would be that what we are seeing is Jaylen Brown when he feels comfortable in that one, a role. I think we are seeing what he's capable of doing when he knows like, okay, every shot I take is a good shot. I'm not taking this shot away from somebody else who should be taking it. I'm not. And as such, if the shot that I want isn't there because somebody, you know, I know that defenses are zeroed in on me. So I'm able to then, you know, make a pass or kickstart the offense in some other way, all that kind of thing. I think that we are seeing the comfort level that you get when you are a star player who is entrusted with the keys. Right. You are, you're given the keys and you were said go to work. So then you know, I, so to me what we're seeing is that, which means that we might not see a huge drop off until Tatum comes back and then it will be interesting to, to watch. Like, okay, can he, can he keep this up? My guess would be probably not because at that point, okay, you're, you're tossing up a lot of mid range shots here. Is that more efficient than what Jason Tatum is going to be doing? Maybe not. Like I so to me that's that I guess that's, that's where I would start from is like I think that there probably will be somewhat of a cool off but We've seen, it's. I mean, listen, we're, it's almost January. Like, we've seen a pretty fair amount of season where Jaylen Brown has just been this guy. And so to me, I, I don't know. I, I don't know how sustainable it is. I think just historically you're probably right. There's probably somewhat of a drop off coming. But I don't think it's impossible that what we're seeing is just Jaylen Brown feeling really comfortable. Because, I mean, like, you and I know this, like basketball. When you feel comfortable, it is a completely different game. And sometimes that's just circumstances and maybe these circumstances are just really friendly for Jalen Brown.

[John Corrales]

I think I, I do think it's sustainable now. Sustainable is, is gonna. Now we're gonna get into like the definition of like, what are we gonna test the limits of what sustainable is? Because if he drops to 47% in the mid range, 46 and a half percent in the mid range, is that still okay? Because it's like 7% more than last year and generally better than. Or is that because now you're starting to dip into the like. Well, maybe you shouldn't be taking those if you're going to dip to that point. If we're going to start doing the math, I, I think the quality of the shots that he's taking are. It. It's good. And because he's creating space, he's creating an advantage. And a lot of them are step backs, a lot of them are those fadeaways. It's, it's not exactly tightly contested stuff. It's Jaylen. Jaylen takes and makes hard shots, difficult shots. Because I think because of the, the Runway, it's like, it's like trying to get a big heavy plane off of the Runway once the physics take over and it's in the air, it's in the air. You just got to, you know. But getting it to get off the ground is like a chore. And Jalen, getting Jalen off the ground this season is a little bit of a chore because he's the focus of the defense. There's not a lot of trustworthy shooters around him all the time. They leave guys like Jordan Walsh and Josh Minot open, Hugo Gonzalez open. He's. And you know, Jalen's finding those guys. He's doing a great job finding everybody. Yes, he works really hard. So if there is a correction coming, if I have a fear, one fear when it comes to Jalen, it's not based Necessarily on, like, oh, the history tells me this, and, you know, I don't believe in Jalen. I think I'm. I skew more towards. Jalen's doing a lot of work, and you have to put in all that effort. Then you have to jump and fade and get. You got it. I don't think people understand. I talk about physics, what Jalen Brown's brain is doing in that moment, calculating how hard he should shoot the ball. I'm fading this far left. I got to shoot it to the right this way. Or vice versa. Like, you're not just flicking the wrist when you're jumping in any. You're a shooter. You jump straight up, straight down, you flick the wrist. Okay. A lot of people can hit those stationary shots. You know, Andre Drummond can jump up and down and get that, get that right. It's the fading out of bounds, that crazy corner shot that he took. It's the adjustments of, like, oh, I'm going this way. The ball needs to go this way, like past the rim so it can float this way because of my momentum. It's a scientific formula that his brain is doing in an instant. The more tired you get, the numbers kind of get skewed in that formula, and, like, start shots are going to start falling a little short, maybe a little. That's the thing. If I'm afraid of anything with Jaylen, it's not, oh, God, he's going to forget. It's, oh, my God, he's doing so much. He's carrying such a load. Can you do this for the whole season? You know, it's like. It's like a bench press or something. You, you know, first five reps are fine. Like, when you get to reps, like if you're. If you're carrying, if you're trying to knock out a heavy weight, those 8, 9, 10 that you're really grinding. And I'm afraid if. If I'm afraid of anything, I'm afraid of, like, that, okay, I'm gonna need a spot for this last rep. I'm gonna need someone to kind of help me out with this last rep. And that. That wouldn't be even a commentary on Jalen. It's just a commentary on. This is what the team is when you got no help at some point, like the, you know, I kind of almost hope he doesn't go to the All Star game so we can rest, like that type of thing.

[Tom Westerholm]

Well, the spotter might be coming in March. Who knows?

[John Corrales]

You know what Good time to take a break. We'll get your reaction to what I was saying when we come back. Today's show is brought to you by FanDuel. You can download that FanDuel app and get in on the action. Basketball season gives you a new way to have some fun. They've got NBA Happy Hour coming up every Friday night before the games tip off. So NBA Happy Hour. It's your official pre game. It's a limited time window where special offers drop inside the FanDuel app before the action starts. Starts from 6 to 7:30 Eastern. You get something new. Boosts, bonuses, surprises. It's easy to check the weekly special before tip off. Make a move before the window closes. The timing's perfect. It's right before the games, right before the weekend starts. So you can add some extra energy to those Friday night basketball games without even overthinking it. So check it out before tip off on a Friday night. Check the FanDuel app. See what's dropping during NBA Happy Hour. Again Friday from 6 to 7:30 Eastern. A little basketball, a little action and a whole lot of Friday energy. They also have the limits, the budget. You can use that tool once you sign up as well. So you're getting in on the happy hour, but you're gambling responsibly. If you hit a little bit of a cold streak, it'll stop you. You recover after a couple of weeks or so, come back in and get in on the action again. NBA Happy hours only on FanDuel, the official sportsbook partner of the NBA. Calling all sightseers and selfie takers. Welcome to Texas where a day at our hiking trails will lead to a lifetime of memories and family road trips become family legends where thrill seekers make a splash into spring fed pools and picky eaters will clean their plates. This is your invitation to visit Texas and see it for yourself. Visit traveltexas.com and plan your family's trip today. Let's Texas thank you for making Lockdown Celtics your first listen every day. You are an everydayer now. Level up. Get in on the everydayer club. 5 bucks a month or 50 bucks a year if you want it. You can get in on ad free audio which is compatible with all the major podcasting apps including Apple, Spotify. All of that. You can get access to our Discord server. You get access to merchandise drops. It's all on the Everydayer club at locked on celtics.supercast.com locked on celtics.Supercast.com go check that out and then if you want to join. Five bucks a month. You want to get a couple months free pay. Pray up front for the year. 50 bucks and have some fun at locked on celtics.supercast.com all right, Tom. So, yeah, we. Maybe the spotter is coming in March. That would be fun if Jason Tatum shows up. But. Yeah, I know. What do you. I think. I think the. Especially when you look at the rest of the.

[Tom Westerholm]

The.

[John Corrales]

The team right now, no one. No one has shown up as a truly reliable guy to take the pressure. Everyone else has been, you know, some degree, like, stretches, long enough of hit or miss that I'm like, yeah, it's gonna. It's gonna end up being on Jalen's back.

[Tom Westerholm]

Yeah, for sure. I mean, it's interesting, right, because the. The one a guy showed up in a big way this season. That's Jaylen Brown. And then, like, the guys on, like, the third tier showed up in a big way, right? Like your Kedas and your. Your Ugos and your. And then the guys on that two tier, they're really, you know, you kind of. Man, it would have been great if one of them could have been a 1B tier, right? But they're not like Derrick White. Offensively, it's. It's. It's just been. Every time I think to myself, like, oh, here he goes. Oh, it's like, here we go. Here we go. This is it. And it's just, yeah, you know, little false starts here and there. Pritchard's kind of, you know, on again, off again. He was invisible, you know, yesterday, when we're recording this, like, yeah, it's. I mean, it's tough, right? You know, you talk about the physics of it. I. I think, you know, I think one thing that. That's really helpful is if you have a way to kind of calibrate it, you know, yourself, like, mid. Mid game, right? It's like, okay, if I can get my shoulder square, it doesn't matter. Like that. That's the thing that matters. I just gotta get my shoulder square to the hoop. And if I can do that, like, I. I know at least it's gonna be online. And, like, I give myself a chance. Stuff like that can be helpful. I mean, you know, and like, with Jalen, it's interesting, right, because he's. He's got this way of. You're right. That the way he plays is. Is exhausting. You know, it's. It's gonna be tiring. He's got. He's got this, like, great ability to. He can either get to the rim the first time or he can get part of the way to the rim and then pull back and then hit a mid range or he's got that, that third option where he can look like he's going to the rim and then he pulls back and then he steps back through. And so he's got that like that three prong kind of like herky jerky kind of thing. That, that works really well for him. But all of that expends a lot of energy. You know, that's every, every one of those expends energy. And I mean like one look at the man and you can tell that he's, he, like he's very in shape. Like he can do this for a while. He can do this for, for quite some time. But I do think it's, it's, it's definitely fair to wonder whether the drop off is just going to be a matter of exhaustion. Like, I do think that's plausible and yeah. Reasonable.

[John Corrales]

We're so I think we're about to head into like the biggest test of the season, actually. Yeah, I think January is like, January is the doldrums, right. That everybody talks about the January doldrums. And so there's a little bit of disinterest, like there's a. They've talked about in the past, the natural human nature of hey, January comes around, everybody's just kind of like ready for the break. You've, you've had like a weird, the NBA cup front loads of schedule. You get a weird kind of December where there's a ton of time off and then January, it's just a grind. Right. So you're going to play Utah last game of 2025 and then every other. There's only one bit of two days off on the road between Indiana and Miami in the middle of January. Everything else is either back to backs. Three games in four nights every other day. And that kind of continues until you get to the All Star break. Yeah. And that's, that's where it gets tough because you can see the All Star break coming and everybody tends to kind of relax a little bit. So when, if that happens, what does it look like? Is it Jalen saying I've got to pick up the slack even more because other guys in the team aren't like, other things aren't happening. Is it Jalen, the one that's affected? Like you said, he is in phenomenal shape. The work that he's put in to get to this point to be able to carry this workload is incredible. And if he gets through the Whole season. Like, obviously you'll be tired by the end, but if he manages to get through the whole season without a drop off, you know, it'd be amazing. I'd be like, wow, that, that is incredible. But also not surprising because of, you know, this dude was like, became like a, you know, freaking underwater mammal for the summer. You know, he. He's just like hanging out, just, I.

[Tom Westerholm]

Don'T know, like, just be under the playoffs underwater. My money is on Jalen Brown.

[John Corrales]

I agree. I agree. And swimming is incredibly difficult. If you can get yourself into some level of distance swimming and get your cardio up that, like, then, then sure. So I, I've seen enough Jaylen Brown. I've covered him his whole career in some form. I'm very open about my early time with Jalen not believing that he's going to get to that next level. And he, you know, it took me three, four years and I was just like, you know what? I'm. I'm stopping.

[Tom Westerholm]

I'm done.

[John Corrales]

You know, I'm stopping with the boxes. And like, each year I'm like, okay, I'm kind of curious to see what. Because it's not normal. What he's done is not normal. The level of improvement year in year. Like when he was drafted third, no one said, hey, this is a guy that we're going to talk about as a future mvp. And I know that that's weird to say about a third overall pick, but I don't think anybody saw him as that coming out of Cal. But, you know, he. He worked on his deficiencies. He worked on everything. He powered through some mental, you know, hurdles of, you know, how he was perceived and, you know, all the stuff with tmac about wanting to stay or go and like, learning how to play with Jason Tatum, that was a very tough thing in. Understandably tough. Two guys in their early 20s trying to prove themselves like a, like a battle for dominance of the pride. Like, of course there's going to be some kind of like, you know, growing pains through that, and he's just powered through all of that and he's gotten to this place and it is absolutely amazing. So I wouldn't be surprised. But also if he continued through without a letdown, it would be actually like, wow, unbelievable. Like, not unbelievable, but amazing to see. So I. All this. I don't know what to expect. But there, there are still open questions, but I, I wouldn't be surprised by a letdown because you're like, oh, yeah, because. Human being. But I also wouldn't be Surprised if he kept it going because you're like, jalen Brown has this, like, weird. He's got that thing. He's got that thing that, like, I'm not going to give into this stuff where most of us, I certainly would be like, you know what? I'm just gonna go chill, man. You guys can have it. I'm gonna. January.

[Tom Westerholm]

I'm out.

[John Corrales]

I'm out, man. Yeah, I'd. What. What are we killing ourselves for over here?

[Tom Westerholm]

You got it.

[John Corrales]

You got it, jb. So, yeah, I'm fascinated to see. I'm fascinated to see how this goes. Yeah, it's all house money, too.

[Tom Westerholm]

That's, that's the thing, right? It's like.

[John Corrales]

And maybe that's part of it. Maybe.

[Tom Westerholm]

I think that's part of it, man. I, I, I think that, I think that's genuinely another part of this, right? Where it's like, this is a guy who's had so much weight on his shoulders for so much of his career. Rookie season, obviously, like, he wasn't the focal point of the team, but he was the number three overall pick. That's a lot of weight on your shoulders. You get further down the line, it's like, okay, Kemba Walker's, you know, replaced Kyrie Irving. And like, the whole, the whole idea was like, okay, we're starting to transition into this being Jason Tatum and Jaylen Brown's team. It is now your guys responsibility to try to win us a title. That's a lot of weight on your shoulders. Couple of years, it doesn't go your way. That's more weight on your shoulders. And then it finally, you win the championship. Now you're a champion, and, you know, you've got this tiny window with this team to try to win another one. That's a lot of weight on your shoulders. All of a sudden, here's this freebie season. It's just like somebody handed you a briefcase and said, I don't know, man, go play blackjack for a while. And you look inside and there's a bunch of money. And it's like, oh, I'm gonna make some money. I'm gonna lose money, but I'm gonna make some money with this. Right? You know? Yeah. I mean, what a fun night that would be. What a fun season this has been for Jaylen Brown.

[John Corrales]

Side note, if anybody ever wants to do that to me, oh, my gosh, I'm very open to that. If anybody wants to hand me a briefcase full of money and say, just go play blackjack for a while, I'M I am proud man enough to say I am open to that idea.

[Tom Westerholm]

January or not, I will do that anymore.

[John Corrales]

I will do it at any time. That's not a problem for me.

[Tom Westerholm]

Absolutely.

[John Corrales]

Yeah. I, I'll, I'll just kind of wrap up by saying that like, the Jalen Brown. This is the most fascinating Jalen Brown season because he's streaming because he's being more open and like, because of all, like, it, it really is an insight into the true Jalen Brown. And like, there are warts, there are things that he's said and done like that he's, he's kind of learning on the fly. Like the, the extra chromosome thing for, what are you saying for Scotty Barnes, like, he's so strong and people, I didn't, I didn't know that this was a thing, but people were saying it was like a, a Down syndrome comment, which I had no idea. Jalen Brown didn't. I don't, I honestly believe that he didn't know. I don't think he's that type of person. And he had to apologize for it. Sometimes you say things you don't realize and you have to apologize for it. Like, he's understanding, like, oh, this is. Being out there means, oh, sometimes they're going to trip up and screw up.

[Tom Westerholm]

Yeah.

[John Corrales]

And like that, that's all part of the learning thing, learning process. And so, yeah, it's, it's giving you an insight into all of this stuff, what he thinks, what he believes. And like, the, the more he does it, the more he opens himself up to criticism and the more things that can end up being a distraction. And Jalen has never been one to give in to distraction. So he's, you know, and maybe, maybe the focus on the court is because he's like, I cannot let it be perceived that my streaming is a distraction. So that maybe in a weird way that is helping him focus because he's like, I gotta go out there and play like an mvp. It's the only way I'll be able to stream. So.

[Tom Westerholm]

I mean, maybe, or maybe, honestly, maybe he just feels freer, you know, like, he just feels freer to be himself. You know, it's like, ah, I'm putting myself out there and if I say something, you know, that I regret, I'll apologize. If I turn the ball over six times in a game, I'll bounce back. Like, yeah, I'm just, I'm free to be myself no matter, you know, no matter what. Like, some of that, Yeah, I, I, I think that's a big part of that. Yes.

[John Corrales]

You can't be tight. You can't be tight and score 30 in, you know, ninth street game. You can't. Oh, you got, it's, you got to have like.

[Tom Westerholm]

Which makes me think. My prediction is that he's not going to pass Bird because now it's been like, now we've seen that. Like, that, like, now he knows, like, oh, If I score 30 in this game, then I, I, I make Celtics. People have made a big deal about it. That's my prediction, is that now it's going to be this one weird night of like, oh, shoot, I gotta get to 30. And it just doesn't work.

[John Corrales]

So all of a sudden it's like a two for 12. Yeah, that's what I think. Seven turnovers. Yep. Yep. And a lot that'll go right back.

[Tom Westerholm]

To his, to his, to his MVP adjacent ways. But we'll see.

[John Corrales]

Tom, Tom Westrom does not believe in Jalen Brown.

[Tom Westerholm]

For you to flip that off of yourself, flip the Heat off yourself.

[John Corrales]

Everybody go yell at Tom. Either way, however this goes, it's. It's already been a special season. I'm super impressed with him. I do think, like, I do disagree with some of the stuff that he talks about on his stream. I do disagree. We do not have the same.

[Tom Westerholm]

We.

[John Corrales]

Don'T have the same view on certain things that he does. But I, I do believe that his, his. I. First of all, I think the work he's done for the city of Boston has been amazing on that part. We are aligned. I think his help for the community and where he wants to help the community and all of that stuff has been, has been on point from the beginning. And I, I appreciate where his head's at there. I'll just go and say, I, I don't believe in the astrology the way he does. That's what I'm, that's what I'm getting at. I don't want to be too cryptic.

[Tom Westerholm]

Can I be completely honest? I don't watch his streams. So then when you said, like, I don't always agree with him on stuff, I was like, oh, no.

[John Corrales]

Oh, no. Yeah. No, that's why I had to say. I had to come out and say, like, the astrology stuff and all the numerology stuff and all the energy shifting stuff, like, that's great. And people believe it. I'm just like, all right, jb, whatever you want to say, man. If you believe it, then, then it's all good. If it works for you, it works for you. I'm not here trying to shut that down. But, but it is interesting. Like he's, you know how he's, how he's just like rolling with that. You got to have that mental, that thing. So you got to be free. You got to be free.

[Tom Westerholm]

You got to be free.

[John Corrales]

You got to be yourself, what he's doing, you know, so it's awesome. I, I've enjoyed the Jaylen Brown ride. I think, I think it's just been impressive as all hell. And I say that as one of his early doubters who, who he's, you know, won over for sure. And, you know, it's, I'm so fascinated to see where this goes. All right, we'll wrap it up there. Tom Westerholm, everybody. You find his [e-mail] thank you, Tom.

[Tom Westerholm]

Appreciate you, man.

[John Corrales]

I always appreciate you, Tom. Appreciate you. The listener, the viewer who's here with me every Monday through Friday. Bonus podcast when they play in the weekends. So we got a lot of those coming up. They got a Saturday night game against the Clippers. We got Friday, Saturday next the, the 9th and the 10th, Toronto and San Antonio. We got Saturday games all throughout January. We got three Friday games. There's a ton of podcasting coming up for you, including from the road. I'm going to start hitting the road in a couple of these nights too, so make sure you're with me. Subscribe wherever you get your podcast, watch the show, become an every day or join the everyday club. 5 bucks a month or 50 bucks a year gets you audio for ad. Free audio access to our Discord server, merchandise drops and all of that stuff@lockdown celtics.supercast.com now please share the podcast. Tell everybody they should be listening to and watching the Lockdown Celtics podcast here on the Lockdown Podcast network. It's your team every day looking for a last minute gift for your people. You know, your people, that weird bunch of friends and family that you love dearly. Well, here's an easy idea. Oregon Lottery Holiday Scratch hits. Because your people, they're the ones that amidst all the holiday crowds and endless notifications, help you find the fun. Which calls for a little gift that brings big cheers. Oregon Lottery Holiday Scratch it. You know where to find them. Grab some today must be 18 or older to play lottery games are based on chance and should be played for entertainment only. Introducing Fidelity Trader plus, the next generation of advanced trading from Fidelity. Customize your tools and charts and access them seamlessly across desktop, web and mobile. For faster trades anywhere you go, try the all new Fidelity Trader Plus. Learn more about our most most powerful trading platform [e-mail] TraderPlus investing involves risk, including risk of loss. Fidelity Brokerage Services, llc Member NYSE SIPC.

[Tom Westerholm]

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