Team USA secured their fifth consecutive gold medal by defeating France 98-87. With three players on Team USA, the Celtics had the most players out of any NBA team. Jayson Tatum, Jrue Holiday, and Derrick White all had different roles on Team USA. Since Olympic basketball has officially wrapped up it’s time to evaluate how each Celtic performed.
Paris Olympics: Takeaways from Each Celtics Performance
Jayson Tatum: A Curious Olympics
Jayson Tatum’s Olympic role has been well-discussed. The three-time first-team All-NBA wing was benched for two games both against Serbia. Interestingly Tatum started in games against South Sudan and Puerto Rico. He also received 11 minutes off the bench in the gold medal game. Steve Kerr’s decision to bench Tatum in two games is questionable and fairly disrespectful. He cited matchups as the main reason. However, the first game against Serbia was a 30-point blowout in which Kerr certainly could have found some minutes for Tatum.
Steve Kerr explains that Jayson Tatum’s benching is a result of a “math problem.”
“It’s not about anything Jayson is doing or not doing. It’s just about combinations and the way that group has played together, the way Kevin has filled in since he came back from his injury. It’s… pic.twitter.com/S8nL0na9RD
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) August 9, 2024
The second game was much closer and Team USA trailed for the majority of it. Rebounding and bench scoring were primary issues in this game both things Tatum could have helped out with. Furthermore, Anthony Edwards struggled in the first half Tatum could have easily taken his minutes in the second half. It’s more than understandable why LeBron James and Kevin Durant were above Tatum in the rotation especially considering this is likely their last Olympics. However, there still could have been some minutes available for Tatum, and playing multiple big wings together is far less problematic than Kerr made it seem particularly against Serbia. Additionally, Tatum was the second-leading scorer in the Toyko Olympics. In the Olympics great players have to make sacrifices however, unnecessarily benching a consensus top-ten player is going a step too far.
Puerto Rico was Tatum’s best game of the Olympics; in 23 minutes he scored 10 points, grabbed 10 boards, and dished out four assists. While Tatum didn’t score efficiently in any of the games he was able to make a positive contribution as a rebounder, playmaker, and finisher. In the gold medal game contributed two points and three rebounds. Overall in the four games he played, Tatum averaged 17.7 minutes, 5.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.5 assists on 38 percent shooting from the field.
Jrue Holiday: An Elite All-Around Guard
Jrue Holiday played a crucial role in Team USA’s success. Holiday started four out of six games he was pulled out of the starting lineup for the gold medal game as Durant replaced him and missed the game against Puerto Rico due to illness. He was integral, often guarding the opposing team’s best player. Furthermore, his role as a spot-up shooter and secondary player was highly valuable. He posted averages of 18.8 minutes, 7.6 points, 3.6 assists, and 1.8 assists while shooting 50 percent from three. Holiday’s best performance was the first game against Serbia where he poured in 15 points, four rebounds, and three assists. Every team could use an all-around guard like Holiday and future Olympic teams will seek out players like him. Ultimately Holiday’s well-rounded skill set and ability to play with any lineup shined throughout the Olympics.
Derrick White: The Value of Great Role Players
Similar to Holiday Derrick White had an important role in Team USA’s success. While he didn’t start like Holiday he was in the rotation for every game outside of the gold medal game. White’s elite defensive and three-point shooting allowed him to fit with any lineup. In 15 minutes per game, he averaged 3.8 points, 1.4 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.4 steals, and a block. White’s best game came against South Sudan where he scored 10 points, including a perfect 3-3 shooting from beyond the arc, he also notched three steals and one block. White did whatever was asked of him and seamlessly fit in any lineup. Ultimately, White’s performance proved the value of elite role players on Olympic rosters. Going forward Team USA might look to more players like White as opposed to top stars.
