Getty How many players will the Boston Celtics send to the 2024 NBA All-Star Game?
The Boston Celtics have won their last six games and own the best record in the NBA at 26-6. After a frustrating ending to the 2022-2023 season, Brad Stevens went to work in the offseason by shaking up the team and breaking some Boston hearts by trading away veteran guard Marcus Smart.
In two separate deals, Stevens brought back center Kristaps Porzingis and guard Jrue Holiday, giving the Celtics the most potent starting lineup in the NBA. While Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are likely to make a return trip to the All-star Game in February, how many other Celtics players will join them?
Could the Boston Celtics Have 5 All-Stars?
It might be a stretch to say the Celtics could have five players in the 2024 NBA All-Star Game. Or is it?
Tatum has already made four All-Star appearances, and a fifth is a given this year. He’s averaging 26.9 points and 8.4 rebounds for the best team in the league. His numbers are down from a year ago, but that’s because their upgraded roster no longer means Tatum has to be the do-it-all guy.
Jaylen Brown seeks his second straight trip to the All-Star Game and third overall. He’s putting up 23.0 points and 5.1 rebounds and is almost assured of taking part in All-Star Game festivities this season.
Porzingis is coming off what many believe is the best season of his career. A year ago, he averaged 23.2 points and 8.4 rebounds for a Washington Wizards team that nobody paid attention to.
Like Tatum and Brown, Porzingis’ numbers have dipped slightly. This season, KP is putting up 20.0 points and 7.2 rebounds. He’s been just what the Celtics needed in the paint. At 7-foot-3, he’s a strong rim protector defensively. On offense, he’s a matchup nightmare with his post moves and strong 3-point shooting.
Derrick White is hearing plenty of All-Star chatter. White moved into Smart’s role as the team’s starting point guard and has arguably become the team’s MVP.
Holiday is everything the Celtics thought he was when they traded Robert Williams III and Malcolm Brogdon in a package for him in the offseason. An outstanding defender, Holiday is the epitome of unselfishness. A five time All-Defensive player, Holiday can light it up offensively when needed. On a team full of star power, he’s still averaging 13.1 points and 6.6 rebounds.
The Celtics Should Have 4 All-Stars
The Derrick White All-Star agenda is THRIVING…
Tatum and Brown are a given, but White and Porzingis should also find their way into the 2024 NBA All-Star Game.
White has gone from great role player to legitimate star with the Celtics. Averaging a career-best 17.0 points and 3.9 rebounds, White has been a tremendous two-way player for the Celtics. He does all the little things that help build a championship team.
“More and more people are talking about it now, but I think he’s still very underrated,” Porzingis said, per NBC Sports Boston. “He’s already put up some great stats, and his numbers are really good. But if you don’t watch the game, what you don’t see is all the steals, something like when he recovers on defense when he’s super late, and somehow he gets a steal.”
If Porzingis isn’t the second-best center in the Eastern Conference behind Joel Embiid, he’s third. Miami’s Bam Adebayo is having another strong season with slightly better numbers, but Porzingis isn’t called upon to do as much playing with four potential All-Stars. The biggest question regarding Porzingis is his health. He’s missed nine of Boston’s 32 games.
A case can certainly be made for Holiday, but he’s likely the lone Celtics starter who won’t hear his name called when the All-Stars are announced.