3 Team USA players Steve Kerr could bench vs. Puerto Rico
Team USA concludes its 2024 Paris Olympic group phase schedule against Puerto Rico on Saturday. Ahead of the contest, American coach Steve Kerr pledged to continue tinkering with his rotations. His comments sparked speculation about who could be the next odd man out on the Americans' star-studded roster.
Team USA is 2-0 in group play thus far, securing comfortable wins over Serbia (110-84) and South Sudan (103-86) on Sunday and Wednesday. The Americans' strong showings clinched them a quarterfinal berth in the men's Olympic basketball tournament.
Against Serbia, superstar forward Jayson Tatum and star point guard Tyrese Haliburton were benched. Kerr attributed the decisions to attempting to combat the Serbians' size. He followed that up by giving superstar center Joel Embiid a DNP-CD against a quicker, more athletic Sudanese opponent.
After Wednesday's victory over South Sudan, Kerr told reporters he planned to reinsert Embiid into the starting lineup against Puerto Rico. He noted that Embiid would join regular starters LeBron James, Steph Curry and Devin Booker, with veteran two-way guard Jrue Holiday also re-entering the starting five.
The lineup change means Tatum and superstar big man Anthony Davis will return to the second unit. Kerr has been reluctant to use his full 12-man rotation thus far, trotting out 10-man and 11-man rotations the past two games. So, he will likely do the same against Puerto Rico.
The Puerto Ricans, whose roster features only one NBA player (Jose Alvarado), don't project to pose a threat to the Americans. They are 0-2 in group play, with both losses coming by double digits. That includes a 41-point (107-66) blowout defeat against Serbia on Wednesday, which eliminated them from quarterfinal contention.
So, it likely won't matter which lineups Kerr implements on Saturday. Nonetheless, below are three Team USA players who could be benched or play fewer minutes against Puerto Rico.
3 Team USA players who could face reduced roles against Puerto Rico
#3 Derrick White
If Steve Kerr wants to shorten his rotation without stirring up controversy, he could do so by benching guard Derrick White.
After being a controversial selection for Team USA's 12th roster spot, White has provided valuable two-way play off the bench. His ability to fit into a set role alongside the squad's premier stars has made him an asset for Kerr.
Nonetheless, White remains the lowest-profile player on the Americans' roster and one of their lowest-scoring players (6.0 ppg) through two group-phase games. So, if Kerr wants to play Jayson Tatum and Joel Embiid without ruffling any more feathers, it could come at White's expense.
#2 Jayson Tatum
After being benched against Serbia, Jayson Tatum was the center of attention, with many criticizing Steve Kerr's decision. However, the superstar forward didn't exactly redeem himself against South Sudan. Over 17 minutes as a starter, he tallied only four points, five rebounds, two assists and one block.
Tatum was outplayed by several reserves, including Bam Adebayo, Anthony Edwards, Kevin Durant and Derrick White, who all scored in double figures.
Moreover, Durant and Edwards offer similar skill sets off the bench. So, Tatum could again find himself struggling to earn minutes against Puerto Rico.
#1 Tyrese Haliburton
Tyrese Haliburton remains the most likely player to be omitted from Team USA's rotation against Puerto Rico. After seeing his minutes steadily decline across five exhibition games, Haliburton has played eight total minutes through two group-phase contests.
Among the players who saw the court against South Sudan, Haliburton received the fewest minutes, recording six points and one assist in eight minutes. While one of the Americans' top playmakers, he has continually been overshadowed by higher-caliber offensive players and two-way contributors.
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