Since Joel Embiid announced his desire to play for Team USA last year and eventually joined the roster at the beginning of 2024, the controversy and the criticism about him continue the fester. He committed to play for Team France two years ago while holding French and American citizenship. Playing under pressure, Embiid hence needs to prove himself as a solid starter amidst the team’s common goal of winning the gold medal and reclaiming its top status around the basketball world. However, throughout the games he had played for the new “Redeem Team” so far, he seemed not to fit the system and failed to step up.
The USA finished strong in its first game in Paris, slaughtering Team Serbia 110-84, which won the silver medal in Tokyo 2020. But the victory wasn’t relevant to the Philadelphia 76ers star, who had a team-low 11 minutes as a starter with four points, missed all three free throw attempts, and received boos from fans every time he touched the ball. Considering his less-productive play and the USA’s dynamic reserves, Coach Steve Kerr should bench Embiid.
Struggles of fitting in with Team USA
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As ESPN’s Brian Windhorst wrote, Joel Embiid started slowly in Team USA’s training camp before the Olympics with the impact of his late injury at the end of last season with the Philadelphia 76ers. He has struggled to regain his strength. Despite gradually finding the rhythm throughout the pre-Olympic friendlies, the stat sheet didn’t unveil the problem at all.
Though Embiid has enough size to score easy baskets and make shots out of the paint, his defensive vulnerability might cost the team. He’s been targeted on the defensive end of the floor. Embiid is inclined to play passively in the drop coverage, giving space away for the opponents to finish pick-and-roll attacks. When it comes to a switch, his slow movement disallows him to make further steps out of the box while the opponents are taking threes comfortably.
Against Team Serbia in the USA’s first mission in the Paris Olympics, Embiid was dominated by Nikola Jokic, his MVP contender in the NBA in recent years, in the low-post. While the opposing center can apply a variety of weapons to handle him, Embiid’s response was too monotonous to identify.
Favorable matchup needed for Joel Embiid
Adaption is key. There’s a stark contrast between the NBA and international stage’s playing styles. As the 76ers had built up the system for him, Embiid was welcomed to move around the court to either take shots, orchestrate, or break in. However, he has trouble fitting in when the system is not tailored around him.
Embiid has not been able to draw fouls and earn free throw opportunities. Meanwhile, there’s no necessity for him to dribble through the midpoint. Team USA already had a better facilitator, such as Jrue Holiday or LeBron James, to secure possession and survey the floor. This wasteful action may drag down the team’s effectiveness.
The USA is well-known for utilizing high-pressing and straightforward fastbreaks to destroy opponents and avoid them setting up tunes earlier. Embiid’s exposed issues don’t fit the team’s tradition and style. Imagining James, who is 39, still burnt the rest of his fuel aiming to reach the ultimate goal of winning the gold, there’s no reason for Embiid not to find his initiative.
Kerr’s alternatives: leveraging Team USA’s depth
To avenge and brush off the embarrassing result from the World Cup last year, Team USA revamped its roster with a star-studded roster. Knowing the team has an enviable depth on the bench, Steve Kerr should start another big man to replace Embiid if the team wants to seize the rest of the games in the Olympics. If Lebron is eligible to start, why not put his favorite teammate Anthony Davis on the court to build up easy connections? If Davis couldn’t last longer, why not have a try on Bam Adebayo as a backup?
Both players have shown to be more effective in the international style of play. The team, featuring either Davis or Adebayo at center, has looked better and more cohesive. After subbing Joel Embiid in the third quarter after his ineffectual production and an unsportsmanlike foul, Kerr experimented with the roster by putting Davis and Adebayo together on the court, preventing Serbia from nailing the gap. Being adept with the space, the duo can either win on the air by alley-hoops or play swiftly outside the paint.
In conclusion, the Olympics are more crucial than any other basketball tournament. No matter how dominant a team is superficially, the coach’s adjustment and determination can impact the team largely in either way. While Joel Embiid is a phenomenal talent in the NBA, his recent struggles with Team USA, fit issues, and the depth in the frontcourt suggest that he should not start for Team USA in the Paris Olympics, which Kerr should brainstorm before the second game against South Sudan, who narrowly beat the USA in their friendly.
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