Jayson Tatum’s DNP in Team USA’s win over Serbia is astonishing – NBC Sports Boston

We think there’s only one logical reason why Team USA head coach Steve Kerr opted not to let Jayson Tatum play in Sunday’s Olympic opening match in Paris. He wanted to set the tone for a talented squad that was determined to win gold.

Because there’s no other rational reason to bench a healthy All-NBA First-Teamer coming off a championship season. Kerr admitted after Team USA’s lopsided win over Serbia that he felt like “an idiot” for not letting Tatum play, and that would be an accurate assessment if there was some other motivation behind the decision.

Who knows more about the benefits of sacrifice than Tatum?

One of the major themes of Boston’s title season was the way Tatum embraced a downturn in his scoring — often criticized for not putting up as many as other stars — by doing all the little things that made Boston a better team. All of the Celtics’ top players embraced sacrifice in one way or another, and it earned Boston a title.

So Kerr could blame the difficulty of fielding 12 top players in a 40-minute game, or point out the game strategy against Serbia, but that only makes sense if the goal is to get other players to show sacrifice during Team USA’s stay in Paris.

Otherwise, the Tatum DNP would only have been an unnecessary distraction after Team USA flexed its basketball muscles in its Olympic opener. The Tatum DNP took away the success of his Team USA brethren, including the Celtics guard tandem of Derrick White and Jrue Holiday, who shined in the opener.

It’s another odd bump in the road as the Celtics enjoy the aftermath of their 2024 title. July saw the team re-sign or extend many of its core players, as Boston returns 13 of the 15 players from that title team. The biggest storylines of the month, however, were the snubs that All-Star duo Tatum and Brown received from Team USA.

Brown spoke out again Sunday about not making the roster. He’s absolutely right to feel passed over, even if Tatum’s DNP only served to underscore how difficult it is for Team USA to navigate a surplus of talent.

Kerr’s decision put Tatum in an uncomfortable spotlight. If he was healthy and there was no reason to bench him off the field, and Kerr’s goal wasn’t to set a tone of sacrifice, then the DNP is an incredibly odd move.

It would give both Boston stars an extra dose of motivation as the Celtics plot a quest for a repeat title. A title would earn Boston’s All-Star duo some respect in the league, but Team USA’s insults suggest that hasn’t happened immediately.

Again, maybe this is a forgotten blip in Tatum’s Olympic journey. Maybe his sacrifice will become a key storyline in Team USA’s march to gold.

But at this point the decision is baffling and leaves us guessing as to the motives.

Now, the postgame headlines aren’t just about how well Kevin Durant played, or all the positives from the others who took the court. Instead, Kerr said Monday that Tatum will play in Game 2 of the group stage on Wednesday — while dancing around the question of who might be sitting there instead.

Tatum doesn’t get enough credit for all the little things he does. He’s made huge strides as a passer and playmaker. He grabs rebounds. He takes on tough defensive matchups and often defends players with size. And most importantly, he’s a gamer the Celtics practically beg to take the night off.

And yet he got Game 1 of the Olympics canceled. Let’s hope Kerr’s decision was strategic, and not downright idiotic.