4 reasons why Jaylen Brown wasn’t ‘snubbed’ from the 2022 NBA All-Star Game

Celtics

Feb 4

The 2022 NBA All-Star Reserves were just announced on Thursday night. Jayson Tatum will be going to his third All-Star game since getting drafted in 2017. As for Jaylen Brown - he wasn’t selected.

While some diehard Boston Celtics fans might view this as a ‘snub,’ most NBA fans don’t see it that way. Here are 4 reasons why Brown wasn’t selected, despite making an appearance last year.

1. Celtics’ underwhelming season

Winning has always played a large factor when choosing All-Stars. And to keep it plain and simple - the Celtics’ season has been underwhelming thus far. It’s also worth mentioning that fans did not choose the reserves - the league’s head coaches did. When it comes to voting, that adds a new factor when looking at All-Star selections. The Celtics sit right outside the playoff picture (but in the play-in) right now at only one game above .500. And for a player who’s played in multiple conference finals, that’s just not going to cut it.

2. The East has gotten better

This year, the Eastern Conference has been thriving. DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine have the Bulls relevant again. Kevin Durant and James Harden are superstars and automatic picks. Trae Young is averaging 27.7 points and 9.3 assists a night. Darius Garland has put the NBA on notice in Cleveland. And don’t forget about Charlotte and the reigning Rookie of the Year in LaMelo Ball (who also did not make the team).

Long story short, the East has loads of talent. Although Brown’s 24.2 points a night certainly puts him in the conversation, it’s just not enough this year.

3. Missed time

Brown has missed 15 games so far this season. Although this isn’t an eye-popping number, it plays a factor when comparing him to the other selections. This season, he’s been facing knee and hamstring injuries, along with health protocols forcing him to be sidelined.

4. Popularity contest

In 2016, Zaza Pachulia was very close to being in the All-Star Game thanks to fan voting. The embarrassment the NBA almost faced forced them to change the rules. That’s just one example showing that the All-Star Game is a popularity contest.

But that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Nobody can deny that Brown is an All-Star caliber player, but when was the last time he caught a poster? Or the last time he made ESPN’s top 10 plays? That’s what fans want to see in the All-Star Game - alley-oops, dunks, long threes, and fancy handles. Not good defense and mid-range shots.

So, unless a player is a known name like Tatum or averaging 30 points a night, they probably aren’t getting picked.

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