At Media Day, Jaylen Brown infamously said, “On a night when we’re playing – I don’t mean to disrespect them, but the Detroit Pistons, who have struggled the last year or two – we’re going to play Payton (Pritchard) play, let him go” for 30. Play through Sam (Hauser) and let him shoot 10 threes tonight. We will still win the game.”

Well, these Detroit Pistons were in town Wednesday night. Hauser started and shot 5 of 10 from behind the arc. Pritchard came off the bench for 19. But without Jayson Tatum and Jrue Holiday, it was Brown who nearly posted a triple-double with 28 points, six rebounds and nine assists in a 130-120 win at TD Garden.

After a Finals MVP run, the 28-year-old entered the 2024-2025 season with a slight offensive lull. He’s at the lowest point of his career as he battles a hip injury that has bothered him since the start of the year, but he’s become more of a playmaker and is averaging more assists (4.6) than ever before. His nine helpers against the Pistons were just two shy of his career high.

“It was fun to see him grow past his final tears as he read. When you watch him, you see how he can process the game in real time, how he recognizes the adjustments made to him, how he recognizes the match, how he recognizes the space,” head coach Joe Mazzulla said after the game.

Brown isn’t a traditional playmaker who can dazzle with his dribbling – although that’s demonstrably a huge improvement over the summer – or not stand out and pass cross-field. Instead, it’s a heat-seeking missile looking for a target. He’s strong enough and fast enough to land anywhere on the field, and once he gets from A to B, he immediately starts scanning the defense.

“I think he’s gotten better at getting what you want and dictating the defense.” He plays at a pace where he can get the spacing he wants. He knows what shot he wants,” Mazzulla continued. “He works at it every day and it’s fun to watch him continue to grow in the game, understand it in real time and get better at it.”

Even though Royal Ivey is an athlete, he can’t stop Brown from going downhill. And this is where Brown absolutely upped his game. He realizes he has caught the attention of all five Detroit defenders. The easiest pass would be Kristaps Porzingis in the middle of the court. Instead, as soon as he sees Tobias Harris turn his head, Brown kicks him to Al Horford in the corner and a higher odds of 3.

“First, the experience with the best teacher and second, the maturation of the game,” Brown said of his development as an offensive center. “Early in my career, I could agree with a lot of things people could say. I feel like if I was put in that position I could show that it’s just different. I’m 28. I had a great season last year. I take pride in making those plays over and over again, but on our team it’s all our team needs.”

Brown prides himself on giving the game what his team needs. His dominance against Dallas wasn’t just based on his scoring ability. He took over the lion’s share of the defending Luka Doncic and averaged five assists per game in the Finals en route to MVP.

“He does a good job of trying to understand the team, who needs the contact, who needs to get it going. He’s good at that. If he needs to take on more responsibility, attack and create more, he will do it for us. We already know what he gives us defensively, his physicality,” Porzingis said after Brown found him on another Cookies & Cream alley-oop. “If he’s that committed, I think he’s one of the best players in the league. What we love about him is that he makes the right play and gives the team what they need at that moment.”

Brown said he is still trying to find a balance between finding shooters and getting compelling looks. At the end of the first quarter, he collapsed the defense again when he landed and landed with both feet in the paint. Finding Horford or Derrick White in the corners would have been the right rim read. Another option would have been to let Luke Kornet have the ball in the dunker spot.

Instead, Brown hit Isaiah Stewart with a two-handed dunk. After the game, Mazzulla said expressionlessly that that was the correct interpretation. Brown gestured toward a throat slit as The Garden’s faithful exploded. “I just caught up with the moment, I guess,” he said, awaiting a call from the league.

JB, we’ll pay the fine.