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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. Group 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 towards Serbia, Tatum stayed seated and by no means left that spot. Gary Washburn, in Paris, noted that Tatum didn’t warm up after halftime.
Tatum, following presumably the primary DNP-CD of his basketball life, informed 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 sport 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 shocked having simply watched Tatum assist lead Boston the championship.
“It’s actually laborious in a 40-minute sport to play greater than 10 guys,” Kerr said. “With Kevin coming again, I simply went to the combos that I felt made essentially 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 probably the greatest gamers on the earth. I went with the combos 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 event, and with Durant taking part in 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 function, 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 capturing. Then, Bam Adebayo and Anthony Davis continued their dominant double-big defensive partnership off the bench.
That left Tatum and Tyrese Haliburton on the surface wanting in. Cutaways to the bench confirmed Tatum principally sitting, generally standing and clapping, and stretching exterior of the timeout huddle in an unfamiliar place. Haliburton smiled and laughed from the bench. Each gamers acquired 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 became evident both players faced difficult acclimations to this roster even if 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 generally didn’t try any. That left the second unit’s entrance court docket taking part in across the rim fully. Like Haliburton, Tatum misplaced his regular level function to the crew’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 stress opposing guards labored, the opposite two Celtics combining for 17 factors on 7-for-10 capturing. They hit all 4 threes that they tried in a 56.3% US three-point effort.
Taking pictures seemingly turned the most important purpose 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 capturing 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 along with his scoring. He solely drew 5 free throw makes an attempt and didn’t hit a bounce shot interval till the ultimate sport.
Kerr added that Tatum dealt with the benching properly, and whereas Celtics followers can take solace in Vacation and White flexing their significance to successful basketball, Tatum turning into the headline from the sport didn’t quell any criticism of Tatum’s efficiency in the course of the championship run. Tatum leaned on the width of his impression exterior of scoring to steer Boston to the final word prize. On this setting, the US leaned on the capturing 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 turned the second-leading scorer on the 2021 Olympic crew, capturing 49.3% from the sector and 44.7% from three alongside Durant whereas successful gold. The US sought to attenuate among the inconsistency the roster confirmed in current tournaments. On an old-school all star crew, Tatum would possibly’ve performed over White, Vacation, and even Joel Embiid, who has principally struggled with the US crew, however he falls into a unique bucket on a crew centered on forming roles. Tatum struggled to kind one within the preparation course of.
It calls again to the identical debate had following Jaylen Brown’s snub from the crew, apart from sneaker politics. Grant Hill mentioned that call got here right down to constructing the absolute best crew. If the exhibitions confirmed something, the very best model of that crew might change nightly. Tatum principally shook off his unhealthy nights and losses throughout current seasons, however on Sunday, he confronted a problem he would possibly’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 yr.
“We acquired excessive character guys,” Tatum mentioned earlier this month. “That perceive what we’re attempting to perform and perceive how robust it’s to place 12 new guys on the crew with 40 days to get to know one another and observe 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 if you happen to come dwelling with the gold medal.”
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