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1 Celtics player who will shock the world in 2022-23 NBA season

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The Boston Celtics are returning stronger than ever for the 2022-23 NBA season. Outside of some early injury woes, the front office added enough depth to the lineup to make up for Boston’s shortcomings last year.

With only two games separating the Celtics from an elusive 18th championship, they simply ran out of steam against the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals. The experience and shooting ability of the Dubs proved to be too much for the windy Cs, yet this offseason Jayson Tatum got plenty of rest.

Along with a supporting cast that features Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart, newly-signed Malcolm Brogdon, All-Defensive Second Teamer Robert Williams III, and more, Boston is ready to run it back. Its starters have remained healthy and there were more additions this offseason than subtractions.

So who will push the Celtics over the hump and get them back to the Finals? Tatum and company should undoubtedly be motivated enough to do so, but there might be someone on the team who this season means even more to.

After an offseason of trade rumors and unrest, Jaylen Brown will have every reason to shock the world this 2022-23 NBA season.

Celtics player who could shock the world next season: Jaylen Brown

Brown is a top player in the NBA whose ability and game should be surprising to most. Yet, he often doesn’t get the star treatment from fans, experts, and even his own team.

For most of the offseason, there were talks swirling about Brown getting packaged in a trade for Kevin Durant. This isn’t the first time Brown’s name has been mentioned in trade talks, so it makes sense that he voiced some of his annoyance publicly on Twitter.

He even feels dismissed by the people who should always try and have his back: Celtics fans. In the midst of trade rumors, Brown made his concerns clear when he liked this Tweet:

The Celtics aside, Brown has also received disrespect from the greater basketball community. In the brand new NBA 2K23 game, player ratings were announced and some interesting decisions were made by the development team. Brown’s overall rating comes in at 87, which isn’t too bad except for the fact that Zach LaVine, LaMelo Ball, Zion Williamson, and other players who have never sniffed the NBA Finals are above him.

This year is Brown’s opportunity to channel all that disrespect into his best season yet. He can elevate his game to the point where he’s not a borderline All-Star, but a guaranteed one who can finish top-ten in MVP voting.

The 25-year-old arguably had his best season two years ago, however, he has not reached his prime. The young guard can shoot, defend, and score at will frequently. While he’s more of an iso-guy than someone who creates plays, last year he had the most assists per game (3.5) of his career.

His progression from a rookie who was booed during the NBA Draft to a great two-way player has been a sight to behold. Plus, his athleticism and ability to jump with the best of them make him a true all-around threat.

But what’s new with Jaylen Brown this year? In addition to the motivation of trade rumors, Brown has been improving himself with extreme training.

Just last month, Brown was swimming with weights, doing backflips, and performing intense squat jumps deep underwater.

This pool workout is just a small example of what Brown is willing to do to improve. Ideally, if he stays healthy and hits his three-point shot consistently, there’s no reason why Brown shouldn’t be an All-Star starter in 2022.

While the debate of whether or not he can coexist with Tatum lingered last year, the duo proved they can get it done. So with that question mark out of the way and the offseason coming to a close, Brown can finally ignore the noise and hone in on his game.

If he is able to reach his full potential during the 2022-23 NBA season, don’t be shocked if Brown reaches All-NBA status and helps the C’s capture Banner 18.

Dwight Howard