Why didn’t Jayson Tatum play in U.S. men’s basketball Olympic opener vs. Serbia?

Just about everything went right for the U.S. men’s basketball team in its opening game of the Paris Olympics, a 110-84 romp over Serbia. Kevin Durant dropped 23 points on just nine shots in his return from a calf injury, LeBron James delivered a vintage performance and five different players scored in double figures. 

One of the players who didn’t, however, was Jayson Tatum. In fact, Tatum didn’t play at all on Sunday — one of just two players head coach Steve Kerr opted to leave on the bench, along with point guard Tyrese Haliburton. Haliburton’s absence isn’t too big of a surprise; he’s been the 11th or 12th man all summer. Tatum, however, registers as a huge surprise, as the MVP candidate and 2023-24 NBA champion had been a key part of Kerr’s rotation during Team USA’s tune-up games over the past few weeks.

So, what gives? Even given the embarrassment of riches at Kerr’s disposal, why would a player of Tatum’s caliber not play at all? Let’s dig in to what might be going on.

Why didn’t Jayson Tatum play in U.S. game vs. Serbia?

If you want to take Kerr at his word, this was simply a basketball decision, one spurred on by the return of Durant.

Does that pass the smell test? It makes some sense. First, Durant’s return made the U.S. even deeper on the wing. Second, Kerr has tinkered with lineups all summer, and has told the media multiple times that he wasn’t afraid to mix and match based on opponent and circumstance. In a game in which the U.S. wanted to push the pace, both to press its athleticism advantage over Serbia and to try and wear out star big man Nikola Jokic, the decision to sit Tatum would check out.

Tatum is a methodical player; he prefers a half-court game, and he prefers to hold the ball and survey his options. Given the issues that Kerr’s team has had getting the ball moving at times this summer, you can sort of understand why the coach would opt for different players who might be more willing to push the pace and more effective playing without the ball — players like Tatum’s teammate, Derrick White, who might not be the star Tatum is, but is an excellent defender and spot-up shooter who likes to throw the outlet pass and get out and run.

This is a long tournament, with the deepest and most dangerous field in Olympic history. At some point, the U.S. is going to need a player with the sort of scoring and defending chops that Tatum brings, and Kerr’s decision to keep Tatum on the bench will all be a distant memory. Until then, credit to Tatum for being fully engaged on the sideline and not making himself the story.