Inside The Warriors

USA Basketball Coach Steve Kerr Makes Controversial Jayson Tatum Decision

Golden State Warriors and USA Basketball head coach Steve Kerr changed his lineup
Joey Linn|
Apr 9, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr reacts in the first half against the Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.com Arena.
Apr 9, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr reacts in the first half against the Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.com Arena. | Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

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USA Basketball is currently playing a group of Showcase Games before the Paris Olympic Games begin. These contests give teams an opportunity to figure out what lineups are best suited for Olympic play, especially for a group like USA Basketball that has so much optionality.

Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr is also the head coach for Team USA, and he has played around with several different starting lineups this summer. For USA's Showcase Game against South Sudan on Saturday, Kerr moved Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum to the bench in favor of Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker.

Tatum started in USA's Showcase Game victory over Serbia on Wednesday, scoring four points in 21 minutes of play. Kerr's new lineup features three guards, which can be difficult to navigate defensively, but USA should have enough firepower to offset this.

As previously mentioned, USA has a lot of options with their starting lineup, as Anthony Edwards has seen time in the starting five as well. Kerr will likely have a set group he prefers to start games with by the time USA opens Olympic play against Serbia on July 28th.

For now, Golden State's head coach seems to like Steph Curry, Jrue Holiday, LeBron James, and Joel Embiid in that starting group, with the fifth spot being open to players like Edwards, Tatum, Booker, and potentially others.

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Joey Linn
JOEY LINN

Joey Linn is a credentialed writer covering the NBA and WNBA for On SI. Covering the LA Clippers independently in 2018, then for Fansided and 213Hoops from 2019-2021, Joey joined On SI to cover the Clippers after the 2020-21 season. Graduating from Biola University in 2022 with a Communication Studies degree, Joey served as Biola's play-by-play announcer for their basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer teams. Joey's work on Biola's broadcasts and in the classroom earned him the Outstanding Communication Studies Student of the year award in 2022. Joey covers the NBA full-time, primarily serving as a Clippers beat writer.

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