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The Duke Men’s Basketball account on X called for Team USA head coach Steve Kerr to start former Duke and current Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum in the 2024 Summer Olympic gold medal game against France on Saturday.
In the post, the Duke Men’s Basketball admin wrote that they would start Tatum in order to “help deal with France’s size,” as the host team boasts San Antonio Spurs big man and reigning NBA Rookie of the Year Victor Wembanyama, as well as the NBA Defensive Player of the Year in Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert:
Tatum has played only sparingly in Paris, and he did not see a single minute of action in the United States’ come-from-behind win over Serbia in the semifinals.
The 26-year-old Tatum is coming off the season of his life, as he was named an All-Star for the fifth time, finished sixth in the NBA MVP voting and helped lead the Celtics to an NBA championship.
Tatum was one of three Celtics players chosen to Team USA along with Jrue Holiday and Derrick White, but he has played a total of just 60 minutes in the five games he has appeared in and was not used in either game against Serbia.
After the Americans overcame a 17-point deficit to beat Serbia in the semis, Kerr explained to Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe (h/t Matt Geagan of CBS Boston) that Tatum’s second DNP was merely a numbers game, saying:
“It’s not what I’m not seeing from Jayson; it’s what I’ve seen from the other guys. Like I’ve said many times during this tournament and the last six weeks, it’s just hard to play 11 people, even in an NBA game.
“Our second unit was not great last night, but that group has been one of the bright spots on this team, especially on the defensive end. So it’s not about what Jayson is doing or not doing. It’s just about combinations and the way that group has played together, the way Kevin [Durant] has filled in since he came back from his injury. It’s just a math problem more than anything.”
Kerr leaned heavily on four players in particular during the fourth quarter against Serbia, and it proved to be a winning move.
Warriors star Stephen Curry led the U.S. with 36 points, Los Angeles Lakers legend LeBron James had a triple-double, former Warriors and current Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant had nine points off the bench including some clutch buckets down the stretch, and 2023 NBA MVP Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers had 19 points.
While a lack of consistent playing time may have something to do with it, Tatum hasn’t been at his best even when he has been used in Paris, averaging 6.3 points and 6.0 rebounds in 19.9 minutes per game, while shooting just 38.9 percent from the field.
Tatum isn’t the only one who has been on the outside looking in, as Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton has barely played, averaging just 2.7 points in 8.8 minutes per contest.
While it is difficult to envision Kerr expanding his rotation too much given that his plan has gotten Team USA to this point, perhaps he will have something up his sleeve regarding Tatum when the U.S. and France battle for gold on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET.
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Publish date : 2024-08-10 05:30:00
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