Well that settles that — for now, at least.

In the wake of the U.S. men's basketball team's commanding 26-point win over Serbia to open group play, the No. 1 topic of conversation wasn't Kevin Durant's sensational return, or Team USA's much improved perimeter defense. It was Jayson Tatum, the first-team All-NBA superstar who didn't log a single minute.

Tatum's omission touched off a bit of a firestorm, with some in the States claiming that the decision was disrespectful to one of the best players in the sport — and the most natural choice to pick up the torch with Durant, LeBron James, Steph Curry and other older stars playing in likely their final Olympics.

Head coach Steve Kerr did his best to put that fire out ahead of the team's next game, which comes Wednesday, July 31, at 3 p.m. ET against South Sudan.  “Jayson will play."

Kerr added that he "felt like an idiot" for not playing Tatum against Serbia.

In his defense, a 40-minute game doesn't leave a ton of flexibility, and with a 12-player roster, someone is bound to be the odd man out. Durant's return meant that man was Tatum, who as a ball-dominant star is less of a clean fit around Curry, James and Anthony Edwards than, say, his less-heralded teammate Derrick White.

Still, Kerr realizes Tatum's importance in the bigger picture, both in Paris and beyond. He said he approached the Celtics star before the Serbia game and told him of the decision, adding that Tatum "handled it well". 

As for what Tatum's reinsertion into the rotation means for the rest of the team, however, Kerr wasn't willing to go there yet.

“I’m not going to answer your next question, which is if he plays, who doesn’t,” Kerr said. “But we’re going to need him, and part of this job for me is to keep everybody engaged and ready, because my experience with this is crazy stuff happens.”

The coach also tried to keep everyone's focus on the main goal: winning a historic fifth straight gold.

“Be one of 12 and try to win a gold medal for your country,” he said.