Jayson Tatum to play in Team USA’s next game after Steve Kerr’s ‘idiot’ decision
Jayson Tatum will see the court Wednesday vs. South Sudan
All eyes will be on Jayson Tatum when he and Team USA battle South Sudan in the second game of Olympics group play. After stunningly keeping the Boston Celtics star on the bench for all of Sunday’s blowout win over Serbia, head coach Steve Kerr immediately confirmed that a key change will be made for Wednesday’s contest.
“Jayson will play,” he said, per ESPN’s Brian Windhorst. “I’m not going to answer your next question, which is if he plays, who doesn’t. But we’re going to need him, and part of this job for me is to keep everybody engaged and ready, because my experience with this is crazy stuff happens.”
Kerr caught major flak for his controversial decision, as fans struggled to comprehend his reasoning for not even using the reigning champion in “garbage time.” The Warriors coach himself said he “felt like an idiot” but did also say that he “went with the combinations that made sense.”
How will Jayson Tatum respond vs. South Sudan after benching?
Considering Tatum has earned All-NBA First-Team honors for the last three seasons, most people are going to find it difficult to accept any sort of explanation. Admittedly, minutes are tough to come by for wings and guards, especially now that Kevin Durant is healthy enough to play. He scored a game-high 23 points in just 17 minutes of action, shooting a perfect 5-of-5 from 3-point range. Devin Booker and Anthony Edwards also posted efficient efforts of their own (12 and 11 points, respectively).
But one typically figures out how to get a two-way force who just led his team in points, rebounds and assists during the playoffs on the court. While Jayson Tatum is handling the situation with grace, he will likely be extra motivated to make an immediate and thunderous impact versus the tenacious South Sudan.
Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton also spent Team USA’s opening Paris Olympics matchup on the pine and should be itching to get on the floor. Steve Kerr’s primary job is to guide this group to another Gold Medal, but fans will still pay attention to how he does it. Especially those who reside in a 617 area code.
Alex House is a sports journalist who covers the NFL, NBA, and MLB for ClutchPoints, providing a unique writing voice due to his in-depth knowledge of New York sports. Alex resides in Connecticut after receiving his journalism degree from the University of Rhode Island.
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