He put up 33–9–4 with 3 blocks and 3 turnovers in 40 minutes and passed the eye test. Defensively, he took on a wide range of assignments—VJ, PG, even Embiid in Q4—and held up reasonably well. His 55% TS (33 points on 30 true shot attempts) isn’t great, but it’s still comfortably above the team average. You could argue he was the Celtics’ best player on the night—on par with Maxey and Embiid—, did everything he could; the loss isn’t on him.
Despite that, he finished with a team-worst –16. The Celtics were +7 in the 8 minutes he sat. Sharing most of his minutes with Embiid didn’t help, but that’s not the whole story. Season-long patterns showed up again: I counted six easy Philly baskets stemming from his off-ball defense—missed help, overhelping, or lack of communication. Offensively, despite the counting stats and four assists, the team didn’t function especially well when he was initiating drives. With him off the floor, the defense tightened, and the offense played faster with more movement, actions, and passing.
In conclusion, Brown is a very good player—clearly All-Star level, likely All-NBA. But the season-long on/off numbers don’t look like a fluke, not even in the playoffs where his scoring profile should, in theory, add more value. That points to a fit issue. Given that the system and roster otherwise look among the best in the league, it’s fairly clear which side is easier to adjust. I’d at least explore the market quietly, see what the return looks like while his value is high (he was in the MVP discussion, after all)—and be prepared to think seriously about it if the right offer emerges.