As Team USA prepares for the gold medal showdown against France in men’s basketball, Duke Men’s Basketball has publicly advocated for Jayson Tatum to start in the game.
Their social media account suggested that Tatum could be pivotal in countering France’s size, particularly with the towering presence of 7-foot-3 Victor Wembanyama from the San Antonio Spurs.
Team USA faced challenges containing Serbia’s Nikola Jokic in the semifinals, so Duke believes Tatum’s skill set could be beneficial.
In a tweet, Duke Men’s Basketball stated, “Just the admin but we’d start [Jayson Tatum] to help deal with France’s size.”
The Boston Celtics star, who recently became the NBA’s highest-paid player after leading his team to a championship, has had a fluctuating role during the Olympics. He didn’t play in Team USA’s semifinal victory over Serbia, a game that remained in doubt until the final buzzer.
Tatum has been a subject of debate regarding his playing time throughout the tournament, particularly after not seeing any action in the group stage opener against Serbia.
Despite this, Tatum has shown his value, averaging 19.9 minutes per game and contributing with solid numbers across various statistical categories. As Team USA aims for its fifth consecutive Olympic gold, the decision of whether to start Tatum could significantly impact their strategy against a formidable French squad.
