Despite less playtime during the run, Jayson Tatum‘s Olympic outing has a silver lining after all. The 5x All-star not only got benched in two matchups against Siberia but had an average playtime of just 17.7 minutes per game. While the majority of NBA community saw this as an injustice to the last season’s champ, former New York Knicks star Stephon Marbury has pointed out the positives that come for Tatum from the whole experience.

During his appearance on the Scoop B Radio, the ex-NBA star was asked, who according to him, would have the best regular season coming off the 2024 USA basketball team.“Who would benefit the most? I think Tatum will. Tatum. And I think the young guys who didn’t play as much,” he stated. Marbury backed his opinion by using the post-2004 Olympics effect as an example.

“Cause LeBron and Carmelo and D Wade, after the [2004] Olympics, them dudes went on some serious, crazy, nasty terror because they didn’t play and we lost,” the ex-Knicks star said. Further pointing out that there had to be some extra incentive for these three players because they became a part of the Olympic team.

Notably, among the three players mentioned on the team, Dwyane Wade received the highest playing time with 17.6 minutes per game in 8 games. While LeBron James played just 11.5 MPG, Melo appeared only in 7 games with an average playtime of 6.7 MPG. The nation never forgot the embarrassment of having to manage with just a bronze. And neither did the three young talents mentioned by Marbury.

Notably, in their rookie season, Melo and Bron had points per game rounding off to the 20 point mark, while Wade had 16.2. Following the ’04 Olympic run, all three of them made it to the 25+ points per game mark in multiple seasons before the ’08 Olympics arrived. Securing their place in the popular Redeem Team as the front faces of the roster along with Kobe Bryant, later, they avenged their 2004 loss.

Though Jayson Tatum has no such motivation to avenge a bitter loss, him riding high on the confidence of 2024 Olympic gold and motivation to be the front face of the next Olympics, could lead to a similar terror in the NBA that once the three young talents from ’04 Olympics created for other teams.

However, Marbury is not the first from the NBA community to find positives in Tatum’s Olympic run. A former Detroit Pistons star did something similar, yet in a completely different sense.

Rasheed Wallace shields Steve Kerr on less playing time for Jayson Tatum

In his defense of Kerr over a decision that had many fans scratching their heads, Wallace stated his belief the move was actually a favor to the Boston Celtics star. During an episode of Sheed & Tyler podcast, he explained he saw Kerr’s decision as somewhat of a gesture of care for Tatum.

He felt Kerr was essentially telling Tatum to “rest up” because he had already proven himself as an NBA champion. And as one of the top players in the league. According to the ex Pistons star, Kerr wasn’t diminishing Tatum’s importance. But was allowing him to take a breather. And maintain his peak form for the upcoming season.

Wallace pointed out that players like Derrick White and Jrue Holiday didn’t have the same level of pressure as Tatum or his teammate Jaylen Brown. Who constantly bear the weight of leading their teams. He suggested this benching strategy might’ve actually helped Jayson Tatum by taking some of the burden off his shoulders.

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Sheed went on to share how he would have felt in Tatum’s situation. Saying that he wouldn’t mind sitting out a bit after playing heavy minutes all season long, he imagined Kerr thinking something similar: letting Tatum rest his body and recharge for what’s coming. Although the reasoning behind their opinions is different for both Wallace and Marbury, the indication is quite similar — Jayson Tatum is likely to have a different level of next NBA season.