The USA Basketball males’s staff handily beat Serbia to open up group play within the 2024 Olympics in Paris on Sunday, however the dialogue after the sport seemingly isn’t going to be as optimistic because the staff seemingly hoped.
As a result of whereas most of Workforce USA gave the impression to be having a blast throughout Sunday’s 110-84 win, one of many two members of the roster to not see the courtroom for a single second appeared lower than thrilled about it.
On a staff as gifted as USA Basketball, some guys are all the time going to get fewer minutes than they really feel they deserve. Nevertheless, it appears unlikely that Jayson Tatum pictured any circumstance in his thoughts the place he obtained a Did Not Play — Coaches Resolution (DNP-CD) within the Olympics, even on a roster this loaded.
However as each Tatum and U.S. males’s head coach Steve Kerr confirmed after the sport, that’s precisely what occurred. Tatum informed Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe that he wasn’t sick with the bug that’s been going round Workforce USA…
…whereas Kerr added it was his determination to bench the one 2024 All-NBA First-Workforce choice on Workforce USA for the entire recreation:
Kerr admits Tatum was a straight up DNP-CD. “I went with the combos that made sense. That was for tonight. He dealt with it properly. He’ll make his mark.” #Celtics #Paris2024
— gary washburn (@GwashburnGlobe) July 28, 2024
New: “I believed I used to be loopy once I checked out all the things & decided these are the lineups I needed to get to. Jayson is first-team All-NBA three years in a row… I talked to him, and he was extremely skilled.”
Extra from Steve Kerr on Tatum’s DNP: https://t.co/gZAxSJVgee
— Adam Himmelsbach (@AdamHimmelsbach) July 28, 2024
None of that’s more likely to make Celtics followers any much less upset in regards to the demotion on-line, although:
Does Steve Kerr know he has Jayson Tatum on his staff?
— Dan Greenberg (@StoolGreenie) July 28, 2024
Steve Kerr has so many dangerous selections this recreation I don’t even know which give attention to at half time
Clearly the Jayson Tatum stuff is moronic and his greatest mistake, however that’s simply the tip of the iceberg with this fool
— Immortan Joe Mazzulla (@Handsome_Jake_) July 28, 2024
I used to be fallacious. Would not make it any much less silly. Fortunately the staff is gifted sufficient to work round a sequence of poor teaching selections up to now. https://t.co/aKFr0aqNdW
— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) July 28, 2024
Jayson Tatum dropping 50 on Steve Kerr’s head subsequent yr we will probably be there.
— j (@lockedupjb) July 28, 2024
JT can select to deal with this nonetheless he desires however contemplating his accomplishments in each the NBA and for Workforce USA I believe I he’d be justified in saying absolutely anything he desires about Steve Kerr proper now
— Ryan Bernardoni (@dangercart) July 28, 2024
Tatum has by no means brought on any drama in his profession. I anticipate he’ll proceed on that monitor now but when he desires t go off he’d be justified in doing it.
— Ryan Bernardoni (@dangercart) July 28, 2024
Workforce USA is a HIGHLY political group. 30 years on we speak about why Isiah Thomas wasn’t on the Dream Workforce. Jaylen is feuding with Grant Hill and it’s information. Kerr embarrassed Tatum and did it knowingly. https://t.co/KOJsGT2qk2
— Ryan Bernardoni (@dangercart) July 28, 2024
Now we should always notice once more that Kerr made certain to credit score Tatum’s professionalism a number of instances postgame, and his remarks make it at the least seem as if Tatum’s position (or lack thereof) was communicated to him beforehand. Not less than for now, it seems he didn’t discover out he wouldn’t be enjoying in any respect similtaneously the remainder of us, and dealt with it about in addition to he probably might have.
Nonetheless, it will likely be attention-grabbing to see how this example continues to unfold. Possibly Tatum performs 15-20 minutes the following recreation and another person shuffles out of the lineup, or possibly an harm forces an opportunity for him to play hero. Nevertheless, whereas Workforce USA can most likely win with out Tatum in 2024, if he continues to be handed over on such a distinguished stage and has to listen to about it on-line continuously, Kerr is making it an actual risk they’ll must win with out the now-26-year-old in 2028, too.
