Why didn’t Jayson Tatum play in U.S. men’s basketball Olympic opener vs. Serbia?

Nearly every part went proper for the U.S. males’s basketball group in its opening sport of the Paris Olympics, a 110-84 romp over Serbia. Kevin Durant dropped 23 factors on simply 9 photographs in his return from a calf damage, LeBron James delivered a classic efficiency and 5 totally different gamers scored in double figures. 

One of many gamers who did not, nevertheless, was Jayson Tatum. In actual fact, Tatum did not play in any respect on Sunday — one in all simply two gamers head coach Steve Kerr opted to depart on the bench, together with level guard Tyrese Haliburton. Haliburton’s absence is not too large of a shock; he is been the eleventh or twelfth man all summer time. Tatum, nevertheless, registers as an enormous shock, because the MVP candidate and 2023-24 NBA champion had been a key a part of Kerr’s rotation throughout Workforce USA’s tune-up video games over the previous few weeks.

So, what provides? Even given the embarrassment of riches at Kerr’s disposal, why would a participant of Tatum’s caliber not play in any respect? Let’s dig in to what is likely to be occurring.

Why did not Jayson Tatum play in U.S. sport vs. Serbia?

If you wish to take Kerr at his phrase, this was merely a basketball choice, one spurred on by the return of Durant.

Does that move the odor take a look at? It makes some sense. First, Durant’s return made the U.S. even deeper on the wing. Second, Kerr has tinkered with lineups all summer time, and has advised the media a number of instances that he wasn’t afraid to combine and match primarily based on opponent and circumstance. In a sport wherein the U.S. needed to push the tempo, each to press its athleticism benefit over Serbia and to attempt to put on out star large man Nikola Jokic, the choice to sit down Tatum would take a look at.

Tatum is a methodical participant; he prefers a half-court sport, and he prefers to carry the ball and survey his choices. Given the problems that Kerr’s group has had getting the ball shifting at instances this summer time, you possibly can kind of perceive why the coach would go for totally different gamers who is likely to be extra prepared to push the tempo and more practical taking part in with out the ball — gamers like Tatum’s teammate, Derrick White, who won’t be the star Tatum is, however is a wonderful defender and spot-up shooter who likes to throw the outlet move and get out and run.

This can be a lengthy match, with the deepest and most harmful subject in Olympic historical past. In some unspecified time in the future, the U.S. goes to wish a participant with the kind of scoring and defending chops that Tatum brings, and Kerr’s choice to maintain Tatum on the bench will all be a distant reminiscence. Till then, credit score to Tatum for being absolutely engaged on the sideline and never making himself the story.