Celtics Guard Excited for Tatum in Team USA Rematch vs Serbia

The 2024 Olympics in Paris began with a surprising move from Team USA’s basketball coach, Steve Kerr.

In their first game, Team USA won 110-84 against Serbia, but Kerr benched Jayson Tatum and Tyrese Haliburton. This decision was unexpected since Tatum just won a title with the Celtics and signed a huge contract extension.

Later, Kerr also kept Joel Embiid off the court in the game against South Sudan. Payton Pritchard thinks this will motivate Tatum to prove everyone wrong again .

Unexpected Coaching Decisions:

Pritchard shared his thoughts on “The Point Forward Podcast,” saying he’s excited to see how Tatum responds to doubters. “I’m excited to see what he does with that. That just adds more fuel to the fire,” Pritchard said via SB Nation. “Now you gotta show people again because they doubting. I’m looking forward to JT proving them wrong.”

Fans might think this move will either make or break Tatum’s spirit.

Tatum’s performance last season helped Boston dominate the NBA playoffs. The Celtics were top of the Eastern Conference, finishing 14 games ahead of the Knicks, and only lost three playoff games total.

Throughout the regular season, Tatum averaged 26.9 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 4.9 assists per game while shooting 47.1% from the field. In the playoffs, he upped his game even more with averages of 25 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 6.3 assists per game.

Team USA faces Serbia in the semifinal on Thursday at 3 p.m ET.

What do you think about Kerr’s decisions?