The 2024 Paris Olympics is underway. Unsurprisingly, Team USA is off to a flying start after a 110-84 victory over Serbia in their opening group game. However, the only surprise from the game was the absence of NBA champion and Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum , who sat out the entire game. Reactions poured in on why head coach Steve Kerr elected to bench him.
There was rampant speculation about the 26-year-old possibly out due to injury or sickness. But after the United States captured a win, Kerr explained that he benched the star to prioritize Kevin Durant , who returned from a calf injury and took the game over.
On Monday, Kerr was asked about Team USA's lineup ahead of its matchup against South Sudan. While the coach didn't reveal who will play and who won't on Wednesday, he did say that the Bean Town star will get some action.
"Jayson will play," Kerr said . "I'm not going to answer your next question, which is if he plays, who doesn't? But we're going to need him, and part of this job for me is to keep everybody engaged and ready, because my experience with this is crazy stuff happens."
Sticking with tactics
In Kerr's defense, he had a plethora of superstars to choose from. However, the first game of the tournament is always crucial to set the tone. Steering clear of benching Tatum or any other big name star would've been a safer option. Afterward, the 58-year-old acknowledged that it was a tough decision.
"The hardest part of this job is you're sitting at least a couple of guys who are world-class, some of the very best players on Earth," Kerr added. "On one hand, it makes no sense at all. On the other, I'm asking these guys to just commit to winning one game and then move on to the next one. I have to do the same thing. And so I felt like last night those were the combinations that made the most sense."
In the end, Kerr's decision didn't prove all that bad. Stepping into Tatum's place was Durant, who passed his injury return with flying colors. Despite being sidelined throughout the exhibition games, the former MVP lit Serbia up, scoring 23 points on 5-5 shooting from the 3-point line. His team glittered him with praise — LeBron James calling him an "out of this world talent," and his head coach dubbing him an "impossible cover." Not bad for a guy who was the fifth player off the bench on Sunday.
The next one
Next up for Team USA is South Sudan. Going by what happened in the United States' pre-Olympic test game, their opponent on Wednesday won't be pushovers as they lost just by a single point. South Sudan plays with incredible speed and long-range shooting, making Tatum's defense and shooting potentially key components in the game.
The Boston superstar scored 9 points against SS in the test game and will look to be more involved in the tournament moving forward. Expect the forward to come out with a chip on his shoulder and for him to re-announce his presence as a world champion.
Related: "I went with the combinations that I felt like would make sense" - Kerr on benching Tatum and Haliburton in Olympic opener
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