Jayson Tatum returned to the United States lineup, starting alongside Steph Curry, LeBron James, Devin Booker and Anthony Davis in a shakeup by Steve Kerr to matchup with South Sudan and respond to criticism over his decision to not play Tatum in the opener. The US defeated South Sudan, 103-86, securing a spot in the knockout stage of the Olympics ahead of their final group play game against Puerto Rico on Saturday.
Tatum scored two points in the win, shooting 2-for-4 with four points, five rebounds, two assists and a block in a continuation of the modest role he played during Team USA’s exhibition slate. His three-point attempt from the right corner to open the game missed off the backboard, Tatum starting 0-for-11 on jump shots to begin his summer with the US. He’s only attempted seven threes across six appearances, and is shooting 16-for-27 (59.3%) on two-pointers, an excellent efficiency he maintained with a pair of finishes at the rim on Wednesday.
“The competitor in you wants to play, obviously. But I’m not here to make a story, making it about myself,” Tatum told reporters in Paris. “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.”
Moving to the starting lineup exacerbated the massive reduction in his role compared to how he plays in Boston, though, and with Joel Embiid expected to start against Puerto Rico after receiving a DNP-CD in the South Sudan game, it’s possible Tatum could see his role reduced again. James’ presence with the starters moves Tatum away from the ball. The heavy involvement of the team’s talented centers takes the middle of the floor and some screening opportunities away from Tatum while the disappearances of his jump shot has taken catch-and-shoot opportunities away from him. The crowds Tatum played in to thrive as a passer in the playoffs aren’t appearing when he gets the ball, and he has struggled to consistently make defenders pay in one-on-one opportunities.
Tatum replaced Jrue Holiday in the starting group, which reunited Holiday and Derrick White for much of the game. Their ball pressure devastated South Sudan’s second unit, forcing 19 turnovers overall, with White racking up three steals alongside his 3-for-3 shooting from deep. They each blocked one shot and Holiday finished 2-for-5 (1-3 3PT) with their ability to adapt to any lineup and lower usage apparent alongside how pivotal of a role they played with the championship Celtics this season. Fortunately for Boston, prior to their arrival on the world stage, both players agreed to long-term extensions. White has shot 4-for-5 since his 0-for-4 exhibition slate, while Holiday has combined to go 26-for-43 (60.5% FG) and 10-for-22 (45.5% 3PT) across seven games.
Kerr announced Curry, Holiday, Booker, James and Embiid will start on Saturday against Puerto Rico, raising the question about Tatum’s minutes again. With the second unit, Tatum contends for ball time with White, who’s become a rotation mainstay since joining the team, and Anthony Edwards, who has been the team’s main source of offense off the bench. With Davis back to the bench, Bam Adebayo coming off his best performance of the summer (22 PTS, 7 REB, 2 BLK, 8-10 FG) against South Sudan, that might leave one second unit wing spot that Kevin Durant claimed and thrived in following his return from surgery against Serbia. Tyrese Haliburton, also a DNP-CD in that opening game, shot 2-for-3 from three in seven minutes on Wednesday as Kerr expanded his rotation to 11.
That’s one solution that could keep Tatum in the mix to avoid the noise and whatever frustration it caused Tatum in the aftermath. Embiid also can’t remain on the bench for long given his status and while the US appears capable of managing awkward rotations to fit more players in, they’ll possibly face crunch time decisions or a tighter opposing rotation that could force them to lean on their most effective players for longer stints. South Sudan never threatened within single-digits in the second half on Wednesday, but following an opening stint in the third quarter, Kerr pivoted to Durant in place of Tatum to begin the fourth quarter before experimenting with the Holiday-White combination alongside Booker, James and Davis.
The Celtics’ guards look like vital connective pieces on this team, two rotation spots that an all-star Olympic lineup could’ve used for Tatum and even Jaylen Brown, who was left off the roster, should Team USA have focused more on that than fit and roles. Booker has also thrived in his starting spot, shooting 5-for-7 from three in the two group play wins.
Tatum needs to play better in his opportunities in order to supplant those players he’s competing for minutes with. He’s not alone in his struggles, with Embiid the most ineffective player on the roster through seven games and Curry shooting 0-for-6 from three in the South Sudan game. Embiid maintained his starting role until Wednesday, while Kerr has sent a signal that anyone could be demoted based on matchups and their play once he sat. That leaves Tatum staying ready.
It’s a new challenge. One that follows a season where he learned to embrace sacrifice and doing the little things.
“”You win a championship, new contract, NBA 2K25 cover, Sports Illustrated,” Tatum said. “So after all of this, it’s definitely a humbling experience.”
