With a championship glow and collective sense of invincibility, Jayson Tatum, Jrue Vacation and Derrick White discover themselves in Paris desperate to seize one other crown.
No, Jaylen Brown isn’t with them, however the Celtics nonetheless represent 25 p.c of the Group USA roster. That’s not a coincidence, both. Whereas Tatum is indisputably one of many nation’s 12 greatest gamers, Vacation and White’s profitable DNA helped earn them a nod.
The US begins its quest for gold on Sunday at 11:15 a.m. ET towards Nikola Jokic and Serbia. Group USA is clearly the favourite and can seemingly prevail in the long run, but the exhibition video games confirmed it virtually definitely gained’t be straightforward.
Neglect the Dream Group vs. 2024 workforce for a second. The world has virtually caught up, which makes evaluating them a foolish and fruitless endeavor. That doesn’t imply folks gained’t attempt, however the actuality is that it doesn’t imply a lot. It could seemingly be a aggressive and intensely well-played sport, and whichever workforce performed higher on that day would win.
However irrespective of the way you break it down, Group USA is stacked, and the flexibility the three Celtics carry is a serious cause why.
Right here’s a take a look at how Tatum, Vacation and White match into Group USA’s imaginative and prescient:
Jayson Tatum
For these anticipating Tatum to drop 25 to 30 an evening, take this as a warning: Chances are you’ll not get your want.
LeBron James is clearly the alpha on the roster, and a beforehand injured Kevin Durant will seemingly re-emerge as his trusty sidekick. Stephen Curry can be a transparent catalyst. Check out these three gamers. All three are 35 or older, which implies it’s potential it could possibly be their final Olympics (although let’s be actual…James could play till he’s 45).
Tatum’s high precedence shall be profitable, after all, however he additionally has an opportunity to determine himself as the longer term face of the workforce. Anthony Edwards can be within the combine for that unofficial title, and a powerful displaying right here might cement Tatum because the alpha of the group in years to come back – and a possible flag bearer in 2028.
These clamoring for Tatum to be extra aggressive all through the playoffs will seemingly take pleasure in the best way he performs on the Olympics. He doesn’t need to do an excessive amount of and may let the sport come to him. Tatum will presumably have numerous 12, 7 and 4 video games, or one thing alongside these strains.
With a star-studded roster, Tatum can experience the championship bliss into Paris, work out what every sport wants and proceed to make others higher.
Jrue Vacation
Vacation is without doubt one of the most dependable gamers on this planet.
He’s primarily a basketball chameleon who can mix in based mostly on what the sport wants. In the event you want him to attain 20, he’ll. In the event you want 10 assists, he’ll just do that. In the event you want him to focus totally on protection, that’s the place he dazzles probably the most.
Vacation’s versatility units him aside, and that trait serves him effectively in a setting like this. Whereas different gamers need to adapt their video games and take fewer photographs than they’re used to, Vacation’s function is basically an extension of how he performs with the Celtics.
Don’t be shocked if he emerges because the second or third-most efficient participant on the roster. Groups need to pay a lot consideration to James, Durant and Curry (as they need to) that Vacation is commonly the beneficiary. Sound acquainted?
Additionally, search for Vacation to be on the ground within the last minutes of shut video games. If there’s a gold medal on the road, and Group USA wants a cease, he simply could be the one who secures it.
Derrick White
Derrick White’s an Olympian, people. That’s fairly wonderful, contemplating his backstory and all the pieces it took for him to even get to the NBA.
White will seemingly see considerably fewer minutes than he’s used to however don’t count on his effectivity or productiveness to undergo consequently. In Group USA’s near-stunner towards plucky South Sudan, White entered within the second half and altered the complexion of the sport.
He and Tyrese Haliburton are not directly competing for minutes, and in the intervening time, it seems as if White has the slight edge. With Group USA, he’ll play a bit extra on the ball and function primarily as a facilitator and decision-maker within the pick-and-roll.
White and Anthony Davis have already developed some stellar chemistry, and he and Bam Adebayo ought to mesh as effectively. He additionally has an opportunity to steal some minutes from Devin Booker, who offers scoring however not a lot else. There’s already loads of scoring to go round, so somebody who makes key hustle performs and serves as a glue could also be extra useful.
It is going to be fascinating to see how Kerr makes use of White. Even when he performs 5 minutes within the first sport, chances are high he’ll contribute at a excessive stage. Then perhaps he’ll get to 10, then 15 and finally emerge as a driving pressure. White isn’t there simply to be there. He desires to play, and chances are high he’ll.
All three collectively
If Kerr’s good, he’ll play Tatum, Vacation and White on the similar time in spurts – perhaps even alongside James and Davis.
Gamers who’ve built-in chemistry are likely to excel in conditions like this. Tatum, Vacation and White simply reached the mountaintop, and there’s no cause to suppose they gained’t do it once more.
