As soon as Jayson Tatum was found in his warmup jersey rather than the Stars and Stripes jersey, the chaos following his omission from Team USA’s first game in Paris got stronger and stronger. Fans and media took their chances to point out inefficacies in the coaching and the athlete. However, a common narrative that might have been kept confidential is the injury status of Jayson Tatum because his status for the Serbia game was “DNP-CD.” So it was the coach’s decision to keep the Celtics‘ star benched during the Group C opener.

The speculations had started even during the game itself, as Tatum did not even stand for a single moment. That’s why, post-game, Gary Washburn from the Boston Globe asked Tatum about his health, to which the Celtics star replied, “No, I’m good.” With what Tatum updated on his end, there is no need to worry about any tangible troubles for the NBA champion during his Olympic campaign.

So, it might be the intangibles that compelled Steve Kerr to hold Tatum on the bench for the time being. After going through what he has delivered in the pre-Olympic campaign, let us understand why Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum was sitting on the sidelines applauding the blazing performances of Kevin Durant and LeBron James.

Reasons why Jayson Tatum did not get to play in his debut Paris Olympic game

As the suspicion regarding Tatum’s injury or illness cleared up, the hoops community wandered over various possible combinations to justify the NBA Champion’s omission. However, coach Steve Kerr himself clarified the surprise package that he delivered to Serbia and the basketball fans, including Tatum’s snub.

Not fitting the combination

JT is an excellent passer with his strength on offense. However, as Team USA re-surged against the Serbian squad with KD, they were already packed with the offensive powers. LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Anthony Edwards all continued the flow of the game with their prowess on both ends, whether it be screening, blocking, or stealing.

Also, Jrue Holiday’s passing and guarding abilities shone glowingly on the court. With this star power, Tatum’s abilities weren’t particularly needed since someone was also needed to move the ball, and Derrick White was the absolute candidate for the role.

Overall, Tatum’s back support for the offense was already present in the form of Edwards, and it might have been more of an overload if Tatum had been on that roster. So that might be the reason Tatum was sitting on the bench.

Compatibility with Serbia’s quick offense

It might not fit with the community well, but the Celtics star has a habit of casually pacing up the court as the game drives deep into the game. In April, an anonymous NBA opponent Executive revealed to Celtics Wire that JT’s slow pace occurs when “he’s tired.” So in an environment where players like Bojan Bogdanovic and Nikola Jokić just charged on both sides of the rim back and forth, it was necessary to include some athletic candidates. Even Durant admitted after the game that he was “tired.”

Jayson Tatum needs to run the court if he wants to contend with the powerhouse offensive teams where there is not even a spare second to catch one’s breath. If it continues the same path, no doubt such benching events might not be so unfamiliar to the Celtics star.

What are your thoughts on the issue? Let us know in the comments.

Before you go, do not forget to check out this crossover between BG12 and Georgia Bulldogs star Silas Demary Jr.