Team USA was able to pick up a 98-92 win over Australia in an exhibition game on Wednesday thanks to some clutch shots late by Tyrese Haliburton. The Americans had a sizeable lead before Australia was able to put on a valiant rally to make Team USA sweat.
Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid hasn’t had a dominant start to the exhibition schedule for Team USA. He fouled out in the win over Canada on July 10 and only had 10 points in the win over Australia, but he has made an impact with his defensive play and his ability to protect the paint.
Anthony Davis had a huge game for Team USA off the bench going for 17 points and 14 rebounds to go along with two blocks. There is a school of thought that coach Steve Kerr should move Davis into the starting lineup in place of Embiid, but Kerr isn’t ready to make that move just yet.
Kerr told reporters out in Abu Dhabi:
These next few games, I’m going to continue to experiment with the lineups. Joel is getting better and better every day. It usually takes big guys a little bit longer to get rhythm and flow, but 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.
Steve Kerr on possibly benching Joel Embiid: "These next few games, I'm going to continue experimenting with the lineup. Joel is getting better and better everyday… I love Joel, he's a dominant player. I think it's going to be important for us to figure out the best… pic.twitter.com/FtQZA8SzoN
— Fadeaway World (@FadeawayWorld) July 15, 2024
Embiid is an elite rim protector with an extremely high basketball IQ. He hasn’t been his normal self just yet, but the FIBA rules are an adjustment for everybody. One has to figure that the big fella will eventually find his rhythm and make a big impact for Team USA during this Olympic run.
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