BOSTON — With the Celtics boasting the NBA’s best record while employing multiple talented players, the All-Star discussion has begun in Boston. Four of the five members of the starting lineup have made an All-Star game in their careers, and the final member is Derrick White, who’s having a career-best year.
But there are only so many spots from the East — 12, to be exact — so getting all the Celtics will be difficult. Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Jrue Holiday were All-Stars last season, while Kristaps Porzingis got his nod back in 2018. The C’s themselves are going to push for their entire starting lineup to make it.
Tatum will likely be the Celtics’ lock even if his counting stats are down compared to past seasons. But he’s the face of the franchise. Brown’s numbers are also down, but the coaches, who vote on the reserves, could factor in the team’s success along with his stellar defensive play thus far this season.
BET ANYTHINGGET $250 BONUSESPN BET
21+ and present in MA, NJ, PA, VA, MD, WV, TN, LA, KS, KY, CO, AZ, IL, IA, IN, OH, MI. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-Gambler.
The first fan voting for the All-Star game came out the other day. The Celtics’ entire starting lineup were in the top-10 for their respective positions. Tatum was the highest at third among the frontcourt with 1,765,919 votes, trailing only the Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo and the 76ers’ Joel Embiid. Brown was fifth in the frontcourt with 426,589 votes. Porzingis came in at eighth in the frontcourt with 197,234 votes. Over at the guards, Derrick White was eighth (175,940 votes) and Jrue Holiday was 10th (145,144).
Regardless, it’ll be interesting to see how many members of the Celtics makes it to the All-Star game. Boston’s best players gave their best pitches for their teammates, talking about why certain plays should earn the honor. Here’s what they said after the Celtics blew out the Jazz on Friday:
Tatum on Porzingis’ All-Star case: “He’s a big part of the success that we’re having as a team. Best record in the league. I don’t know exactly but he’s probably averaging over 20 and 8 rebounds, something like that. His presence on both ends of the floor and just how efficient he’s been the entire season. He’s a big reason why we got the best record in the league, and he should be rewarded for that.”
Porzingis on Holiday’s case: “Oh, because we’re number one, number one team in the league and he’s a previous All-Star player. I think you can get like overshadowed by guys putting up numbers. But at the end, if you’re winning, I think a lot of the things that he’s doing that is contributing to winning in a big way can go under the radar a little bit. That’s what’s happening and I think as I’ve said before, if we keep winning, the personal accolades will come.”
C’s coach Joe Mazzulla on All-Star candidacies: “I trust our guys. I trust the character and I’m sure they’re talking about it, I’m sure there’s some level of importance to it, I don’t want to diminish how important the individual is to the team and the opportunity that they have and the legacy that making an All-Star brings and so we shouldn’t diminish that. I’m assuming they’re talking about it, I’m assuming they want to do it because it is important. Individual accolades are important and it takes good individuals to be part of a team, and I think all five of them are deserving to be an All-Star, so they should try that, they should talk about it, they should relish that, they should go after it but we should do it in a way that highlights everyone and a way that continues to make the team successful.”
- Highly anticipated sportsbooks like BetMGM Massachusetts, along with Caesars Sportsbook Massachusetts have been live since Spring of 2023. New players can use promo codes like the FanDuel Massachusetts promo code and the DraftKings Massachusetts promo.
