Steve Kerr "felt like an idiot" for not playing Jayson Tatum during Team USA's Olympics opener
BOSTON – Team USA head coach Steve Kerr said he felt like "an idiot" not playing Celtics star Jayson Tatum at all Sunday against Serbia in the Americans' opening game of the 2024 Olympics in Paris.
Kerr told ESPN after Team USA's 110-84 victory that he warned Tatum before the game how the rotation may play out.
Why didn't Jayson Tatum play against Serbia?
Kerr added that Tatum's lack of minutes came as a result of Kevin Durant returning from injury.
"He's a total pro. He's First-Team All-NBA three years in a row. I felt like an idiot not playing him," Kerr said.
When will Jayson Tatum play for Team USA?
On Monday, Kerr added that Tatum "will play" on Wednesday against South Sudan.
The Golden State Warriors' head coach declined to say whose minutes Tatum will take when he returns to the rotation.
"The hardest part of this job is you're sitting at least a couple of guys who are world-class, some of the very best players on Earth," Kerr said on Monday, according to ESPN. "On one hand, it makes no sense at all. On the other, I'm asking these guys to just commit to winning one game and then move on to the next one. I have to do the same thing. And so I felt like last night those were the combinations that made the most sense."
Two of Tatum's Celtics teammates logged minutes on Sunday against Serbia. Jrue Holiday had a solid performance with 16 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists. Derrick White got into the game as well and scored 2 points.