First Game, First Win 💪
You know, 40-minute game, you can’t play more than 10… – S.Kerr
Team USA got things off to a great start at the Paris Olympics in basketball with a 110-84 win over Nikola Jokic and Serbia on Sunday. Kevin Durant shined by making his first eight shots, and LeBron James flirted with a triple-double with 21 points, 9 assists, and 8 rebounds.
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The more you listen to Steve Kerr’s explanation of why Tatum didn’t play the less sense it makes
Derrick White is the Celtics 4th option but he can get minutes…knock it off sir!!
Upon further review Jason Tatum should absolutely feel disrespected!#NBA | #ParisOlympics2024 pic.twitter.com/chvbdKBuLY
— BetUS Sportsbook & Casino (@BetUS_Official) July 30, 2024
If you are degenerate enough to be betting Olympics basketball, you may have been a little shocked to see that Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum, fresh off his first championship win this summer, did not log a single minute of action in the win. Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton was the only other player on the 12-man roster to not take the court.
Regrets, We’ve All Been There
To say nothing of the impressive win with the old guys serving court, the NBA news cycle picked up on this drama with immediate reaction from Team USA coach Steve Kerr as well as some quality trolling on X/Twitter.
Kerr did not shy away from what he viewed as a mistake after the game.
“Every game’s gonna be different based on matchups,” Kerr told Brian Windhorst of ESPN. “He’s a total pro, he’s first-team All-NBA three years in a row. I felt like an idiot not playing him, but you know, 40-minute game, you can’t play more than 10 [players].”
“With Kevin [Durant] coming back, I just went to the combinations that I felt made the most sense. It seems crazy. I thought I was crazy when I looked at everything and determined these are the lineups I wanted to get to.”
“[Jayson Tatum] handled it well. 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.”
— Steve Kerr 👀pic.twitter.com/Xxs5eRFbt9
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) July 28, 2024
Serbia also played 10 players in the 40-minute game. Kerr noted that the goal is to win these six games and that Tatum will definitely play in the next game.
But the best player on the defending NBA champions, who was first-team All-NBA this year, can’t even get a minute of action in the Olympics? Making it funnier, Tatum’s Boston teammates Jrue Holiday (started at guard) and Derrick White (played 16 minutes) both played well in Sunday’s win.
In spite of Jayson Tatum not playing, let’s appreciate Jrue Holiday’s game yesterday:
– 15 points (6/8 FG)
– 4 rebounds
– 3 assists
– 2 steals“Another Jrue masterpiece” – Derrick Whitepic.twitter.com/um6Vdx0Y4V
— CelticsUnite (@CelticsUnite18) July 29, 2024
No Biggie for Team USA
For Team USA, this shouldn’t be a big deal. For Tatum fans, this probably opened those wounds again as people (me included) who don’t believe Tatum is a top five player in the NBA right now have some extra juice.
It was a prevailing theme in Boston’s season that the Celtics were so stacked that they could win big even with a minimal showing from Tatum, especially as a scorer.
Boston was 6-0 in the playoffs when Tatum shot under 40% and 8-1 when he scored under 25 points.
I’ve never seen anything like this. Has an All-NBA first team player ever received a DNP-CD in the Olympics? https://t.co/zeUAOUtiCn
— James Boyd (@RomeovilleKid) July 29, 2024
Now Team USA just took down the best active player in the world (Jokic) in a 26-point rout without Tatum playing a minute.
But when the forwards are Durant and LeBron, and both were playing so well, why mess with what worked in this game? They’re also so old that this should be their last Olympics. Let them enjoy it.
Jayson Tatum Olympic Opener:
0 Minutes
18 Gatorade Assists
12 Towels Passed
10 FrownsWATERBOY TRIPLE DOUBLE 🥶🥶🥶 pic.twitter.com/vWiuodGU6B
— Hater Central (@TheHateCentral) July 28, 2024
Tatum’s moment will come in this tournament, but the truth is this should be the second time this year he gets to celebrate a championship without needing to fully assert himself.
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