Boston Celtics All-Stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown fit in among their illustrious peers.
Brown and Tatum received some decent-to-good grades for their respective performances at the 2021 NBA All-Star Game and 3-Point Contest from ESPN's Kevin Pelton. Tatum and Brown both played well during the All-Star Game, but the former fared much better than the latter in the 3-Point Contest.
Brown's dead-eye shooting and contribution to the highlight reel earned his All-Star game performance an A-.
"In his All-Star debut, Brown showed he belonged on the NBA's biggest individual stage, scoring 22 points on 8-of-12 shooting, including five 3-pointers (on seven attempts)," Pelton wrote. "Most crucial was a 4-point play during the fourth quarter when he knocked down a 3 while getting pushed out of bounds by defender Zach LaVine. Getting in the All-Star spirit, Brown also completed an alley-oop to himself off the glass."
Brown's strong showing in the All-Star Game to make up for his dreadful shooting in the 3-Point Contest, which Pelton graded as a C-.
"Making his first appearance in the 3-point contest, Brown didn't quite look ready, getting a late start to the round," Pelton wrote. " ... Brown didn't seem to settle in until making four of his five shots on the final rack. That came too late for him to benefit from his money ball rack, on which Brown made only one of five attempts. He finished last among the six competitors with a score of 17."
Tatum demonstrated his vast skillset in his second NBA All-Star Game, netting an A- for his efforts.
"The active Tatum showed his improvement as a playmaker by handing out seven assists to go along with his 21 points," Pelton wrote. "Taking defense seriously at times, Tatum also finished with a game-high four steals, including one when he denied a backdoor cut early in the game."
Pelton issued Tatum a B grade for his mixed performance in the 3-Point Contest.
"Tatum displayed impressive shot-making in the opening round, when his score of 25 easily got him to the finals," Pelton wrote. " ... However, Tatum couldn't keep it up in the final round, starting out by going 0-for-5 on the first rack and making just one of five shots on his money ball rack. Tatum's score of 17 tied Brown for the lowest by any competitor."
Following Sunday night's events, Brown thanked his supporters in a thoughtful Instagram post. Tatum's son Deuce joined his father on the floor, indicating the Celtics star's desire to share a special moment with his family.
Tatum and Brown finished the night with good grades, and those who love, support and follow the Celtics All-Stars should be proud of them.
