Staff USA coach Steve Kerr stated All-NBA ahead Jayson Tatum will make his Paris Olympics debut on Wednesday towards South Sudan.
Tatum, coming off a championship season with the Boston Celtics, didn’t play on Sunday when the U.S. opened pool play with a 110-84 victory towards Serbia.
Kerr confirmed that he met with Tatum earlier than Sunday’s sport to clarify why he was the odd man out, based mostly on the teaching workers’s evaluation of matchups and lineup combos towards Serbia.
“Jayson will play (Wednesday),” Kerr instructed reporters Monday. “I am not going to reply your subsequent query, which is that if he performs, who does not. However we will want him, and a part of this job for me is to maintain all people engaged and prepared, as a result of my expertise with that is loopy stuff occurs.”
Kevin Durant scored 23 factors in 17 minutes off the bench and LeBron James added 21 within the victory towards Nikola Jokic and the Serbian squad.
“The toughest a part of this job is you are sitting at the least a few guys who’re world-class, among the best gamers on Earth,” Kerr stated. “On one hand, it is not sensible in any respect. On the opposite, I am asking these guys to only decide to profitable one sport after which transfer on to the subsequent one. I’ve to do the identical factor. And so I felt like final evening these had been the mixtures that made essentially the most sense.”
Tatum, who helped Staff USA win gold on the Tokyo Video games, averaged 26.9 factors, 8.1 rebounds and 4.9 assists for the Celtics in 2023-24.
His athleticism and switchable protection may very well be crucial towards a South Sudan squad loaded with 3-point shooters who can unfold the ground. Tatum had 9 factors in 16 minutes in a 101-100 win towards South Sudan in final week’s exhibition sport in London.
“With South Sudan, it is extra concerning the pace, and pace is a killer,” Kerr stated. “It’s a must to be ready for every little thing, and meaning we’d like all people.”
–Area Stage Media
