Mike Krzyzewski reveals how he managed minutes on Team USA: "Two or three guys who won't pay at all or will not play that much"

Steve Kerr 's decision not to play Boston Celtics superstar Jayson Tatum during Team USA's opening game win over Serbia has caused a stir across the United States. The U.S. team won impressively, 110-84. But Kerr's decision not to give the only American player to earn an All-NBA First Team nod this past season was heavily criticized by media and fans.

However, Former Duke University head coach Mike Krzyzewski , who led Team USA to three straight Olympic gold medals from 2008 to 2016, seemingly defended Kerr's decision to bench Tatum when he revealed his 'winning formula' during a recent appearance on the Dan Patrick Show.

"The only way everyone's going to be happy is if we win," said Krzyzewski. "That's what I would tell each team. The only one anyone will ask you is, 'Did you win?' and so don't get caught up in minutes, shots, or whatever. Just be consumed with winning."

Coach K said his teams always had two units

To do that, the legendary coach said they made every player on the team pledge that they were willing to do anything to win. That meant doing anything the coaching staff wanted, even if it meant having limited minutes or not having playing time.

Krzyzewski explained that he always had a nine or ten-man rotation on his U.S. Teams . Coach K also said he had a starting unit the whole time and a second unit, which was not necessarily a five-man team. He added that the most important thing is to have a closing group, especially during closely fought contests. According to the Duke champion coach, that formula worked.

"Guys like Tayshaun Prince, Michael Redd, Carlos Boozer, and even Anthony Davis, they didn't play that much," continued Krzyzewski. "And then there are going to be two or three guys who won't play at all or will not play that much."

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Kerr went with the lineup that made sense to him

Although Kerr admitted that he felt like an 'idiot' for not giving Tatum and Tyrese Haliburton any playing minutes, the Golden State Warriors head coach said he went with the lineups he believed made sense in that game . He also said he talked to JT after the game and explained his decision.

"So I went with the combinations that I felt would make sense and talked to him, and he's incredibly professional. That's tonight. That doesn't mean it's going to stay that way the rest of the tournament, so he'll make his mark," Kerr said .

It's crazy how these so-called experts are trying to dictate what Kerr does with his team. When Steve coached in the 2023 FIBA World Cup, he gave 11 guys at least 10 minutes of playing time, with Walker Kessler having the least playing time at 7 minutes per game. That team finished 4th, and Kerr was still criticized for losing. Let's hope these geniuses listened to what Coach K said.

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