Some context is needed. Embiid’s backup Anthony Davis has played like Wilt Chamberlain in Team USA’s two exhibition games, including the Americans’ 98-92 win over Australia on Monday.
Meanwhile, Embiid hasn’t been looking at his best, although he showed marked improvement against Canada last week against the Australian team.
So, a member of the foreign press asked Kerr at Etihad Arena on Monday evening if he would start Davis or, for that matter, Bam Adebayo in place of Embiid, given Embiid’s struggles in the early part of this Olympic exhibition season. Are considering doing.
“Over the next few games, I’m going to continue to experiment with the lineup,” Kerr said. “Joel is getting better and better every day. Usually the big guys take a little bit longer to get the rhythm and flow going, but I like Joel, he’s a dominant player, and I think it will be important for us to find the best combination and put the right people together , and that’s still a work in progress.”
Kerr has been consistent in their lineup, as far as appearances during the exhibition season, he would be inconsistent. Through two games, Embiid, LeBron James and Stephen Curry have started twice each.
Embiid played through a surgically repaired knee during the NBA playoffs. He appears to be trying to get back into his groove with Team USA, and last week against Canada, he scored 5 points with six rebounds and drew a foul in the third quarter. Embiid scored 10 points with five rebounds but committed three turnovers against Australia.
Davis, on the other hand, has posted double-doubles in both games, including a 17-point, 14-rebound banger against Australia. Davis and Anthony Edwards are tied for the team lead in scoring, and Davis has been effective defensively as well. Team USA likes Davis and Adebayo playing together on the second unit – which has been the stronger of the two units through two games.
American starters have spent a lot of time in these games trying to set up Embiid on offense — not a bad idea for a 7-footer who averaged a 38.8 3-point percentage for the Philadelphia 76ers last season. Had averaged about 35 points per game. But force-feeding has led to awkward possessions and Embiid plays at a different pace than James, Curry and Edwards, who scored 14 points as a starter against Australia.
“Obviously, he demands a lot of attention, so you’ve got to utilize that and get him into situations,” Curry said of Embiid. “We still have to find our distance around him to see whether he’s trying to score or whether he’s going to clear him out. And then if he’s not in the post, we’re trying to figure out the different looks and chemistry of that group. So I think we got a little better today, and we’ve got three more games to get even better and use whatever threats he can and everybody else on the field as well.”
No other Olympic team should generally be able to match the depth of the Americans, and then for a player of Davis’ size and skill to come off the bench should create a noticeable advantage for the U.S. The Americans hurt. The team has dealt with issues – Embiid was limited in practice, Kawhi Leonard had so much knee pain he was sent home, and Jayson Tatum was absent the first few days of camp – leading the team to replace Davis with Adebayo. Forced to consider pairing.
Through two games, Joel Embiid has struggled. Steve Kerr has not yet committed to including the 2022-23 NBA MVP in the starting lineup for the Olympics. (Candice Ward/USA TODAY)
Decision makers are thrilled with the results so far. In both games, the U.S. bench has collectively outscored the starters. One of the constants has been the Davis-Adebayo duo on the second unit.
“Anybody with AD is good,” Kerr said.
For what it’s worth, Davis said he and Adebayo are “still trying to figure it out” and sometimes “get in each other’s way” – leading to missed defensive assignments or turnovers. With time their couple may become even stronger. Davis also logged minutes with the starters on Monday, as Kerr inserted him on the floor with the rest of the starters for Embiid in the third quarter.
Davis averaged nearly 25 points for the Lakers last season, so he is a legitimate scoring threat. But if he were on the court with James, Curry, Edwards and whoever started on the wing on this particular team, Davis could play without any real role in the offense. Kerr won’t need to call plays for him; His points can come off the offensive glass if necessary.
The Americans don’t think using Embiid this way — as a defensive anchor and grunt on offense — is the right choice. They’ve spent both exhibition games looking for him at first. There are still three warmups before the Americans’ first Olympic game against Serbia on July 28 (there is also an exhibition against Serbia in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday), and it is conceivable that Embiid will continue to improve and will be a part of Kerr’s starting five. Will fit in as most pundits predicted. The Americans still need to get Kevin Durant (shin strain) on the court, and Leonard’s replacement Derrick White did not play against Australia.
But with less than two weeks until the Olympics begin, Kerr won’t confirm NBA MVP Embiid as a potential starter. This is a testament to how good Davis has looked and Embiid’s ongoing process of trying to get back into form.
go deeper
Derrick White turns Cabo on Team USA and gives him a chance to win Olympic gold
(Top photo of Anthony Davis during Monday’s game against Australia: Giuseppe Cacace/AFP via Getty Images)
Discover more from news2source
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
