Team USA survived its semifinal matchup against Serbia, winning 95-91 to advance to the gold-medal game, but it didn't come without a fight. The United States trailed 76-63 heading into the fourth quarter and had to rally behind LeBron James and Steph Curry to come out with the win. It was unlike any Team USA performance so far in this year's Olympics, as it has mostly handled its competition in Paris.
One of the biggest storylines from Thursday's game was Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum once again getting no minutes. There were moments when Team USA clearly needed a versatile defender like Tatum to help defend Serbia's shooters, yet Steve Kerr never looked to the NBA champion.
After another DNP for Tatum, fans voiced their frustrations over Kerr's decision.
Jayson Tatum: The Missing Piece?
Tatum has struggled offensively during the tournament (38.9 percent shooting from the field, no makes from 3-point range) in limited playing time. However, there’s no question that his defense has been a strong point for the team during his appearances. Tatum’s versatility and rebounding helped the Celtics standout as the best defense in the NBA last season. That play put him on a higher tier than players like Anthony Edwards and Devin Booker on that end of the floor over the past year. That fact didn’t earn him minutes over those players and other reserves on Thursday.
Steve Kerr's Coaching Decisions Under Scrutiny
When Steve Kerr decided to bench Jayson Tatum in the Team USA Olympic opener against Serbia, it was weird. When he benched the Boston Celtics star in the semifinals against the very same Nikola Jokic-led team, it was malpractice.
Kerr seemingly decided to stick to his guns, claiming he was rolling with the players that matched up best. It’s a tough job, and that cannot be overstated, but in this one instance, he failed.
Throughout the game, as Serbia drained three after three over Team USA’s three-guard lineups and outmatched the Americans on the glass, Tatum remained glued to the bench.
Meanwhile, Edwards struggled with turnovers, couldn’t hit his open threes, and looked lost when he didn’t have the ball in his hands. Am emphatic volleyball block caught the eyes of social media, but his impact on the court left much to be desired.
Yet Kerr stuck with his rotations. And it was an embarrassing display of coaching.
Rather than going to a 6-foot-8 versatile defender who is one of the best rebounders on the roster, Kerr played with three guards. For much of the first half, Edwards shared the floor with two of Stephen Curry, Jrue Holiday, and Derrick White. The size advantage was gift-wrapped to Serbia.
Devin Booker and Kevin Durant struggled as well, but Edwards’ uncomfortability being anything other than a score-first guy was painfully clear.
Edwards is a scorer for the Minnesota Timberwolves. He’s a ball-dominant, isolation-heavy guy. That’s not what he is for Team USA, and the awkwardness of that transition cost them against Serbia.
That’s simply not the case for Tatum. For as much as people have criticized Tatum’s lack of scoring, he was an elite offensive connector for Boston during their championship. But Kerr refused to give him a chance. Staying the course is one thing, but being stubborn is another, and failing to play Tatum against Serbia was a perfect example of the latter.
Kerr has a ton of defensive talent at his disposal, but he ran with three guards. Booker isn't a great defender, and neither is Curry. The Golden State Warriors star was on fire, so he had to be in the game, but putting other subpar defenders around him when you have a ton of better options on the pine is questionable at best.
Instead of consistently rolling out guys like Tatum, Bam Adebayo, Holiday, or White, Kerr continued to put out less-than-stellar defensive lineups while playing a less-than-ideal defensive style. Instead of switching, Team USA was fighting through everything and sending multiple bodies at Jokic. It gave Serbia way too much space on the offensive end.
Team USA scraped together a win thanks to a fourth-quarter surge, but this game was far too close or comfort, especially for a USA squad with so much talent.
Edwards was not the right lineup decision against Serbia, especially as they were red-hot from three and Team USA could have used some extra length on the floor.
Having Tatum at your disposal and deciding to bench him should be grounds for firing on the spot, especially with the way everything panned out vs. Serbia.
The Bigger Picture: Tatum's Future with Team USA?
It will be fascinating to see whether USA’s defensive struggles during the first three quarters against Serbia will open the door for Tatum to get a chance in Saturday’s gold medal matchup against France. It should be a raucous crowd in Paris when France goes for an upset win in front of their home crowd at 3:30 p.m. ET
While Tatum's minutes in the Olympics have been limited and his offensive output hasn't quite lived up to his NBA reputation, it's important to remember that he's still a key contributor for Team USA. His versatile defense and rebounding could prove valuable in a high-stakes gold medal game, especially against a strong French team led by Victor Wembanyama.
Only time will tell if Kerr will finally give Tatum a chance to shine on the biggest stage, but the questions surrounding his usage and the team's overall success will continue to linger.
A Moment of Truth for Kerr?
Tatum's benching against Serbia has raised serious questions about Kerr's coaching decisions. It remains to be seen if Kerr will learn from this experience and trust Tatum's talent in the gold medal game. This moment could define Kerr's legacy as Team USA's head coach.
