Jayson Tatum leads the way in Team USA Blue-White scrimmage

In Team USA’s first scrimmage of training camp, it was the former Duke Basketball star Jayson Tatum that led the way in the Blue-White game.

Team USA is in the midst of its FIBA World Cup Training Camp, the National Team hopefuls and the USA Select Team hit the hardwood in Las Vegas for an intra-squad scrimmage.

Former Duke Basketball standouts Jayson Tatum and Mason Plumlee was on the ‘Blue Team’ which was comprised on the competing National Team members and Marvin Bagley III was on the ‘White Team’ full of the Select Team.

More from Ball Durham

While players are still trying to fight their way onto the 12-man roster that new head coach Gregg Popovich must decide on by August 17, former Blue Devil star Jayson Tatum took the next step in possibly becoming the go-to-man on the team.

In the scrimmage, Tatum had a game-high 17 points in addition to four rebounds and one assist. The Boston Celtic was 6-for-8 from the field and 3-of-5 from 3-point range, while making 2-of-3 from the free throw line.

Tatum’s new Celtics teammate, Kemba Walker, was the game’s second-leading scorer with 14 points in the Blue’s 97-78 win over the White.

Former Blue Devil Mason Plumlee was not involved in the Blue team’s 97 points, but the Denver Nuggets big man did manage to pull down five rebounds.

Plumlee also gathered one assist and one steal and missed his lone shot attempt on the evening in just nine minutes of action.

For the White team, Marvin Bagley III was on the floor for about 18 minutes, netting eight points and three rebounds, but struggled from the floor on 3-of-11 shooting.

The Sacramento Kings big man missed his only attempt from 3-point range but did make both of his free throw attempts.

After the scrimmage it was announced that Marvin Bagley and Derrick White would be replacing Bam Adebayo and Thaddeus Young on the National Team roster competing for a roster spot on the FIBA World Cup team.

Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski was at Team USA training camp early this week and talked to all three of his former players as they prepare for the rest of the summer.

Team USA will scrimmage Spain in Anaheim, California on August 16 and then travel to Australia for a pre-World Cup Tour all starting on August 22, as the FIBA World Cup starts on August 31 in China.