Analyzing Jayson Tatum’s complete situation on Team USA at the Paris Olympics
Although being on Team USA should be considered a privilege, the image fans have of Jayson Tatum has been a bit tainted. As most in the basketball community should know, Tatum and the Celtics finally got their work done this offseason and won an NBA championship. Not only did he sign a supermax contract, but JT was one of the few players selected to represent Team USA at the Paris Olympics.
Although Tatum did not win the Finals MVP award or live up to expectations throughout the series against the Mavericks, many still consider him to be one of the top players in the league. However, the way he has been treated on the Team USA roster is another issue entirely and needs to be better looked at.
Kevin Durant replaces Jayson Tatum
Given that Jayson Tatum is 6’9 tall, he will play the same position on the court as Kevin Durant for Team USA. Although the Celtics star was given plenty of playing time during the exhibition games, he didn’t see any action in the group stage opener against Serbia.
Since Kevin Durant led Team USA to a victory in a stunning comeback, one can understand why Tatum had to play fewer minutes. However, seeing those minutes reduced was something fans did not expect. Even Steve Kerr said he felt stupid leaving Tatum out of the lineup and said he would not make the same mistake again.
Team USA played against South Sudan for their second group stage game and defeated them. Although Tatum got a chance to start this game, he struggled to score and finished with only 4 points on the night. Although Jason may be disappointed with his poor performance, he is getting a lot of support at the moment.
Kendrick Perkins claims Team USA embarrassed and humiliated Jayson Tatum
Kendrick Perkins is a former star who became a member of the media after his career ended. Perkins has been a huge supporter of Tatum and the Celtics since winning the NBA championship with the Boston Celtics in 2008. As a result, Kendrick was quite vocal when it was revealed that Tatum was sitting out the entire game.
Big Perk went too far in claiming that Team USA embarrassed and disrespected Tatum by not giving him any time on the court. Given that the game against Serbia wasn’t close until the final stages, Steve Kerr should have considered sending Tatum out for some time.
In any case, all of Team USA’s stars are well aware of the fact that they have to put aside their egos and play a role in order to help the team succeed.
