Former NBA player Draymond Green disagreed with Steve Kerr’s contentious choice to bench Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum during Team USA’s opening match at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.
On Saturday, August 3, Green stated on his own podcast, “No one cares who played the minutes.” “Have you taken home a gold medal or not? That’s the crux of the matter. But you don’t pretend to be Jason Tatum. That guy just took home the NBA title. He appears on the cover of Sports Illustrated and NBA 2K. The largest contract in NBA history was recently signed by him.
Kerr clarified that Kevin Durant’s injury comeback caused Tatum to be moved down the roster.
According to Patriot Ledger, Kerr stated, “I just went to the combinations that I felt would make the most sense because it’s really hard in a 40-minute game to play more than 10 guys.”
However, Green disagreed with his Warriors coach’s selection of the Team USA lineup.
“It was wrong not to play [Tatum],” the Warriors’ dynamic forward said. It was wrong, as we all know. He ought to have participated.
Green thought that Tatum’s benching started the practice of excluding a member of Team USA from each and every game during the group round.
“Now that Joel [Embiid] isn’t in the starting lineup, it feels to me like a covering my tracks, proving a point type of thing, which is what I don’t like about it,” Green remarked. “And then Jrue [Holiday] didn’t play today. Looking in from the outside, it appears as though the coaching staff erred.
It’s undoubtedly a component of “We can give the ankle a little rest,” but it’s also a component of “We can’t play somebody.” To be honest, I don’t like it.
Green Draymond Request that Steve Kerr Adhere to a Regular Rotation
As Team USA advances to the medal round, Green, who has been a member of Kerr’s squad since he took over the Warriors bench in 2014, cried out for a consistent rotation.
Green advised, “Come out with a rotation and stick with it.” We’re not attempting to match their lineup because these teams aren’t good enough. They must complement our lineup. We have the world’s best players. We’ll be alright.
But Kerr has blocked out the outside noise and is going to follow his strategy, which has helped Team USA secure the top slot going into the quarterfinals.
“They’re experts and devoted to one another. As reported by Ben Golliver of the Washington Post on July 31, Kerr stated, “I don’t read social media.” “Hopefully, our men aren’t focusing on that too much. That’s a typical season event where the soap opera manages to pull in the viewers. It’s just win a dang gold here.
ESPN Insider Supports Steve Kerr’s Selection for the USA’s Rotation
ESPN’s NBA expert Brian Windhorst, who is covering Team USA in Paris, is one of Kerr’s most ardent supporters.
Windhorst stated on “Get Up” on August 1 that “he’s not going to care if a player gets upset or if a player isn’t thrilled because he doesn’t have to worry about a player asking for a trade, getting re-signed, or going to his agent.”
Windhorst went on, “And I’m going to tell you right now, Steve Kerr is dropping aces.” “His strategies are all succeeding. His adjustments to the lineup have been successful. Even Derrick White, the athlete who drew criticism for starting Jaylen Brown in place of Kawhi Leonard, has had two outstanding performances. His number is +33. If you’re criticizing Steve Kerr right now, you’re in a bad place since he’s currently on a hot streak.
Get Up, Get Up · Follow @GetUpESPN.@WindhorstSteve Kerr’s lineup choices for the Paris Olympics thus far are explained by ESPN
8:31 am · August 1, 2024 141 Response
Team USA advanced easily through the group stage with an average winning margin of 21.3 points despite having different starting lines.
In the knockout stages, which begin on Tuesday, August 6, against Brazil in the quarterfinals, Kerr intends to keep Team USA on the winning track.
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