The benching of Jayson Tatum is unfounded controversy
Even though Team USA won by 26 points, 110-84, Steve Kerr faced a barrage of criticism for benching Jayson Tatum in the opening game.
Stephen A. Smith voiced his dissatisfaction over Tatum sitting out the duration of Team USA’s 110-84 victory over Serbia on Sunday, joining a chorus of voices that included almost every Boston Celtics fan on the internet. NBA analysts believe it was unfair to sit out a first-team All-NBA forward who had just won a title, while Celtics supporters have variously blamed Kerr’s decision on his ineptitude as a coach and his animosity toward the organization.
However, Team USA emerged victorious, with Kevin Durant—who replaced Tatum as the team’s backup forward—finishing
as the team’s best player with 23 points. It’s difficult to fault Kerr’s coaching after Durant took over the first half of the game.
Tatum is undoubtedly a fantastic player, but it’s not as though he was dominating the exhibition games for Team USA. He played slightly under eighteen minutes a night and finished with an average of 6.4 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.6 assists. Tatum did not score a three-pointer in his 46.7% shooting from the field. That comes after Tatum shot 28.3% from three-point range during a playoff run.