Jaylen Brown Really Wants To Earn His First All-Star Nod
BOSTON (CBS) -- Jaylen Brown is hoping for some good news come Thursday night, though he'll likely have to wait a week to learn his All-Star fate. Brown has certainly made his case to be a starter in next month's exhibition, but chances are he'll be settling for a reserve role.
Either way, Brown is expected to earn the first All-Star nod of his career. Fan voting closed Tuesday night, with starters set to be announced Thursday evening. If Brown doesn't hear his named called with that group, he'll most certainly earn a spot when NBA head coaches select reserves.
Brown has been Boston's most consistent player this season, averaging a career-best 26 points off 51.4 percent shooting to go with 5.6 rebounds and 3.4 rebounds per game. He's been Boston's leading scorer 12 times this year, including a pair of 42-point games to set his new career-high.
Brown should have been part of the All-Star festivities last year, but was one of the most glaring snubs for the exhibition game. There will be no snub this time around, and with the game taking place in his hometown of Atlanta, earning a spot on the squad will have some extra meaning for the fifth-year swingman.
"It would mean a lot, especially being in Atlanta," Brown said in his post-game interview with NBC Sports Boston's Chris Forsberg after scoring 27 points in Boston's win over the Nuggets on Tuesday. "I just got to come out and be my best every single day. That's it. I just love to play the game. So we'll see what happens."
Brown was still in fourth-place in fan voting in last week's second returns, so chances are he'll have to wait until reserves are announced on Feb. 23 to officially become a first-time All-Star. He shouldn't be alone when he heads to Atlanta, either, as Jayson Tatum appears set to make his second straight All-Star team. He too will likely be named a reserve next week.
The 2021 NBA All-Star game is scheduled for Sunday, March 7.