Jaylen Brown was supposed to become the face of a franchise when he left the Boston Celtics. But, according to Bill Simmons, the five-time All-Star might have gone from being the number one option on a team to the fourth-most important player on a stacked Philadelphia 76ers roster.
Speaking on The Bill Simmons Podcast, Simmons said that he doubted whether the Sixers were the ideal landing spot for Brown following a blockbuster trade that paired him with Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey, and the later acquisition of LeBron James.
“I don’t know if this is the best situation for him in Philly, but I’ll guess we’ll find out. But he went from, ‘It’s time for me to have my own team,’ to him being the 4th most important person on this team… He’s basically going to have to be their Derrick White.”
It’s a rather interesting perspective considering the season Brown just had. The 28-year-old arguably had the best season of his career, averaging 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds and 5.1 assists while shooting 47.7% from the field and 34.7% from three-point range. He also earned his sixth All-Star selection, was named to the All-NBA Second Team and spent most of the season in the MVP conversation.
Among the four stars Philadelphia possesses right now, Jaylen Brown had the strongest individual year. Tyrese Maxey continued his rise, earning his first All-NBA selection. Joel Embiid was dominant whenever he was healthy, but he missed significant time due to injuries.
LeBron James was highly productive in a third-option role with the Lakers before he chose the Sixers in free agency. Brown, however, was elite on both ends of the floor over the course of the entire season.
That is why Simmons’ projection might be more complicated than simply saying that Brown is the fourth option.
Undoubtedly, there will be nights when he’ll have to take fewer shots than Embiid, Maxey, or LeBron. There will be games when LeBron takes control of the offense and dictates the tempo. But Jaylen Brown’s two-way ability makes him far more important than a fourth-option role.
His ability to create his own offense, defend multiple positions and dominate in transition means that he will be one of the Sixers’ main focal points. The bigger question with this team is not about who comes first, second, third or fourth. It is about what every star should be willing to sacrifice.
History has shown that superteams have succeeded only when their best players embraced smaller roles for the benefit of the group.
Someone has to defend the opposing team’s best perimeter scorer.
Someone has to make the extra pass.
Someone has to accept fewer shot attempts on certain nights.
Brown’s scoring numbers will certainly fall compared to last season.
That is simply the reality of sharing the floor with LeBron, Embiid and Maxey. But those reduced stats don’t necessarily mean he’ll have a smaller impact. If anything, Brown’s two-way ability could make him the player the Sixers demand the most from.
He has shown that he can score efficiently without taking over possessions, and he also provides high-level perimeter defense. That flexibility could actually become one of the Sixers’ greatest strengths.
But at the same time, there are some concerns. The Sixers still lack proven depth outside their four stars, and injuries could quickly expose the roster.
Chemistry also won’t develop overnight, and adding four players who are used to carrying the offense on a daily basis might be a very tough challenge for Nick Nurse and his coaching staff.
Everything will require communication, trust, and sacrifice. But these adjustments won’t happen immediately.
That is why we can’t dismiss Simmons’ concern entirely.
Brown might not have the same offensive role he had in Boston, and his box-score numbers will definitely take a noticeable hit. But saying that he’s the fourth option on the roster might simply be oversimplifying the situation.
Ultimately, the Sixers aren’t asking Brown to replicate his numbers from Boston. They are asking him to help deliver a championship.
That means he has to sacrifice his stats, touches and individual honors. And it all might come down to Brown’s willingness to embrace that role. If he does, that could prove far more valuable whether he’s viewed as the first option or the fourth.
