Paul Pierce Praises Jaylen Brown, Says It's 'Unfortunate' Celtics Star Isn't in NBA MVP Conversation

Jaylen Brown is enjoying the best season of his career this year, and franchise legend Paul Pierce feels the Boston Celtics star should be in the MVP mix.

"Brown is having an MVP season," Pierce told reporters. "Not enough is being said on how he's held down the fort pretty much all year... To still elevate your game in your 10th year is pretty amazing, because most of the time, guys are who they are by the time they're in their fourth or fifth year... It's just unfortunate that he's not in MVP talks like he should be."

Brown is putting up a career-high 28.5 points per game, along with 7.0 rebounds and 5.2 assists per contest. The Celtics appeared to be planning for a down year after Jayson Tatum suffered a torn Achilles last May, but the MVP-caliber play from Brown has kept them in the mix.

With Tatum now back on the court alongside Brown, Boston could very well make a championship run, something that seemed inconceivable after Tatum's injury last year.

Of course, several other plays make a strong case for MVP like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander or Luka Dončić, but Pierce has a good point that Brown should at least be in the conversation.