Team USA’s men’s basketball team has announced their official 44-man preliminary roster for the 2020 Olympic Games, which will be held in Tokyo.
Unsurprisingly, the Celtics will be heavily represented, with five players — tied with the Los Angeles Lakers for the league-high— named to the roster: guards Kemba Walker and Marcus Smart, along with forwards Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Gordon Hayward.
It may have been easy to assume that the first four Celtics named would be on the roster after playing for Team USA in last summer’s qualifiers and earning the praise of Team USA men’s basketball head coach Gregg Popovich (of the San Antonio Spurs).
However, the addition of Hayward, who has looked much like he did in his prime after overcoming a horrific leg and ankle injury that seemed to rob some of his athleticism — and thus his effectiveness — last season, was not predicted. Such an honor is vindication for Hayward, an intelligent playmaker who’s averaging 17.1 points, 6.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 0.7 steals per game this season while shooting 51.2 percent from the field and 38.7 percent from three (and has looked both healthy and athletic while doing so).
Tatum and Brown are also having career seasons with the former seeming to have taken on the mantle of being the best player on the team and the face of the Celtics after the offseason departure of the disgruntled Kyrie Irving.
Tatum is averaging a team-high 22.9 points, 6.9 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 0.9 blocks per game while shooting 44.1 percent from the field and 38.7 percent from three. He’s developed a go-to shot — a sidestep three-pointer — and is more aggressive in attacking the rim then in past seasons. Tatum’s defense, never highlighted as a particular strength of his game, has been quite effective as well. Suffice it to say, with such a strong performance, it’s no surprise that Tatum was named as an All-Star this season.
Brown is a better finisher, ball-handler, shooter and passer than last season. Those improvements have led the renaissance man to averages of 20.2 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game while shooting 49.4 percent from the field and 37.7 percent from three.
Walker, the leader that Boston sorely needed last season, has averaged 22.0 points, 5.0 assists, 4.0 rebounds and 1.0 steal per game while acquitting himself from the common perception that he was a poor defender. The Celtics’ second All-Star this season, Walker has shot 43.6 percent from the field and 39.1 percent from three-point range.
Smart, whose play can’t be summed up with statistics due to the effort he plays with and his gritty, never-say-die, attitude, continues to be the heart and soul of the Celtics team. While the four previously listed players will likely play an important role on offense (and defense), Smart is going to be fine doing the dirty work. However, that doesn’t mean he can’t make plays when needed, as the veteran guard has averaged 12.2 points, 4.8 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game.
Though not every player may not make it into Team USA’s finalized roster, this quintet has as good a chance of any of surviving training camp and taking part in the Olympic Games next summer. No matter who makes it or who doesn’t, the Celtics have certainly made their home fans proud this season; their having five players named to the Team USA preliminary roster is just icing on the cake.