After an MVP-caliber starts to the season, Jayson Tatum is climbing the All-Star ladder and now sits third among Eastern Conference frontcourt players with 3.28 million votes at the end of the second round of voting.
“I got my work cut out for me, behind KD, Embiid, and Giannis. But I think, regardless, all four of us will be at Utah,” Tatum said when asked about his chances of making his fourth consecutive All-Star appearance following Boston’s victory over the Dallas Mavericks on January 5.
Tatum has risen above Joel Embiid in the latest voting but still sits behind Kevin Durant and Giannis Antetokounmpo; however, all four players are having amazing seasons and are deserving of All-Star recognition.
Still, Tatum’s performances over the Celtics‘ first 42 games have been nothing short of outstanding, with the St. Louis native averaging 30.8 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 4.2 assists on 47.1/35.1/85.8 shooting.
Jaylen Brown is also still in the running to make the Eastern Conference All-Star selection, sitting fourth out of all guards behind Kyrie Irving, Donovan Mitchell, and James Harden as he bids to make the second All-Star appearance of his career.
Both Tatum and Brown were ranked fourth in their respective positions following the first round of fan voting, as they continue to gain the recognition they deserve for a stellar start to the season, along with helping the Celtics to the best record in the NBA with 30 wins and 12 losses.
The Celtics will be looking to add to their win column and further enhance Tatum and Brown’s chances of making the trip to Utah when they face off against the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday, January 12, in what will undoubtedly be a closely-contest game following Brooklyn’s resurgence under new head coach Jacques Vaughn.
