Is Jayson Tatum’s benching a cause for concern for Team USA?
Should we care that Jayson Tatum was on the bench for the US national team’s game against Serbia? The For The Hoops crew doesn’t seem too worried about it
Jayson Tatum’s playing time became a hot topic during the U.S. basketball team’s run to Olympic gold in Paris.
Tatum played limited minutes in Saturday’s 98-87 gold medal win over France, but he still played. The Boston Celtics forward played just over 11 minutes, scoring 2 points and 3 rebounds and making 1 of 3 field goals.
Tatum did not play a single minute in the semifinals or the group stage against Serbia.
Which other US players did not play in the final?
Tatum wasn’t the only Celtic player who got little playing time on Saturday. Guard Derrick White, who had only recently joined the team as a replacement for Kawhi Leonard, didn’t play at all on Saturday. He had played at least seven minutes in each of the US team’s other five games.
Jrue Holiday, a Celtics guard, played 18 minutes and scored 6 points.
Tyrese Haliburton of the Indiana Pacers also did not play. Like Tatum, Haliburton did not play in either game against Serbia.
Jayson Tatum’s statistics at the Olympic Games
Tatum averaged 4.2 points and 4.2 rebounds in five of the USA’s seven games, shooting just 38 percent. Tatum’s best game came against Puerto Rico, where he had 10 points, 3 assists and 10 rebounds in the group stage.
Tatum made 0 of 4 three-point shots.
Jayson Tatum’s Olympic story
The 2024 Olympics were a stark contrast to Tatum’s first appearance at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in 2021. Tatum averaged 15.2 points per game as the U.S. won gold.
Tatum was his team’s second-leading scorer behind Kevin Durant, who has now won four gold medals. Durant is the first player to win four gold medals in men’s basketball.
More: Celtics Jayson Tatum was benched again at the Olympics. This time his mother speaks out.
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Who led Team USA to gold?
After struggling early in the tournament, Steph Curry was at his best in the semifinals and finals, scoring 60 points in the most important games of the Olympics. On Saturday, Curry scored 24 points, all on his eight three-point shots.
Kevin Durant and Devin Booker both scored 15 points and Lebron James scored 14 points.
The former Boston Celtics player played for France
Guerschon Yabusele, who played for the Celtics from 2017 to 2019, was a rising star for France. In Saturday’s loss, Yabusele scored 20 points, with his big slam dunk over Lebron James being the highlight.
During the Olympics, Yabusele averaged 14 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.0 assists per game. Yabusele was selected 16th overall by Boston in the 2016 NBA Draft. Since being released by the Celtics in 2019, he has played professionally overseas.
Who won medals in men’s basketball at the Paris Olympics?
The United States defeated France in the gold medal match on Saturday to win its fifth consecutive gold. The United States also defeated France in the final in 2021.
In the bronze medal game, Serbia defeated Germany 93-83. Nikola Jokic scored a triple-double in the win with 19 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists.
