One game after Team USA head coach Steve Kerr called himself an “idiot” for not using Jayson Tatum in the Olympic opener against Serbia, he had another player who didn't get a shred of playing time.
This was an NBA MVP.
Philadelphia 76ers star center Joel Embiid started against Serbia but was replaced by Los Angeles Lakers center Anthony Davis in a 103-86 win over South Sudan on Wednesday in Paris.
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Team USA's Joel Embiid is pictured before the game against Serbia at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy in Lille, France, on July 28, 2024. (Catherine Steenkeste/Getty Images)
He may have started the game on the bench, but Embiid was sure to come in at some point, right?
Embiid was the only Team USA player who didn't get a shred of playing time in the first half, let alone the entire game, against South Sudan, a scrappy group that gave the Stars and Stripes trouble during their exhibition game this month.
Embiid, who opted to play for the United States even though he also has eligibility for France and his home country of Cameroon, was expressionless on the U.S. bench throughout the game, as captured by the broadcast.
Instead of replacing Davis on the bench, Kerr called on Bam Adebayo to relieve him. Adebayo played 21 minutes and led the U.S. in scoring with 18 points on 8-of-10 shooting, along with seven rebounds, two blocks and one steal.
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Davis played 19 minutes, scoring eight points on 4-of-7 shooting with seven rebounds, three assists, two blocks and one steal as well.
Embiid was the NBA's leading scorer last season, averaging 33 points per game for the Sixers, but struggled in the team's opener against Serbia. He played just 11 minutes, shooting 2-of-5 from the field and four points, while not making a single free throw. He also grabbed just two rebounds.
Kerr explained after the game that South Sudan's speed was the reason Embiid was benched, as he believes Davis and Adebayo played better against them. He also said Embiid will be in the starting lineup against Puerto Rico on Friday.
Team USA's Joel Embiid is shown before the game against Serbia on July 28, 2024. (Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)
Tatum was the one player who did not play in Team USA's first game, leading to a frenzy of social media posts about the Boston Celtics star not getting any playing time. However, as Kerr said, he did get some playing time in this game, as he was in the starting five.
Tatum didn't do much during his 17 minutes on the court, though, scoring four points on 2-of-4 shooting with five rebounds and two assists.
But it's clear that Kerr has a tough job with this 12-man group he brought to Paris for these Summer Games. Not every player gets court time in NBA games, and the same goes for these contests when it comes to winning Olympic gold.
In turn, the lineups are based on matchups for Kerr and his coaching staff, and they clearly saw Davis and Adebayo as the best centers for this game against South Sudan.
But looking at the scoreboard from Team USA's 101-100 win over South Sudan this month, Embiid had 14 points on 5-of-6 shooting with four 3-pointers on six shots, seven rebounds and two assists while posting a plus-15 when he was on the court.
Team USA's Joel Embiid is shown before the game against Serbia on July 28, 2024. (Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images)
Either way, after what happened in the last game with Tatum, social media made jokes about Embiid sitting the entire game.
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With more games to go, someone will have to be the one not on the roster. But Kerr's choice of Tatum, a three-time All-NBA first teamer over the past three seasons, and Embiid, a former MVP, were intriguing choices to start the Olympics.
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