Jayson Tatum didn’t open the Olympics within the beginning lineup, no shock whilst Kevin Durant got here off the bench in his return from a calf damage. Staff USA featured balanced lineups all through exhibition play that always positioned Tatum with the second unit. But when the bench shifted into the US’ Olympic opener on Sunday in opposition to Serbia, Tatum stayed seated and by no means left that spot. Gary Washburn, in Paris, famous that Tatum didn’t heat up after halftime.
Tatum, following probably the primary DNP-CD of his basketball life, advised Washburn that he was not sick or injured, and Steve Kerr later confirmed that he made the choice to go away the Celtics star out of the sport plan. It labored, the US maintained a double-digit lead for a lot of the recreation and pulled away for the dominant victory, 110-84, that it sought in current weeks whereas warming up for the Olympics. Nevertheless it left Celtics followers and lots of nationwide onlookers surprised having simply watched Tatum assist lead Boston the championship.
“It’s actually onerous in a 40-minute recreation to play greater than 10 guys,” Kerr mentioned. “With Kevin coming again, I simply went to the mixtures that I felt made probably the most sense. It appears loopy. I assumed I used to be loopy after I checked out all the pieces and decided these are the lineups I needed to get to. Jayson is first-team All-NBA three years in a row. He’s among the finest gamers on the planet. I went with the mixtures I felt would make sense, and I talked to him, and he was extremely skilled.”
Kerr mentioned Tatum’s time will come later within the match, and with Durant enjoying a cautious 16 minutes coming from a calf sprain, it’s doable that minutes fluctuate again in Tatum’s route. On Sunday, Devin Booker shot 4-for-5 from three in a beginning position, Jrue Vacation continued to play level guard with the starters in a continuation of his extremely profitable exhibition slate and Derrick White returned to the backup level place that keyed shut wins over South Sudan and Germany. Anthony Edwards supplied the second unit scoring, including 11 factors on 4-for-6 taking pictures. Then, Bam Adebayo and Anthony Davis continued their dominant double-big defensive partnership off the bench.
That left Tatum and Tyrese Haliburton on the skin wanting in. Cutaways to the bench confirmed Tatum principally sitting, typically standing and clapping, and stretching exterior of the timeout huddle in an unfamiliar place. Haliburton smiled and laughed from the bench. Each gamers obtained alternatives within the exhibitions, and whereas their standing as the highest gamers on the 2 groups that competed within the east finals made their demotion stunning, it grew to become evident each gamers confronted tough acclimations to this roster even when they did play.
Tatum principally stood within the wings, caught passes as a cutter and set screens earlier this month. He completed 0-for-6 from three throughout 5 video games and typically didn’t try any. That left the second unit’s entrance courtroom enjoying across the rim fully. Like Haliburton, Tatum misplaced his regular level position to the workforce’s guards, LeBron James, and on Sunday, Durant’s return left Tatum out of the sport fully. Trusting Vacation and White to handle the offense and strain opposing guards labored, the opposite two Celtics combining for 17 factors on 7-for-10 taking pictures. They hit all 4 threes that they tried in a 56.3% US three-point effort.
Capturing doubtless grew to become the largest motive past all of the expertise in entrance of him for Tatum’s demotion. Whereas it’s tough to gauge the place his shot is at based mostly on six makes an attempt, these misses adopted a 28.3% three-point taking pictures postseason the place Tatum remained chilly from deep all through. He made up for it with a renewed defensive effort, dominant rebounding and impactful passing whereas manipulating crowds of defenders for Boston. Seeing one-on-one protection appeared to throw Tatum off within the USA exhibitions, although, typically deferring to his star teammates or unable to take advantage of the protection together with his scoring. He solely drew 5 free throw makes an attempt and didn’t hit a bounce shot interval till the ultimate recreation.
Kerr added that Tatum dealt with the benching nicely, and whereas Celtics followers can take solace in Vacation and White flexing their significance to profitable basketball, Tatum changing into the headline from the sport didn’t quell any criticism of Tatum’s efficiency through the championship run. Tatum leaned on the width of his affect exterior of scoring to guide Boston to the final word prize. On this setting, the US leaned on the taking pictures and scoring benefit Booker and Edwards carried over him, and the younger stars have collectively deferred to the standing James, Curry and Durant have earned.
Tatum beforehand grew to become the second-leading scorer on the 2021 Olympic workforce, taking pictures 49.3% from the sector and 44.7% from three alongside Durant whereas profitable gold. The US sought to reduce a few of the inconsistency the roster confirmed in current tournaments. On an old-school all star workforce, Tatum may’ve performed over White, Vacation, and even Joel Embiid, who has principally struggled with the US workforce, however he falls into a distinct bucket on a workforce targeted on forming roles. Tatum struggled to type one within the preparation course of.
It calls again to the identical debate had following Jaylen Brown’s snub from the workforce, except for sneaker politics. Grant Hill mentioned that call got here all the way down to constructing the absolute best workforce. If the exhibitions confirmed something, the very best model of that workforce might change nightly. Tatum principally shook off his dangerous nights and losses throughout current seasons, however on Sunday, he confronted a problem he may’ve by no means felt earlier than. He opened Olympic coaching camp, affirmed as a champion, sharing the identical message he preached to Boston all 12 months.
“We obtained excessive character guys,” Tatum mentioned earlier this month. “That perceive what we’re making an attempt to perform and perceive how robust it’s to place 12 new guys on the workforce with 40 days to get to know one another and follow and be away from their household to attempt to win a gold medal. That’s all that issues, not who begins, what number of factors you common. All that issues is in case you come residence with the gold medal.”
