The last time the Boston Celtics did not have a starter in the NBA All-Star Game was in 2017 when Isaiah Thomas was the franchise's only representative. Based on the first release of fan voting results, it looks like the trend of at least one starter is going to continue.
Jayson Tatum, who finished third in fan voting within the Eastern Conference's backcourt with over 5,000,000 votes last season is in that same position. The defending All-Star Game MVP is behind only Joel Embiid, and Giannis Antetokounmpo in frontcourt votes. If the voting ended today, Tatum would be one of the East's three frontcourt starters. It would mark his fourth straight year in which he had been selected as one of the 10 starters. Tatum should be set to join Sam Jones and Kevin Garnett as the three Celtics players with five All-Star Game nods.
The other Jay, Jaylen Brown is sandwiched between two Miami Heat players, Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo in fifth place. The former No. 3 overall pick who is averaging 22.7 points per game to go along with 5.1 rebounds and 3.6 assists has his eyes on a third All-Star Game selection. That would drawn him even with Nate Archibald, and Antoine Walker in Celtics history.
Jayson Tatum should be lock to represent East from opening tip while other Boston Celtics starters hope to be reserves
Boston's last frontcourt player in Joe Mazzulla's starting five, Kristaps Porzingis is in that same boat as Brown, just hoping for a reserve spot. The Latvian big man, who has been shredding ball clubs in the post lately makes up eighth, ahead of Washington's Kyle Kuzma. Despite being selected to a game before, the ex-Knick has never experienced the weekend, tearing his ACL less than two weeks before the 2018 All-Star Game.
Derrick White and Jrue Holiday make up part of the back end of the top-10 guard vote-getters in the East. White, one of only two players who contribute 30 plus minutes per game with a net rating over 14.5 in the NBA sits in eighth, while Holiday, an All-Star last year slots in at tenth.
Jrue Holiday crashes @tvabby’s walkoff to keep the Derrick White All-Star chants going. pic.twitter.com/Jx2VLt9Q4N
— Chris Forsberg (@ChrisForsberg_) January 1, 2024
According to Brad Stevens during his media availability, he is "not making an extra push for All-Star votes." Some have claimed he would need to get a third All-Star (like White) to the mid-February classic. Celtics writer John Karalis in a tweet today stated that Stevens believed that getting calls from other teams when it came to votes felt "a little desperate" in his eyes.
Fans account for 50% of the vote to decide All-Star starters. The other 50% is made up of the NBA players and a media panel. In terms of the reserves, the 30 NBA coaches select 14 reserves (two guards, three frontcourt players, two wild cards from each conference).
Keep those votes rolling in for all five of the Boston Celtics players in contention. Voting for fans closes at 11:59 p.m. EST on January 20.