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Create A Celtics 3 on 3 Team

We Three Kings
We Three Kings

For the past couple of weeks SB Nation has been organizing league-wide themed posts. First it was about cult followings, then it was best-trade-ever, and now the idea is to come up with a 3 on 3 team from our roster.

The idea was spurred by the notion that the next Olympic games might feature a 3 on 3 basketball tournament.

An Olympic 3-On-3 Basketball Tournament Would Be Great - From Our Editors - SBNation.com

Could three-on-three basketball be coming to the Olympics? It will if FIBA, the international governing body, has its way. Secretary-general Patrick Baumann said Saturday that his group planned to propose it to be played as early as the 2016 Rio Games.

Sound like a fun idea? So, putting aside the Olympics aspect, we thought it would be fun to pit the NBA teams against each other (regardless of nationality) and argue over who would win.

So which 3 Celtics would field the best 3 on 3 team? More rules/guidelines after the break but leave us your best lineups in the comments below.

I would imagine that the top pool of players to pick from would be Rajon Rondo, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and even Jason Terry. But arguments could (and will) be made for guys like Courtney Lee, Avery Bradley, Brandon Bass, and even Sully and Melo.

Questions to ponder: Is Rondo's lack of shooting an even bigger liability in the half court? Or does his quick understanding of angles and unorthodox spacing make him an ideal fit? If not Rondo, then which other guard do you go with (Terry, Lee, or Bradley)? What about an all-guard lineup? What about Pierce and 2 bigs? And just to poke at a fresh wound, would this be an easier or harder decision had Ray Allen stayed?

Mix and match! Have fun with it. Shoot, I'll even give "points" for creativity.

Just pick three players -- FIBA has actually had some of these tournaments, and they have four players providing for one reserve. That makes a lot of sense, so teams could deal with injuries and matchups better, but part of the fun of this might be having crazy matchups, a team of three shooters versus a team of bigs, etc. So just pick 3 -- and remember that we're not worrying about country of birth or current health status - pick the three players from your current roster who you feel would have the best chance in a 3 on 3 tournament.

Assume basic FIBA rules (which aren't much different from NBA rules). The only essential difference is half court -- so fast breaking will be minimized. Baskets are 2 points and 3 points, just like in FIBA, losers outs. Not that it much matters to the process of picking the team.

There ya go. Have fun with it. Win me over and I'll post the team I'm most impressed with tomorrow.

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