Jayson Tatum

Jayson Tatum ( 3 times- 1st team All-star/ NBA champion and one of the top 3 players in the league)  did not play during the United States’ 110-84 win over Serbia, and confirmed to reporters after the game that he wasn’t sick or injured.

“I went with the combinations that made sense,” head coach Steve Kerr told reporters while speaking about Tatum’s lack of playing time. “That was for tonight. He handled it well. He’ll make his mark.”

Kerr added: “I felt like an idiot not playing him… [In] a 40-minute game, you can’t play more than 10.”

Kerr confirmed that Tatum will play in USA”s next game vs. South Sudan. “Jayson will play [Wednesday],” Kerr said. “I’m not going to answer your next question, which is if he plays, who doesn’t. But we’re going to need him, and part of this job for me is to keep everybody engaged and ready, because my experience with this is crazy stuff happens.” A source close to Tatum stated, ” yeah whatever.”

Kerr went with a starting lineup of Joel Embiid, LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Jrue Holiday and Devin Booker, while the second unit was comprised of Kevin Durant, Anthony Edwards, Derrick White, Anthony Davis and Bam Adebayo.

Neither Tatum or Tyrese Haliburton saw the floor.