Team USA came away with a 110-84 victory over Serbia in their first official game of the Paris Olympics. Kevin Durant and LeBron James led Team USA over Nikola Jokic and Serbia after standout offensive performances that was matched with defensive energy by Jrue Holiday and Derrick White.
The win for Team USA seemed to be overshadowed by perhaps an even bigger storyline surrounding two players who did not make it into the game for the US at all: Jayson Tatum and Tyrese Haliburton.
Steve Kerr said he told Jayson Tatum before the game that the rotations may play out like this:
“That’ll change, every game is going to be different.”
“He’s an amazing guy, great player, and he handled it beautifully. He’ll be back out there next game.”
(Via @espn) pic.twitter.com/ZT9rskISsi
— Noa Dalzell
(@NoaDalzellNBA) July 28, 2024
While some speculated that Jayson Tatum may have been hurt, he put those rumors to bed.
Just asked Jayson Tatum if he was sick, he told me, “No, I’m good.” #Celtics #Paris2024
— gary washburn (@GwashburnGlobe) July 28, 2024
“They are playing a lot of three guard lineups out there and that squeezes Tatum out of the mix a little bit because you’ve got LeBron and KD at the 4. If he is just slotting in at the 4 on this team it’s gonna be hard to pass those guys,” said John Zannis on the latest episode of The Garden Report.
Steve Kerr set the record straight ahead of Team USA’s game against South Sudan in a pre-game press conference saying, “Jayson will play…we’re going to need him.”
With the best players in the United States all competing for a spot, rotations for Team USA will make for difficult decisions each and every game. Every game and every matchup will be different, with the best five for that specific game being put on the court.
Listen to the latest episode of The Garden Report!
Timeline:
0:00 – Intro
6:01 – Team USA’s Strategy
9:55 – Tatum’s Game Impact
12:04 – Tatum’s Role Confusion
18:10 – Team USA’s Fit
20:25 – Embiid’s Effectiveness
22:03 – Team Rotation Issues
28:20 – Celebrity Matchups
30:01 – Tatum’s Role Concerns
36:34 – Tatum’s Bench Reaction
39:00 – Team USA Dynamics
46:49 – Tatum’s Role Uncertainty
50:34 – Tatum’s Team USA Absence
55:30 – White and Holiday’s Impact
1:00:02 – Role Players Matter
1:04:30 – Celtics Fans Discontent
1:06:44 – NBA Group Think Impact
1:09:41 – Tatum’s Perception Battle
1:14:42 – Criticism Influence
1:19:01 – Olympic Experience Impact
1:24:06 – Celtics Players Shine
1:26:04 – Holiday’s Contributions
1:31:04 – USA’s Solid Win
The Garden Report is presented by:
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