While Team USA finishes its preparation undefeated, a player found himself benched throughout the matches by Steve Kerr.
A decision far from being unanimous among the supporters, even if the coach could change his mind once in Paris.
LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Bam Adebayo are among the players who shone in this preparation with Team USA.
Steve Kerr has solidified his starting 5 and continues to trust Joel Embiid to be the starting pivot, despite strong criticism from supporters.
But other players are not entitled to preferential treatment from the coach.
A Team USA player benched
This is for example the case of Tyrese Haliburton.
If he hits the rest of the year with the Pacers in the NBA, the leader was left out of the rotation during this preparation.
He had played 20 minutes against Canada and 15 against Serbia, but it seems that Kerr and his staff are not convinced of his contribution at the moment. Quite disappointing for some.
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During Team USA’s preparation matches, Tyrese Haliburton gradually disappeared from Steve Kerr’s rotation. Canada: 20 minutes. Serbia: 15 minutes. South Sudan: 7 minutes. Germany: 0 minutes.
Haliburton, who was a key player on Team USA’s FIBA roster, is not expected to get many minutes during the Olympics.
It’s not easy to establish yourself in such a talented roster, but it seems pretty harsh for Haliburton, especially given what he shows the rest of the year on the Pacers side.
The feeling is shared among fans.
Il ne devrait pas être dans l’équipe
no wonder every match is close
Steve Kerr doesn’t seem to be counting on Tyrese Haliburton, at least for the moment. Disappointing for the leader of the Pacers, even if this experience will remain valuable for the future.
The coach can always change his mind when arriving in Paris.