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Patrick Beverley Makes Kevin Durant Statement Amid Jayson Tatum's Team USA Benching

Former NBA guard Patrick Beverley spoke on Kevin Durant vs. Jayson Tatum

Joey Linn

Mar 17, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) looks on from the bench against the Washington Wizards during the second half of the game at Capital One Arena.
Mar 17, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) looks on from the bench against the Washington Wizards during the second half of the game at Capital One Arena. / Scott Taetsch-USA TODAY Sports
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USA Basketball opened their Paris Olympics Group Play on Sunday with a win over Serbia. Getting Kevin Durant back from injury, Team USA received an incredible performance from the Phoenix Suns star en route to a convincing win over three-time MVP Nikola Jokic.

Durant's return pushed Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum out of Steve Kerr's rotation. This was a move that few saw coming, but Kerr told reporters after the game he went with the lineup combinations that made the most sense in this matchup.

On a live stream during the game, former NBA guard Patrick Beverley received several messages in the comments about Tatum's DNP. When Beverley's co-host said Durant is a better version of Tatum, Beverley said, "KD is a version of his own, brother. I know what you’re saying, but I want to make a correction for the people who are watching."

As Durant was going off, Beverley said, "So what do you do, keep KD on the bench? Hell no."

Durant did not start this game for Team USA, as Steve Kerr went with Steph Curry, Jrue Holiday, Devin Booker, LeBron James, and Joel Embiid.

Now that Durant has one game under his belt that proved he is more than ready for an increased role, perhaps Kerr will swap a guard like Booker out of the starting lineup in favor of Durant.

Providing some live analysis during this first Team USA Olympic matchup, Beverley shared his thoughts throughout the game. Recently signing in Hapoel Tel Aviv BC, Beverley leaves behind a 12-year NBA career that included stops with the Houston Rockets, LA Clippers, Minnesota Timberwolves, Los Angeles Lakers, Chicago Bulls, Philadelphia 76ers, and Milwaukee Bucks.

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Joey Linn
JOEY LINN

Joey Linn is a credentialed writer covering the NBA for Sports Illustrated's FanNation. Covering the LA Clippers independently in 2018, then for Fansided and 213Hoops from 2019-2021, Joey joined Sports Illustrated's FanNation to cover the Clippers after the 2020-21 season. Graduating from Biola University in 2022 with a Communication Studies degree, Joey served as Biola's play-by-play announcer for their basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer teams during his time in school. Joey's work on Biola's broadcasts, combined with his excellence in the classroom, earned him the Outstanding Communication Studies Student of the year award in 2022. Joey covers the NBA full-time across multiple platforms, primarily serving as a credentialed Clippers beat writer.

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