Paul Pierce pushes for Jailen Brown MVP talk amid POTM debate

Boston Celtics legend Paul Pierce started the debate by saying Jaylen Brown deserves serious MVP consideration for the 2025-26 season. He also blamed an anti-Celtic bias for leaving Brown out of the Eastern Conference MVP race.

The 48-year-old went to X (formerly Twitter) to express his thoughts on Brown’s MVP chances. he wrote:

“And can we put Jalen Brown on MVp Talk, this is just ridiculous how he didn’t get POTM More Celtic hate but we’re used to it.”

With Jayson Tatum sidelined with a torn AchillesBrown took on a greater leadership role. That lead helped Boston climb to third in the Eastern Conference. Despite that success, Pierce believes Brown has been overlooked.

Brown put together an impressive December. He averaged 31.7 points per game. He also added 6.5 rebounds, 5.4 assists and 1.2 steals. Brown shot 53.8 percent from the field. He also hit 42.6 percent of his three-point attempts. Boston went 9-3 on the month.

Brown won two Player of the Week awards. However, the player of the month award went to New York Knicks guard Jalen Branson. Brunson posted similar numbers as the Knicks went 10-4. On the other hand, Oklahoma City’s Shai Giljus-Alexander took the West. The NBA announcement was made on Friday.

Brown himself reacted after being run over for December’s Eastern Conference Player of the Month. He addressed the snub on a Twitch stream.

“No disrespect, no hard feelings towards Shai or Brunson. But neither of them had a better month than me,” the 29-year-old said.

Meanwhile, on a recent episode of the No Offense podcast, Pierce shared his thoughts on Brown’s MVP case and explained why he believes dynamic progression is often overlooked in the discussion.

He questioned why Brown isn’t firmly in the MVP conversation. Pierce pointed out that few expected Boston to stay near the top of the East without Tatum. He also praised Brown’s consistency in scoring. Pierce called him a reliable 30-point scorer. He compared Brown’s lack of recognition to praise for other stars around the league. As a former Finals MVP, Pierce feels the situation is disrespectful.

“Everybody hates the Celtics,” Pierce said of why Brown isn’t in the MVP conversation. “No, seriously, why not? Nobody had the Celtics in the third seed without Tatum. The guy consistently puts up 30 (points). Everybody’s talking about Cade; they (the Pistons) are No. 1, I get it. Everybody’s talking about Wemby, I get it. But this guy’s got to get some 0-point guy. bucket.”

As Tatum nears his return, Brown’s case could get stronger. That depends on whether Boston keeps winning. The fact that he went from a secondary option to a primary strength of the team. It also questions how MVP voters measure influence and leadership.

Narratives clearly shape MFA conversations. Luka Dončić is in the best shape of his career and leads the league in goals. He deserves strong consideration. But while his numbers may be higher than Brown’s, Brown has led his team to a better position in the conference and has remained consistently available, two factors that usually bolster an MVP case.