BOSTON — One of the many monikers Team USA’s men’s basketball team goes by these days is the “C” team… and it isn’t just because of all the Boston Celtics on the roster, either.
With a number of NBA players invited to be on the team opting to not play, lots of questions are out there about how good this current crop of NBA talent is relative to the rest of the NBA players competing for gold.
Well a recent ranking by SB Nation shows Team USA stacks up quite nicely to the rest of the NBA players, with three Celtics ranked among the top 10 current NBA players competing.
No surprise that Milwaukee Bucks star and reigning league MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo is regarded as the No. 1 NBA player competing in the FIBA World Cup.
The highest rated Celtic on the list, Kemba Walker, is no surprise, either.
He comes in ranked No. 4, the highest ranking for any member of Team USA.
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The three-time All-Star was named a captain for Team USA and was the team’s top scorer during their four exhibition games.
Joining him in the Top 10 were a couple other Celtics — Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum, who are No. 9 and No. 10, respectively.
What’s interesting is how Brown is ranked ahead of Tatum, yet another indication of how Brown’s stock in the eyes of many is on the rise while the Tatum hype train has slowed down a bit.
But as we know, that can all change in the blink of an eye with pool play beginning next week. Team USA’s first game will be Sept. 1 against the Czech Republic.
The fourth Celtic on Team USA, Marcus Smart, came in ranked No. 19 on the list with an explanation as to why he was ranked just inside the top 20.
“Smart is the only American player who dealt with injuries in the training portion of the schedule and stuck with the team,” read the article. “I’m sure the Celtics front office is pleased as punch about that.”
The SB Nation list included the Celtics’ other players participating in the FIBA World Cup for their host countries.
Third-year forward/center Daniel Theis, who plays for Germany, came in ranked No. 47 on the list.
“This guy might be the starting center for the Celtics this season,” read the article.
Also, French big man Vincent Poirier, who will be a rookie this season with Boston, was on the list at No. 52.
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