5x NBA All-Star and a fresh NBA Champion sitting on the sidelines two times since the kickoff of the group games at the Paris Olympics- it is something that the hoopers will only get to see in Team USA basketball. Steve Kerr benched Jayson Tatum against Serbia both times, whether it be the first group game or the Olympic semi-finals. It did not sit well with the Celtics fans since the start of the group games. But this time, the Celtics legend and NBPA founder Bob Cousy raised his voice against Steve Kerr, accusing the Team USA coach of bias “against the Celtics.”

It came after the harrowing game against Serbia, where the opponent had 17 17-point lead at the point, and Kerr still did not put Jayson Tatum off the bench. However, Wisconsin University team head coach and analyst Doug Gottlieb had a slightly different opinion than Cousy’s since he dwelled on the performance of the players in the NBA finals. Reasoning with his point, Gottlieb stated on Fox Sports Radio, “Who would you rather choose? Kevin Durant – who’s 35 years old, won an MVP, won a couple MVP Finals, and actually produced in those Finals, as opposed to Jayson Tatum who was TERRIBLE in both NBA Finals.”

“I think Tatum is really good but we’re looking at it through the prism of the NBA, “ Doug added. The fact from Doug can’t be argued as Jayson Tatum has only averaged 21.8 points in NBA finals throughout his career. On the other end, the Slim Reaper is completely menacing with his offensive charge, putting up 30.3 points per game in the NBA Finals overall.

Also, JT’s offensive capabilities always hovered in doubt since he is a great defender[8.1 rpg] and playmaker[4.9 assists avg], but he is not a good scorer. His scoring percentage[37.6%] is the worst of all other volume scorers and his league counterparts like KD[54.6%], Nikola Jokic[58.3%], and Giannis Antetokounmpo[61.8%]. In the words of Doug Gottlieb, Tatum is just a “great scoring wing.” However he is not suited for international competition…not yet. Why? Let us know why it is a fact.

Is Jayson Tatum not relevant in the international competition?

When Bob Cousy accused Steve Kerr of JT bias after the Semi-finals game, he did mention that Steve Kerr thinks that “he’s not good enough to get into a close game.” Coming to Cousy’s comments, they sounded more sentimental rather than analytical. Jayson Tatum’s frame is not that big as a defender and Serbia goes on with the run-and-gun offense. Also, JT’s performance against Serbia in the exhibition games was not a showcase since he only racked up four points and five rebounds despite playing time of about 21 minutes.

From the looks of it, it seems that’s why Steve Kerr benched Jayson Tatum, as he wanted the players who make their teammates better. There is not anything flashy about JT’s plays. He plays on fundamentals with his athleticism, fluid motion, and strong frame. Yet he is not that mature to hold those intangibles to command his dominance in a game.

As Doug commented, “Just because you’re a top 5 or top 10 player does not mean in any way that we should view the Olympics through the prism of the NBA. It’s a different game, dude. It was a grown-man game and he’s not a grown man in comparison to those other dudes.” May be not now, but the Celtics star will evolve to be a great performer in the future. However, until he surrounds himself with an offensive aura enough to shut down international players, he is not suited for the Olympics. International games are more demanding than just scoring, so it’ll be better the sooner JT breaks himself from the mold of only the NBA.

Before leaving, do watch the Dual Threat Show hosted by BG12 where Bulldogs’ Asia Avinger details her experience with Kobe Bryant, her WNBA ROTY picks, and more in the video below.