USA Basketball is getting set for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
This year’s team rivals all the best rosters of years past, with future Hall of Famers LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and Kevin Durant among the many superstars set to take the court together.
This team is a perfect blend of past and present, with the aforementioned future Hall of Famers teaming up with some of the league’s best up-and-coming stars like Anthony Edwards and Tyrese Haliburton. Rounding out the roster are Anthony Davis, Devin Booker, Joel Embiid, Bam Adebayo, and reigning NBA champions Jayson Tatum, Jrue Holiday, and Derrick White. The latter was a replacement for Kawhi Leonard, who was removed from the team due to knee issues.
Team USA is 2-0 thus far in their showcases, and have three more games, with the next one coming on Wednesday against Serbia. And as the team gets set for their July 28 Olympics opener also against Serbia, head coach Steve Kerr is continuing to mess with his lineups.
On Monday, following the Americans’ 98-92 win over Australia, Kerr was asked about the possibility of bringing 2023 NBA MVP Joel Embiid off the bench.
“These next few games, I’m going to continue to experiment with the lineups. Joel is getting better and better everyday. It usually takes big guys a little bit longer to get rhythm and flow. I love Joel, he’s a dominant player. I think it’s going to be important for us to figure out the best combinations and putting the right people together and that’s still a work in progress.”
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Embiid has played just 28 minutes across the first two games, and has played by far the fewest of any starter in either game. After going 2-for-5 with five points, six rebounds, four turnovers, and five fouls in the first game, Embiid was better on Monday, going 3-for-6 with 10 points, five rebounds, three turnovers, and one foul.
If USA wants to bring Embiid off the bench, they have two great replacement options in terms of big men. Davis and Adebayo could both fill that role — and Davis has arguably been the team’s best player through the first two games.
In the first game, an 86-72 win over Canada, Davis shot 5-for-10 with 10 points, 11 rebounds, two steals, and two blocks in 19 minutes of action. On Monday, Davis went 6-for-12 with 17 points, 14 rebounds (including seven offensive rebounds), one steal, and two blocks in 18 minutes of action.
Davis also has experience playing alongside James, as the two have been teammates on the Los Angeles Lakers for the last five seasons.
It would make a lot of sense for Davis to slide into the starting spot, as he’s a much better defender than Embiid and can still more than hold his own offensively. However, Embiid is a better scorer and floor spacer, which could lead Kerr to continue throwing him out there with the starters.
USA has three more exhibition games before they head to Paris and have to come up with a starting lineup. The biggest battle at this point appears to be between the big men.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.