The Boston Celtics have two players who deserve consideration for the NBA’s All-bubble team.
The NBA is honoring the top performers in the eight-game regular-season restart once the seeding slate has concluded. Two members of the Boston Celtics deserve recognition when it comes to voting for the first (and potentially last) All-bubble team: Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
Tatum is playing at a superstar level since his reopening night dud against the Milwaukee Bucks. He has been as good as his February was–where he earned Eastern Conference player of the month.
Brown, on the other hand, is pacing at his regular-season averages of 20 points per game and 6.5 rebounds per game. Given he was snubbed as an All-Star in the regular season and has nowhere near the same media hype around him as even his superstar teammate does, the fourth-year guard figures to fly under the radar again.
Several players stand out as obvious selections for the All-bubble squad. Devin Booker has resurrected the playoff hopes of the Phoenix Suns, occupying the role of the driving force of their 7-0 bubble start. Damian Lillard has likewise elevated the Portland Trailblazers on the strength of multiple 50-point performances, and they now sit in the #8th seed.
Besides that duo and James Harden, there aren’t any obvious members deserving of a first-team nod for the bubble than Tatum. Given their 5-2 record so far, and the likelihood the C’s starters have played their final regular-season games before the playoffs after clinching the #3 seed, there likely won’t be a chance for either Tatum or Brown to make any more impact on the voting.
At the very least they should be considered, though.