Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green expressed his disapproval of Team USA’s decision to bench Jayson Tatum in their opening game of the Olympics, calling the move “crazy.” During an episode of his podcast, “The Draymond Green Show,” Green stated, “You just don’t not play Jayson Tatum in Game 1 of the Olympics.”
In the United States’ 110-84 victory over Serbia to kick off group play, both Tatum and Indiana Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton did not start, as head coach Steve Kerr opted for a 10-man rotation.
This summer has been significant for the 26-year-old Tatum, who recently signed a five-year, $314-million contract—the largest in NBA history—after leading the Boston Celtics to an NBA title.
Following his benching in Game 1, Tatum returned to the starting lineup in Team USA’s second game against South Sudan, with Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid taking his place on the bench. In Game 3 against Puerto Rico, Celtics guard Jrue Holiday sat out due to a minor ankle injury, allowing Embiid to rejoin the starting rotation.
Green, a two-time Olympian, voiced concern over the frequent changes within the U.S. squad. “Quite frankly, I don’t like it,” he remarked. “Come out with a rotation and stick with it. These teams aren’t good enough to where we’re trying to match their lineup. They’ve got to match our lineup.”
He further commented, “It just comes off as like a ‘we made a mistake as a coaching staff’ … you now combat it with ‘alright, now this guy isn’t playing.'”
Currently, Team USA leads the men’s basketball tournament with a plus-62 margin of victory throughout the group stage. The team is set to face Brazil in the quarterfinals on Tuesday and could potentially meet the winner of the Serbia vs. Australia match with a victory.
