Celtics owner joins throng of Steve Kerr critics for Jayson Tatum's usage at Olympics

Boston Celtics owner Wyc Grousbeck joined a growing list of critics of Team USA men's basketball coach Steve Kerr on Friday.

During an appearance on WEEI's "The Greg Hill Show," Grousbeck called out the Golden State Warriors leader for his "mystifying" usage of Celtics star forward Jayson Tatum during the Summer Olympics in Paris.

The five-time All-Star was a healthy scratch for the Americans' Olympic-opening 110-84 victory against Serbia on July 28. Tatum started and played 17 minutes for the squad in its 103-86 win against South Sudan on July 31, finishing with four points and five rebounds on 2-of-4 shooting. Tatum's 17 minutes and 10 seconds on the floor that night were eighth-most of the 11 players who suited up.

He had his biggest opportunity in the final game of the group phase on Saturday against Puerto Rico, earning another start and tying Joel Embiid for the most court time at 22 minutes and 44 seconds. Tatum took advantage of the chance, posting a 10-point, 10-rebound double-double on 4-of-9 shooting, as Kerr's crew swept their way to the quarterfinals with a 104-83 decision.

Team USA routed Brazil 122-87 on Tuesday, with Tatum's 19 minutes and 50 seconds of action off the bench only trailing Anthony Edwards (20:53) and Kevin Durant (20:45). The Duke product struggled with five points and three rebounds on 1-of-5 shooting.

Tatum, again, wasn't used when Team USA played Serbia, this time in a come-from-behind, 95-91 semifinal win on Thursday. Like the first matchup against three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic's Serbians, Tatum was joined by guard Tyrese Haliburton on the bench for the entirety of the contest.

Grousbeck joins retired former Boston center Kendrick Perkins and Tatum's mother (among others) in voicing their displeasure with Kerr over the 26-year-old's playing time. Celtics legend Bob Cousy, who celebrated his 96th birthday on Friday, entered the conversation too, telling Dan Shaughnessy of the Boston Globe that the situation was " an embarrassment ."

There are multiple legitimate reasons that Kerr has explained when defending his decisions, and there are probably more that reasonable fans could come up with.

The 58-year-old said on Friday that Tatum's absence in the most recent win was due to a " math problem ," which, with 12 superstars fighting for minutes, makes sense.

Unlike NBA games, which have 48 minutes in regulation, the Olympic battles only go 40 minutes, making it even more difficult to divvy up playing time among the dozen athletes.

If Team USA defeats host France on Saturday and captures its fifth straight gold medal, Celtics fans may be in a more forgiving mood. It wouldn't hurt if Tatum was on the floor for the clinching victory, though.