Patrick Beverley Makes Kevin Durant Statement Amid Jayson Tatum’s Team USA Bench Position

USA Basketball opened group play for the Paris Olympics on Sunday with a win over Serbia. After Kevin Durant returned from injury, Team USA got an incredible performance from the Phoenix Suns star en route to a convincing win over three-time MVP Nikola Jokic.

Durant’s return pushed Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum out of Steve Kerr’s rotation. It was a move few saw coming, but Kerr told reporters after the game that he went with the lineup combinations that made the most sense in this matchup.

During a livestream during the game, former NBA guard Patrick Beverley received several messages in the comments about Tatum’s DNP. When Beverley’s co-host said that Durant is a better version of Tatum, Beverley said, “KD is a version of himself, bro. I know what you’re saying, but I want to make a correction for the people watching.”

As Durant walked away, Beverley said, “What are you doing, keeping KD on the bench? Absolutely not.”

Durant did not start this game for Team USA, as Steve Kerr started along with Steph Curry, Jrue Holiday, Devin Booker, LeBron James and Joel Embiid.

Now that Durant has one game under his belt that shows he’s more than ready for a bigger role, perhaps Kerr will move a guard like Booker out of the starting lineup in favor of Durant.

Beverley provided live analysis during Team USA’s first Olympic game and shared his thoughts throughout the game. Beverley recently signed with Hapoel Tel Aviv BC and comes off a 12-year NBA career that included stops with the Houston Rockets, LA Clippers, Minnesota Timberwolves, Los Angeles Lakers, Chicago Bulls, Philadelphia 76ers and Milwaukee Bucks.

JJ Redick fires back at former NBA star over viral statement about Michael Jordan

Anthony Edwards Gives Statement on Michael Jordan

Major Zach LaVine to Lakers trade idea proposed