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The Boston Celtics quartet is unlikely to make the final cut

By Isaac Moore

LAS VEGAS, NV - AUGUST 04: Marcus Smith, Jaylen Brown are seen during the USAB Team Meeting on August 04, 2019 in Las Vegas Nevada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NV - AUGUST 04: Marcus Smith, Jaylen Brown are seen during the USAB Team Meeting on August 04, 2019 in Las Vegas Nevada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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The Boston Celtics quartet of players look to survive the final cut as Team USA’s training camp is scheduled to begin this week.

The Boston Celtics have been lucky enough to have four of their players invited to the US team’s training camp after a slew of top-tier NBA talent withdrew from the team throughout the summer. Kemba Walker, Marcus Smart, Jaylen Brown, and Jayson Tatum are all eager and hoping they can make it past the final cut.

The roster currently stands at a 16 player count, and must get trimmed down to 12 for the tournament. These are the specifics as of now:

Ball Handlers: Walker (Celtics), Kyle Lowry, DeAaron Fox, Smart (Celtics)

Wings: Harrison Barnes, Brown (Celtics), Kyle Kuzma, Khris Middleton, Tatum (Celtics), PJ Tucker, Donovan Mitchell

Bigs: Myles Turner, Brook Lopez, Thaddeus Young, Mason Plumlee, Bam Adebayo

The point guard position is typically the advantage Team USA boasts over other countries; with the team having its least talented point guard corps in the last decade, they’ll likely want to keep at least three. On paper, Walker, Lowry, and Fox are all better suited, as well as more talented, than Smart to run the show.

It could depend on if the coaching staff wants more grit on the team, but they can get that at other positions while keeping more top end talent at point guard. Lowry and Fox are no slouches on the defensive end themselves.

Then there’s the center dilemma. Nikola Jokic, Marc Gasol, and Giannis Antetokounmpo are just a few of the headliners for some of the other teams competing. Is Turner, Lopez and Thaddeus Young going to be enough to stave off some of the tournament’s very best big men?

The United States will want fresh legs to combat the behemoths of the world. My guess is they’d keep at least three, maybe even four centers on the roster. For arguments sake, let’s say they only keep three. Take your pick of the litter, that still leaves two players that need to be cut from the roster.

Tucker is a safe pick to get eliminated, but who’s the last guy? All the wings that are left are some of the more talented, non-superstar wings in the NBA. My guess is that it will be between Barnes, Brown, and Kuzma for who gets cut last.

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Boston Celtics fans shouldn’t get their hopes up of seeing all four of their representatives make Team USA. Right now  the odds are stacked heavily against them.

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