Having a stacked roster like Team USA comes with its own disadvantages. When the options are plenty, someone must miss out on playing time. For the star-spangled men, Jayson Tatum has been the unlucky one out so far, with zero minutes of game time against Serbia. To jar your memory, this is the same Jayson Tatum who is fresh off an NBA Finals win.

His Celtics buddy, Jrue Holiday, is a starter in Steve Kerr’s system, with Derrick White also getting a nod in the team. Kerr tried to explain his decision following the game, but was his reasoning for keeping JT on the bench satisfactory? For two of Boston’s own, that really didn’t matter. In fact, they looked happier to see Tatum on the bench rather than putting his body on the line for the nation. This feeling was made clear during the latest episode of First Take, as Hollywood stars, Matt Damon and Casey Affleck joined the host, Molly Qerim.

When asked about their reaction to Tatum’s benching, the A-listers seemed unfazed. “If you wanna give our guys, some extra time to rest his legs, I think we’re okay with it, to tell you the truth. No. They didn’t need him. You know?”, Damon said. Tatum only averaged 6.7 points in the 5 exhibition games leading up to the Olympics and was not a big miss, given the circumstances in the Serbia game. “It was obviously, the game was kinda well in hand. I was a little baffled by it, but, as long as we’re winning and playing well, I’m alright with it. I would love to see him get in there because he’s great, and he made the trip all the way over there. But, if you wanna give him a little rest, I’m sure he’s happy about it,” the Bourne Identity actor concluded.

Chiming in, Affleck added, “Tatum had a lot of games recently. You know, some of those other guys didn’t. They’ve been resting for a little while longer. So, let them have some time.” The actor duo grew up in Boston and have been lifelong Cs fans. With their deep connection with the franchise, the two seemed well content given the recent championship success. Team USA HC Steve Kerr was bombarded with questions and scrutiny about why Tatum did not play. While Kerr admitted that he “felt like an idiot, “, he also hinted at a potential date for Jayson Tatum.

Will Jayson Tatum play against South Sudan?

Team USA got off to a flying start against Serbia, but a tougher test awaits against South Sudan. The African nation posed a tough test and almost snatched a victory against Team USA in London. Steve Kerr will be wary of it as he’s ready to adjust accordingly. Part of the adjustment will see Jayson Tatum finally getting some playing time on Wednesday.

“Jayson will play. I’m not going to answer your next question, which is if he plays, who doesn’t. But we’re going to need him, and part of this job for me is to keep everybody engaged and ready, because my experience with this is crazy stuff happens,” Kerr revealed ahead of the SS game. While size mattered in the game against Serbia, speed would be essential against smaller and faster Sudanese players. Highlighting that Kerr added, “With South Sudan, it’s more about the speed, and speed is a killer. You have to be prepared for everything, and that means we need everybody.”

Do you think Jayson Tatum will play a big role in the South Sudan game? Share your opinion in the comments.

And to absorb more interesting stories, watch the Dual Threat Show hosted by BG12 where the prodigy puts Bulldogs star Silas Demary Jr under the pump with loaded NBA questions and more in this video below.