Derrick White's All-Star case gets Jayson Tatum's nod after 28-points performance against Kings

Jayson Tatum has co-signed Derrick White's case for an All-Star nomination. Currently, the veteran guard is in the midst of a career year that has seen him post several notable career highs. In addition to a career-high 16.5 points, 5.1 assists, and 1.2 steals per game, he's also averaging a career-high 42.9% from beyond the arc.

On Wednesday, Derrick White went off, recording 28 points, seven assists, and three blocks while going 10-13 from the field. His performance helped give the Celtics a big lift against the Sacramento Kings, with the team winning the game 144-119.

After the game, Jayson Tatum took to Instagram, where he reposted Derrick White's stat line from the evening on his Instagram Story. Along with the photo, he simply wrote:

"All star"

@JaysonTatum - Instagram

The Boston Celtics were notably without Jayson Tatum, with the longtime star missing his first game of the season on Wednesday. According to the Celtics pre-game injury report, Tatum was ruled out due to a left ankle sprain.

The injury occurred early in the Celtics' Tuesday clash with the Golden State Warriors, with Tatum hobbling back to the locker room. Despite returning to the floor, Joe Mazzulla spoke with media members on Wednesday, indicating that the team would take Tatum's injury day by day.

Looking ahead at the remainder of the season for Derrick White & the Boston Celtics amid Jayson Tatum's injury

Heading into this season, the Boston Celtics emerged as potential favorites to win the NBA Finals, given their two major offseason acquisitions. In addition to landing versatile big man Kristaps Porzingis, the team also acquired defensive specialist Jrue Holiday.

Although the team faced criticism for parting ways with longtime veteran and locker room leader Marcus Smart, they've been thriving this season. After Derrick White fueled the team to victory in Wednesday's win over the Kings, the team sits atop the Eastern Conference.

When looking at the detailed analytics on NBA.com, the team notably ranks in the top five for both defensive and offensive efficiency. Thanks to their stellar play, the team sits as favorites to win the NBA Finals on FanDuel at +370 odds.

Sitting just behind them in second place are the Denver Nuggets with +420 odds and the Milwaukee Bucks with +440 odds. With Jayson Tatum expected to return to action sooner rather than later, if Kristaps Porzingis can remain healthy, the Celtics could win it all.

With Derrick White seemingly making a jump, many fans and analysts believe that this could be the best iteration of the current Boston Celtics we've seen.