NBA Twitter has been abuzz following head coach Steve Kerr’s shocking decision to bench Jayson Tatum for Team USA’s opening game at the Olympics, with several reporters and players commenting on Tatum’s absence from the starting rotation and raising concerns about an injury or illness.
Former Boston Celtics point guard Isaiah Thomas publicly questioned Tatum’s health during the United States’ 110-84 win over Serbia.
Is Tatum injured?
— Isaiah Thomas (@isaiahthomas) July 28, 2024
Many reporters speculated about the situation and offered their raw opinions on Tatum’s place in the starting rotation and whether a possible illness would keep him off the court.
I was wondering about this too, but I’m not sure who will take Tatum’s place in the rotation. After this game, it’s clear that Durant will have a bigger role, and White seems entrenched in the rotation. Maybe one of the big men? https://t.co/cyCcvr9orP
— Sam Quinn (@SamQuinnCBS) July 28, 2024
It would be surprising to see Tatum out of the rotation. All of his time off the bench has been absorbed by Kevin Durant. There are no signs of injury. For now, he’s an outlier.
— Chris Mannix (@SIChrisMannix) July 28, 2024
Meanwhile, controversial conspiracy theories are circulating about Coach Kerr benching the recent NBA champions, and Celtics Twitter is abuzz, to say the least, over Tatum’s decision.
Steve Kerr selecting Derrick White over Jaylen Brown for his Olympic team and then making sure they only play Derrick White over Jayson Tatum to upset the Celtics was Phil Jackson level mind games lol
— Shea Serrano (@SheaSerrano) July 28, 2024
Tatum could score 60 points when Celts face Warriors for the first time
—Dan Greenberg (@StoolGreenie) July 28, 2024
After the game, Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe confirmed that Tatum was fully healthy, making Kerr’s decision all the more shocking, with Celtics fans making no secret of their displeasure with the Golden State Warriors (and Team USA) head coach.
When I asked Jayson Tatum if he was feeling sick, he said, “No, I’m fine.” #Celtics #Paris2024
— Gary Washburn (@GwashburnGlobe) July 28, 2024
Does Steve Kerr know that Jayson Tatum is on his team?
—Dan Greenberg (@StoolGreenie) July 28, 2024
When asked about the decision after the game, Kerr told reporters that Tatum was actually DNP-CD on a routine basis — the first DNP-CD of Tatum’s career — but Kerr did offer some insight to get Celtics fans excited for Tatum’s upcoming game.
“He picked combinations that made sense. That’s what he was trying to do tonight. He handled it well. He’s going to make his mark.”
Unlike Tatum, Celtics guards July Holiday and Derrick White received ample playing time, and the two-way stars combined for four steals and made a big impact on both ends of the floor.
Holiday started for the U.S. and finished with 15 points on 6-of-8 shooting, along with four rebounds and three assists in nearly 24 minutes of play. White finished with two points on two shots but was plus-minus-15 in just under 16 minutes.
After appearing in all five pre-Olympic exhibition matches, Tatum no longer seems a sure thing to take the court for Kerr’s U.S. national team, which seems downright absurd given Tatum’s recent championship and three consecutive All-NBA First Team selections.
In the 2024 playoffs, Tatum led his team in points, rebounds and assists, becoming just the sixth player in basketball history to win a championship. Tatum also recorded one of the all-time leading scoring records for an American player in the 2020 Olympics, averaging 15.2 points and shooting 63.3% from the field.
Jayson Tatum ranks 9th on the U.S. Olympic career PPG list, behind Jordan and Barkley.
1) K. Durant: 19.8
2) A. Dantley: 19.3
3) J. Lucas: 17.0
3) O. Robertson: 17.0
5) South May: 16.7
6) S. Heywood: 16.1
7) M. Jordan: 16.0
8) C. Berkeley: 15.4
9) J. Tatum: 15.2
10) V. Carter: 14.8 pic.twitter.com/z4EGoX5Zkk
— Taylor Snow (@taylorcsnow) August 7, 2021
Needless to say, Tatum’s removal from Team USA’s rotation sent shockwaves across NBA Twitter, and assuming Tatum ends up playing in these Olympics, fans should expect Boston’s franchise player to show up with even more enthusiasm.