United States men’s basketball head coach Steve Kerr didn’t mince words when asked about some of his lineup and rotation decisions following a 110-84 win over Serbia in Olympic group play on Sunday.
“I felt like an idiot not playing (Jayson Tatum),” Kerr told reporters after the Group C victory, per ESPN.
Kerr went on to mention that the decision to keep Tatum on the bench had a lot to do with the return of Kevin Durant, who didn’t play in games leading up to the tournament due to a calf injury, and that the Boston Celtics’ star “handled it well.”
Not giving Tatum any minutes might’ve raised some eyebrows but the decision to go with Durant paid off after the two-time champion started the game shooting a perfect seven-for-seven from the field en route to 23 points, not missing a shot until the 8:07 mark of the fourth quarter to lead the U.S. in the 26-point victory.
It’s no secret the depth of Team USA is unlike any other nation, as evidenced by the DNP-CD for the 2024 champion, but he wasn’t the only one impacted by it.
Tyrese Haliburton of the NBA’s Indiana Pacers was also held out of the game after seeing his minutes dwindle throughout the team’s stretch of tune-up contests.
Both Eastern Conference All-Stars were 20-point per-game scorers and All-NBA selections this year but seemed out of the rotation at least through one game. Kerr did say his decisions are often matchup-dependent, so there is a chance Tatum and Haliburton could see the floor for their real Olympic debuts on Wednesday against South Sudan.
And if their last matchup was any indication, it won’t be a simple task for the red-white-and-blue. Team USA came away with a narrow 101-100 win a week ago against South Sudan in a pre-Olympic game, needing a vintage LeBron James effort to eke out a win. The 39-year-old finished that game with 23 points, including a game-winner for the USA. He also added six rebounds and six assists.
His ageless heroics carried over to the start of the Olympics as well, as he racked up 21 points, seven rebounds and nine assists in the win against Serbia.
The United States will need more of the same from James and Durant when they take on a South Sudan squad that is coming off an impressive 90-79 victory over Puerto Rico on Sunday. It was the nation’s first basketball win at the Olympics ever and the first for an African nation since 1996.
