Inside The Celtics

Steve Kerr Explains Benching Jayson Tatum in Semifinal vs. Serbia

Bobby Krivitsky

Aug 3, 2024; Villeneuve-d'Ascq, France; United States small forward Jayson Tatum (10) warms up before a game against Puerto Rico during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games at Stade Pierre-Mauroy. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 3, 2024; Villeneuve-d'Ascq, France; United States small forward Jayson Tatum (10) warms up before a game against Puerto Rico during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games at Stade Pierre-Mauroy. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports / John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports
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Thanks to a 32-15 fourth-quarter rally, the United States men's basketball team salvaged their gold medal hopes with a 95-91 win over Serbia in the semifinals in Paris.

They'll face the host country, France, on Saturday to determine who settles for silver and who stands atop the podium.

However, a stubborn mistake by head coach Steve Kerr nearly proved costly on Thursday. Team USA entered the final frame trailing 76-63. Serbia maintained an average of five makes from beyond the arc in the first three periods. They were punishing a defense that would've benefitted greatly from having more length and versatility on the floor.

Compounding the issue was that Serbia grabbed nine offensive rebounds, frequently tapping misses to an open teammate to extend possessions. Having another individual who could make an impact on the glass and help spark the United States' transition offense would've made their task less daunting in the last ten minutes.

At the other end of the court, Serbia's zone defense, an option it hadn't shown Team USA in their previous two tilts, bogged down the latter's attack. Having another facilitator on the court would've made a difference.

Instead, Kerr maintained, perplexingly, that despite how well Jayson Tatum fit the description to address what was plaguing the U.S., the better move was keeping him on the bench, just as he did in their prior matchup against Serbia.

"It's not what I'm not seeing from Jayson; it's what I've seen from the other guys," Kerr explained on Friday, per Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe. "Like I've said many times during this tournament and the last six weeks, it's just hard to play 11 people, even in an NBA game.

"Our second unit was not great last night, but that group has been one of the bright spots on this team, especially on the defensive end. So it's not about what Jayson is doing or not doing. It's just about combinations and the way that group has played together, the way Kevin [Durant] has filled in since he came back from his injury. It's just a math problem more than anything."

After Team USA's 103-86 victory vs. South Sudan, Tatum said of his situation, "The competitor in you wants to play, obviously. But I'm not here to make a story -- making it about myself. We won. I was just glad to get back out there and play again today. There was a lot of chatter over the last few days, but I was in good spirits; I had a good attitude about it. I'm not holding any grudges or anything."

However, his mother, Brandy Cole, spoke up for him on X, formerly Twitter, on the heels of the Celtics star spending Thursday's game against Serbia stuck on the bench.

While Tatum didn't get to play in the last two meetings with Serbia, perhaps he'll have a chance to make his mark on Saturday's gold medal game against France, which will tip off at 3:30 p.m. ET.

Further Reading

Celtics Scheduled for Rivalry Clash on Christmas

A Win is a Win, but Benching Jayson Tatum vs. Serbia a Stubborn Mistake

Team USA Salvages Gold Medal Hopes with Final Frame Rally vs. Serbia

Celtics Trio Helps Team USA Cruise by Brazil in Knockout Play

Here's What to Know about Jaylen Brown's Boston XChange

Jayson Tatum Gets Candid about Relationship with Jaylen Brown

Jaylen Brown 'Wasn't Surprised' by Olympic Snub: 'All the Motivation in the World'

Celtics Rookie Anton Watson Shares Brad Stevens' Message to Him

Celtics' Coaching Staff Changes Match Theme of Boston's Offseason

Al Horford, Raising Cane's, and a Region that Loves Him

On Derrick White and the Fuel for Unprecedented Journey to NBA's Best Role Player

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Bobby Krivitsky
BOBBY KRIVITSKY

Bobby Krivitsky's experiences include covering the NBA as a credentialed reporter for Basketball Insiders. He's also a national sports talk host for SportsMap Radio, a network airing on 96 radio stations throughout the country. Additionally, he was a major-market host, update anchor, and producer for IMG Audio, and he worked for Bleacher Report as an NFL and NBA columnist.

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