Brad Stevens tells Celtics why it's more important to play like an All-Star than to be one

Share

The NBA All-Star Game is on the horizon, and it's apparent that some players leading the voting don't deserve to. Case and point, Boston Celtics fan-favorite Tacko Fall is sixth in the Eastern Conference in frontcourt votes. But his teammates aren't getting the love they deserve.

Among guards in the Eastern Conference, Kemba Walker is third in votes while Jaylen Brown is in seventh. And in the frontcourt, Jayson Tatum is in fifth place with Gordon Hayward in eighth. 

Although they may not be leading the way in voting, Boston Celtics head coach Brad Stevens stressed the importance of his players playing at a high level every game, not just in lieu of the All-Star Game voting. 

LIVE stream the Celtics all season and get the latest news and analysis on all of your teams from NBC Sports Boston by downloading the My Teams App.

“There’s always more deserving guys,” Stevens said Monday. “My message to all of our guys is it’s a lot more important to be playing like an All-Star than to be named one. That’s the bottom line. Anything subjective is what it is, you know? So just do your best.”

The All-Star Game in every sport is just a bunch of hoopla, so it's important for the Celtics to think about what Stevens said ahead of Monday's matchup with the Chicago Bulls at TD Garden.

Even if Boston players don't receive a majority of the votes, they should be focusing on what really matters -- the remainder of the season and gearing up for the playoffs in the coming months. 

Don't miss NBC Sports Boston's coverage of Pistons-Celtics, which tips off Wednesday at 6 p.m. with Celtics Pregame Live, and then Mike and Tommy have the call at 7 p.m. You can also stream the game on the MyTeams App.

Contact Us