Tatum, Brown both 4th in All-Star voting

The NBA has just released the first returns of All-Star fan voting, with both Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown sitting fourth in their respective positional standings.

Tatum is currently above Miami Heat duo Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo - who have both missed some time to injury this year, while also sitting five spots higher than former Celtic Gordon Hayward.

Meanwhile, Jaylen Brown finds himself ahead of Zach LaVine, Trae Young and Collin Sexton, who have all had good starts to the season. Brown, however, has been on a different level, shouldering the offensive load for his team with flashes of brilliance in both the mid-range and transition.

All-Star voting opened on January 28th and will continue until February 16th, meaning both of the Celtics young stars have more than enough time to continue rising up the rankings in the coming weeks.

Fan voting accounts for 50% of the final vote, with 25% coming from the media, and the final 25% is comprised of player votes. Once all votes have been counted, three frontcourt players and two guards will be announced as All-Star starters, with each players votes being weighted between the voting groups.

Should both players earn their respective selections, this would be Tatum’s second All-Star appearance, while a debut in his hometown would await the much-improved Jaylen Brown.

Tatum, who missed five games due to COVID-19 protocols, is currently averaging 26.8 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game - career highs in each primary category. Brown, has been an ever-present in the Celtics rotation so far this season, and has been averaging 26.4 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per contest.

There’s still 12 more days of fan voting to go, with no limit on how many times you can cast your vote. You can submit your All-Star selections here.