Jayson Tatum has been making headlines in the last few weeks and it has been for all the wrong reasons. The reigning NBA champion has been shoved to the sidelines twice in this year’s Olympics. Steve Kerr’s decision to leave Tatum out of the semi-final against Serbia has left many questioning his strategy, especially considering the star’s play style. He is coming off a sensational season with the Celtics, and to cut him out at this time didn’t sit well with many. However, several important personalities in the NBA community have backed Kerr’s decision, including former NBA champion Richard Jefferson.

“He doesn’t know his role…He gets on the court, you’re like, ‘Okay I’m going to focus on defense,’ but he’s not Derrick White, he’s not Jrue Holiday, he’s not Bam [Adebayo]. Offensively on the other side, he’s not Kevin Durant, Steph Curry, or Anthony Edwards,” Jefferson said on the Road Trippin’ podcast. 

“He’s one of those players who is stuck in between. He’s not one of your top five perimeter defenders, he’s not one of your top five offensive players. He’s kind of a hybrid of both…He doesn’t fit, he’s kind of a tweener on the Team USA side…You have to be elite at something to get on the court,” he added.

For the uninitiated, a “tweener” in basketball is someone who has some abilities that will be useful on both ends of the floor but he’s not great at any of them. While Tatum has played his part in other games so far, his benching in the biggest game for the USA yet certainly shows his role on the team. There were moments yesterday when Team USA was clearly struggling, but Tatum still couldn’t find some minutes on the court.

Nevertheless, as Jefferson mentioned, Kerr’s decision is working so far for the USA. The Americans have not lost a single game until now, but they have certainly looked weak at times. Against Serbia in the semifinals, the USA made a sensational comeback courtesy of Stephen Curry, who scored 36 points on the night. Unlike Jefferson, Tatum’s benching has not been received well by many others. That includes Gilbert Arenas and his team as well.

Jayson Tatum received support from Gilbert Arenas and Co.

“Every coach on that team about to get your a** barbecued by these guys, because you’re not sticking to the order that those guys have put in themselves,” Arenas mentioned on Gil’s Arena.

Kenyon Martin also pointed out that Kerr should watch out for the Boston Celtics’ first game against the Golden State Warriors. Jayson Tatum would certainly be looking to bounce back in style, especially after a phenomenal season. His silence on the matter is quite deafening, and it would be interesting to see how he responds in his first interview back.

Team USA will face Victor Wembanyama’s France in the Olympics gold medal game. The Americans will look to finish the job in style as they remain the strongest basketball team in the world now. LeBron James and Steph Curry’s partnership will certainly be threatening for the hosts.

Stay tuned for more such updates. And join us for the exciting second episode of the “Dual Threat Show”. Our host BG12 sits down with Georgia Bulldogs star and Mountain West All-Freshman Team Selection, Asia Avinger.