As with Team USA's entry into the Olympic tournament, Jayson Tatum remained on the bench in the semi-final against Serbia. This is a second “DNP” for the player who won the title this season with the Celtics and who therefore sometimes finds himself at the end of the bench for the American selection.
Again, Steve Kerr does not question Jayson Tatum's attitude or performance. But the coach rather evokes the difficulty of evolving with a rotation composed of more than 10 players in FIBA.
“It's not what I don't see in Jayson, it's what I've seen in other guys.”, explains Steve Kerr. “As I've said many times throughout this tournament and the last six weeks, it's just tough to play 11 players, even in an NBA game.”
A “lesson in humility” for the NBA champion
Yet, the American bench did not particularly shine in the semifinals. It only scored 15 of Team USA's 95 points last night. Moreover, no player played more than 15 minutes off the bench, except for Kevin Durant.
“Our second unit wasn't great, but that group has been one of the strong points of this team, especially on defense. So it's not a question of what Jayson does or doesn't do,” says the coach. “It’s just a matter of combinations and the way this group played together, the way Kevin [Durant] has fulfilled its role since its return. It is a simple mathematical problem more than anything else.”
It must be recognized that Jayson Tatum was not incredible either during his minutes against South Sudan, Puerto Rico and Brazil. In 19.9 minutes of play on average, he thus turns at 6.3 points on average at 38.9% shooting, 6 rebounds and 2 assists per game. Not very effective in the game without the ball, he seems in any case to have understood well that his role was going to be limited and takes that as a lesson in humility.
“Every game is extremely different,” Jayson Tatum considered after the quarterfinal. “But the main thing is that we win. So whatever we have to do or whatever I have to do from game to game, to be a part of it and contribute when I can, I'm going to do it.”
