USA Basketball Coach Steve Kerr Makes Controversial Jayson Tatum Decision vs. Serbia
![Apr 9, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr reacts in the first half against the Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.com Arena. Apr 9, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr reacts in the first half against the Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.com Arena.](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_8001,h_4500,x_0,y_0/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/inside_the_warriors/01j3x2s28dt0gq2rwx6h.jpg)
USA Basketball began their Paris Olympics run against Serbia on Sunday. After a perfect 5-0 record in their Showcase Games, USA entered Group Play in good form. Serbia is one of the teams Team USA defeated in their five Showcase Games, but this still projected to be a very difficully matchup.
Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr is also the head coach of Team USA, and he is tasked with the difficult rotation decisions that need to be made with a roster this talented. In Sunday's game against Serbia, Kerr did not have Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum in his rotation.
🇺🇸 #USABMNT Olympic Opener Starting Five
— USA Basketball (@usabasketball) July 28, 2024
📺 @nbc @peacock #Paris2024 #Basketball pic.twitter.com/NE8VAv8UbH
Kerr started Steph Curry, Jrue Holiday, Devin Booker, LeBron James, and Joel Embiid. While many expected Tatum to be featured off the bench, he was out of Kerr's rotation entirely, which was a controversial decision.
In Team USA's final Showcase Game which came against Germany, Tatum played just 14 minutes. Scoring just four points on 2/6 shooting, Tatum was one of the players on the bubble of Kerr's rotation, and the return of Kevin Durant has now pushed him out entirely.
Durant came back from a minor calf injury on fire, going a perfect 8/8 from the field in the first half.
Easy Money.
— USA Basketball (@usabasketball) July 28, 2024
21 pts, 8/8 fg, 5/5 3pt at the half.
📺 @nbc @peacock
🇺🇸 #USABMNT #Paris2024 #Basketball pic.twitter.com/KJMUdQaLy4
After Team USA's final showcase game, Kerr said, “We can get a lot better. We’re getting to a place now where we’re getting comfortable with rotations… But we can do a lot of things better."
Steve Kerr pic.twitter.com/9f2FwGhptl
— Stav Nemesh (@stavichka) July 22, 2024
It seems Kerr has now settled on a rotation that does not include Tatum, as the return of Durant needed to push one forward out.
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