Jayson Tatum od Team USA grabs a rebound against South Sudan at the Paris Olympics 2024, Wednesday, July 31, 2024, in Villeneuve-d’Ascq, France. (Brian Snyder/Pool Photo via AP)
VILLENEUVE-D’ASCQ, France — Jayson Tatum went from not playing to starting. Joel Embiid went from starting to not playing.
The U.S. Olympic basketball team made two lineup changes for its game against South Sudan on Wednesday night, a 103-86 victory. Tatum, who didn’t play in the opener of the Paris Games for the Americans, moved into the starting lineup along with Anthony Davis.
Jrue Holiday and Embiid, who started against Serbia in the Olympic opener, were moved to reserve roles for the South Sudan game. And Embiid — a past NBA MVP — didn’t get in at all, keeping on his blue warmup pants and top for the entirety of the game.
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It’s consistent with what coach Steve Kerr said would be his thinking in these Olympics — that matchups and playing combinations would shape his decisions for every game in France. He’s said since the team convened for training camp nearly four weeks ago that changes would happen and so far, he’s lived up to that prediction.
FILE–Joel Embiid of Team USA reacts after scoring and being fouled as Filip Petrusev, of Serbia, walks away in a men’s basketball game at the Paris Olympics 2024Sunday, July 28, 2024, in Villeneuve-d’Ascq, France. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
“That’s how we’re going to do this,” Kerr said after the Americans beat South Sudan to clinch a quarterfinal berth. “Whatever we need to do to win each game, that’s what we’re going to do.”
It was not a surprise that Tatum was getting minutes in the second game. Kerr flatly said twice this week that the leading scorer for the NBA champion Boston Celtics last season would be in the rotation against South Sudan, and that he wasn’t for the opener against Serbia based solely on combinations.
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“Jayson is the ultimate pro, a champion, and he handled it well and he’s going to be ready for the next one,” Kerr said after the Serbia game. And after Wednesday, he said he expected to go back to the starting lineup that included Holiday and Embiid.
“I think we need to give these guys more credit,” Kerr said. “They’re here to win a gold medal. They’re pros, they’re committed to each other. So, every game is going to be a little different. We’ll figure out what we need to do to win.”
Tatum is bidding for his second Olympic gold medal, after being on the team that won the title at the Tokyo Games three years ago.
“We won. I was glad to just get back out here and play again today,” Tatum said. “There was a lot of chatter over the last few days, but I was in good spirits, had a good attitude about it. It was fine. As a competitor, you want to play.”