"I felt like an idiot": Steve Kerr explains his reasoning behind benching Jayson Tatum
Steve Kerr made a bold decision to bench Boston Celtics superstar Jayson Tatum for Team USA's first game at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Despite not having one of their best scorers on the court, the USA Men's National Basketball squad secured the points against Serbia.
Regardless of the win, having Tatum sit on the bench for the entire game was somewhat of a headscratcher for the fans. The 26-year-old star was not listed as injured and there was no indication that he would miss the game.
As expected, Kerr explained this interesting decision:
"I went with the combinations that made sense," Kerr said. "I talked to him today before the game, that it may play out this way just with Kevin [Durant] coming back... I felt like an idiot not playing him... [In] a 40-minute game, you can't play more than 10."
Fans were eager to see what Jayson Tatum would bring to the table in his second appearance at the Olympics. After all, he was one of the most reliable offensive players for Team USA during the 2020 Olympics.
In Tokyo, he averaged 15.2 points per game while shooting 49.3% from the field and 44.7% from beyond the arc, which helped Team USA win the gold medal.
Based on Steve Kerr's explanation, Tatum is likely to feature in Team USA's upcoming games when the rotation makes sense for the head coach. This tactic could also make it harder for their opponents to plan for them.
Aside from Jayson Tatum, point guard Tyrese Haliburton missed out as well.
Also read: NBA podcaster subtly jabs at LeBron James & Kevin Durant’s minutes eclipsing Jayson Tatum’s on Team USA
Jayson Tatum had a quiet performance against Serbia in their exhibition game
Just a shade under a fortnight before their group stage game at the Olympics, these two teams squared off in a tune-up game in preparation for the big ticket event.
Serbia had a difficult time containing Team USA in that game, as the Americans won in a landslide victory (105-79). Four USA players scored in double figures led by Steph Curry, who dropped 24 points. LeBron James, who started the game along with Curry dropped 11, while Bam Adebayo and Anthony Edwards scored 17 each off the bench.
Jayson Tatum, who also started the game and played for almost 21 minutes, only scored four points and attempted five shots (2-for-5 FG). He also had a game-high four turnovers. Perhaps it was this quiet game in their previous tune-up against Serbia that contributed to Steve Kerr's decision to keep him on the bench this time around.
Jayson Tatum's next chance to suit up for Team USA will be against South Sudan on Aug. 1.