The Celtics’ decision to trade Jaylen Brown over the summer for Paul George thrust Jayson Tatum into the spotlight in a way he had yet to experience in his NBA career.

Tatum, as the more talented scorer and passer of the two, was always Boston’s No. 1 option when sharing the court with Brown. But his fellow star wing was always there to demand attention from opposing defenses, to pick up the offense when Tatum was having an off night and—crucially—be another player who could be relied upon to get a bucket when the team needed it most. In the more intangible realm, Brown was a more vocal leader than his counterpart and was often credited with setting the tone for the roster in big games over the last few years.

With Brown out of town, Tatum is taking on familiar responsibilities that have been his to shoulder since establishing himself as the face of the organization. But this season he must do so to a greater degree than ever due to his former co-star’s absence. How exactly that would shake out was unknown, especially entering his first full season post-Achilles injury. Tatum would surely still be good, and probably great.

But would parts of the superstar wing’s game suffer for the larger role he had to step into? Would an adjustment period be required as Tatum becomes the sole focus of the opponent’s defensive gameplan, rather than most of it? Would Boston look worse under his “lead by example” style compared to Brown’s louder tendencies?

All of those worries turned out to be unfounded. Tatum is thriving even without Brown—and there’s plenty of proof from the first six games of the 5–1 Celtics’ season.

Tatum is thriving as Boston’s undisputed No. 1 option

Tatum has taken full ownership of being the Celtics’ undisputed No. 1 option, and the start of his 10th NBA season has been outstanding.

The superstar is still capable of putting up points in bunches, averaging 28.3 points per night despite an ice-cold start from deep (a career 36.7% shooter from three, Tatum is hitting only 24.4% of his shots from beyond the arc through six games). It’s not the result of significantly more shot opportunities without Brown, either—Tatum’s 20.8 shots per game are a very slight increase from his last fully healthy season, which saw him take 20.3 shots per game.

The difference instead is a much bigger focus on driving to the rim with the lanes opened up by swapping Brown’s subpar three-point shooting for Paul George’s historically excellent touch. Tatum is making 7.3 two-point shots per game thus far; his previous career-high is 6.6. As a result he’s also getting to the line at a much higher rate than we’ve ever seen. Tatum’s 10.2 free throw attempts per game is tied for the NBA’s highest average with noted foul-baiter Luka Dončić.

The biggest sign he’s using his new role to level up? The assist numbers. Tatum’s passing has come along significantly in recent years and he showed off notably better court vision upon returning from the sideline last season. As the fulcrum of Boston’s offense, his numbers are reflecting that. The star wing is dishing out 7.7 dimes per game on the strength of a career-high usage rating. His scoring talent has always meant Tatum is a shoot-first player but he’s leveraging that to create opportunities for teammates more than ever, seamlessly adjusting to the lack of Brown on the court in the process. He’s not just hitting the open man—he’s throwing them open like fellow Boston star Drake Maye. It’s not a trait unique to Tatum necessarily but it’s one we haven’t seen much of from him over the years.

What a dime from Jayson Tatum to a cutting Paul George pic.twitter.com/z4bH27Kc2F

— Danielle H. (@DanielleHobeika) November 1, 2026

Such well-rounded stats require complete ownership of one’s role. Tatum is showing as much. He knows exactly what he has to do, how everything revolves around him and the best way to take advantage of that reality. Boston’s offense ranks fifth in net rating and eighth in points per game as a result.

The star wing is stepping up in the most important ways, too

Beyond the stat sheet, Tatum is leaning hard into the life of a true No. 1 in every way possible.

He’s had a really good start to the year defensively. Boston as a whole has been one of the NBA’s top units on that end; they rank fourth in turnovers forced per game and own the sixth-best net rating in the league. Despite the offensive load he has to shoulder every trip down the court, Tatum hasn’t slacked off at all on that end.

Just incredible defense from Tatum here pic.twitter.com/gETcgX43Ah

— Nik Land | NikNBA🏀 (@NIKNBAYT) November 1, 2026

“To me, where our team’s psychology really was strengthened was in the first half,” Joe Mazzulla said after Sunday’s win over the Magic. “He had a pick-and-roll defense in front of Orlando’s bench that he executed our defensive system to a ’T.’ To me, that’s more important than anything else because it sets the tone, and when he’s willing to do it, it makes it a standard.”

The best No. 1 options lead their teams in every area. Despite losing his running mate who often took on the toughest defensive assignment every night, Tatum isn’t allowing himself or his team to take a step back so far.

The other mark of an NBA alpha? Dominating in crunch time. Tatum is doing that, too. He’s long had a penchant for timely shots but never had to take them without Brown out there. It turns out that doesn’t bother him at all. In 15.4 “clutch” minutes so far, Tatum is tied for first in points and is shooting 61.4%. He’s got one game-winner in his pocket already and went on an absurd heater to seal the C’s first win over the Knicks at TD Garden in the second game of the year.

JAYSON TATUM GAME-WINNER 🚨

TATUM CALLS GAME VS. NETS. OMGGGG 🤯 pic.twitter.com/7OrT7gAGke

— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) October 28, 2026

This area of the game doesn’t have much to do with who’s on the court with you. It’s about determination, shot-making prowess and an utter refusal to back down when the lights get bright. It isn’t new to see Tatum exemplify those qualities—but it wasn’t unfair to think it might be harder to deliver without Brown in tow.

It turns out Tatum was more than ready for this new stage of his career. It’s a long season, and how things go in the playoff gauntlet without Brown remains to be seen. But for now, Tatum is balling out as the only true superstar in the Celtics’ solar system.

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