Jayson Tatum was officially chosen an All-Star starter for the fourth year in a row last week, but it was more of a formality than anything else. The former Blue Ԁevil from Duke finished third in league voting, behind Giannis Antetokounmpo and LeBron James, in his fifth stint playing in the NBA’s premier preseason tournament.

Next, in a 143-110 drubbing of the Miami Heat, Tatum guided the Boston Celtics to one of their best performances of the season.

I never get used to it; I never want to take it for granted,” he said after a 26-point, 8-rebound, 4-assist performance. My childhood fantasy came true. As a kid, I would watch All-Star Weekend and fantasize of making it onto the field. Therefore, being selected as a starter for the sixth consecutive year in the game can feel surreal at times.

Just like clockwork, Jaylen Brown will be in Indianapolis, Indiana, for this year’s All-Star Game with Tatum on Thursday.

On a per-game basis, the three-time All-Star is putting up impressive numbers: 22.6 points, 5.4 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.1 steals.

Derrick White and Kristaps Porzingis will currently have to be patient.

With Joel Embiid and Julius Randle out with injuries, the former is a strong contender to take their place as the Celtics’ center and the other half of Cookies and Cream, a moniker given to Brown by Boston’s bench boss Joe Mazzulla. Brown is seven feet three inches tall.

On a game-by-game basis, Porzingis clocks in 19.4 points, 6.9 rebounds, 2 assists, and nearly 2 blocks. The most exciting squad that Boston has fielded since Tatum and Brown were in the NBA thanks to his versatility on both ends of the floor and his knack for punishing switches.

Although White is again displaying All-Star-level play, he is not as likely to start in the frontcourt alongside Randle and Embiid. With a per-game production of 15.8 points, 4.7 assists, 4.0 rebounds, 1.2 blocks, and 1.0 steals, the former Colorado Buffalo is quite efficient.