With a championship glow and collective sense of invincibility, Jayson Tatum, Jrue Holiday and Derrick White find themselves in Paris eager to capture another crown.
No, Jaylen Brown isn’t with them, but the Celtics still constitute 25 percent of the Team USA roster. That’s not a coincidence, either. While Tatum is indisputably one of the nation’s 12 best players, Holiday and White’s winning DNA helped earn them a nod.
The United States begins its quest for gold on Sunday at 11:15 a.m. ET against Nikola Jokic and Serbia. Team USA is clearly the favorite and will likely prevail in the end, yet the exhibition games showed it almost certainly won’t be easy.
Forget the Dream Team vs. 2024 team for a second. The world has almost caught up, which makes comparing them a silly and fruitless endeavor. That doesn’t mean people won’t try, but the reality is that it doesn’t mean much. It would likely be a competitive and extremely well-played game, and whichever team played better on that day would win.
But no matter how you break it down, Team USA is stacked, and the versatility the three Celtics bring is a major reason why.
Here’s a look at how Tatum, Holiday and White fit into Team USA’s vision:
Jayson Tatum
For those expecting Tatum to drop 25 to 30 a night, take this as a warning: You may not get your wish.
LeBron James is clearly the alpha on the roster, and a previously injured Kevin Durant will likely re-emerge as his trusty sidekick. Stephen Curry is also a clear catalyst. Take a look at those three players. All three are 35 or older, which means it’s possible it could be their last Olympics (though let’s be real…James may play until he’s 45).
Tatum’s top priority will be winning, of course, but he also has a chance to establish himself as the future face of the team. Anthony Edwards is also in the mix for that unofficial title, and a strong showing here could cement Tatum as the alpha of the group in years to come – and a potential flag bearer in 2028.
Those clamoring for Tatum to be more aggressive throughout the playoffs will likely enjoy the way he plays at the Olympics. He doesn’t have to do too much and can let the game come to him. Tatum will presumably have a lot of 12, 7 and 4 games, or something along those lines.
With a star-studded roster, Tatum can ride the championship bliss into Paris, figure out what each game needs and continue to make others better.
Jrue Holiday
Holiday is one of the most reliable players in the world.
He’s essentially a basketball chameleon who can blend in based on what the game needs. If you need him to score 20, he will. If you need 10 assists, he’ll do just that. If you need him to focus primarily on defense, that’s where he dazzles the most.
Holiday’s versatility sets him apart, and that trait serves him well in a setting like this. While other players have to adapt their games and take fewer shots than they’re used to, Holiday’s role is essentially an extension of how he plays with the Celtics.
Don’t be surprised if he emerges as the second or third-most effective player on the roster. Teams have to pay so much attention to James, Durant and Curry (as they should) that Holiday is often the beneficiary. Sound familiar?
Also, look for Holiday to be on the floor in the final minutes of close games. If there’s a gold medal on the line, and Team USA needs a stop, he just may be the one who secures it.
Derrick White
Derrick White’s an Olympian, folks. That’s pretty amazing, considering his backstory and everything it took for him to even get to the NBA.
White will likely see significantly fewer minutes than he’s used to but don’t expect his efficiency or productivity to suffer as a result. In Team USA’s near-stunner against plucky South Sudan, White entered in the second half and changed the complexion of the game.
He and Tyrese Haliburton are indirectly competing for minutes, and at the moment, it appears as though White has the slight edge. With Team USA, he’ll play a bit more on the ball and operate primarily as a facilitator and decision-maker in the pick-and-roll.
White and Anthony Davis have already developed some stellar chemistry, and he and Bam Adebayo should mesh as well. He also has a chance to steal some minutes from Devin Booker, who provides scoring but not much else. There’s already plenty of scoring to go around, so someone who makes key hustle plays and serves as a glue may be more beneficial.
It will be interesting to see how Kerr uses White. Even if he plays five minutes in the first game, chances are he’ll contribute at a high level. Then maybe he’ll get to 10, then 15 and eventually emerge as a driving force. White isn’t there just to be there. He wants to play, and chances are he will.
All three together
If Kerr’s smart, he’ll play Tatum, Holiday and White at the same time in spurts – maybe even alongside James and Davis.
Players who have built-in chemistry tend to excel in situations like this. Tatum, Holiday and White just reached the mountaintop, and there’s no reason to think they won’t do it again.
