Former NBA All-Star Kenyon Martin criticized Steve Kerr for not including Jayson Tatum in Team USA’s lineup. On ‘Gil’s Arena Show’ with Gilbert Arenas, Martin questioned Kerr’s decision, pointing out that Tatum, a consistent All-NBA player, would never face such treatment if he were on Kerr’s Golden State roster. Martin argued that Kerr could have easily chosen Tatum over Derrick White if he had wanted to.
“Steve, let me ask you something. If Jayson Tatum were on your Golden State team, would he ever be benched? So why is he suddenly not playing now? This guy has been a first-team All-NBA player three years in a row. Are you telling me that he’s suddenly excluded from the game plan? Did anyone even mention that Tatum might not play during your discussions?”
“Are you kidding me? This guy comes over, away from his family, and doesn’t get to play? You made a deliberate choice to leave him out, choosing Derrick White instead. You could have easily made a different decision.”
"[Steve Kerr], if Jayson Tatum was on your roster, would there ever be a situation where he had a DNP? So what the f*ck makes you start now?… You made a conscious decision not to play him [because you put Derrick White in over him].”
— Kenyon Martin 😳pic.twitter.com/IwjOMVp9Ii
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) August 7, 2024
Jayson Tatum did not play at all in Team USA’s opener against Serbia, a situation he described as humbling given his recent NBA championship win. The sudden shift from a prominent role in the NBA to not participating in Team USA’s first Olympic game was a stark contrast for him.
Steve Kerr expressed regret for not using Tatum after the opener, admitting he felt foolish for keeping him on the bench. Tatum started the following two games against South Sudan and Puerto Rico and came off the bench to play significant minutes against Brazil in the quarterfinals.
Although Tatum’s performance has been decent, his involvement has been limited, with averages of 6.3 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.0 blocks, and 1.5 steals per game.
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