Getty Image / Catherine Steenkeste
USA Basketball Men’s National Team Head Coach Steve Kerr has an embarrassment of riches on his roster and only 200 minutes of game time in the 40-minute FIBA game at the 2024 Summer Olympics. It’s just the nature of the beast that some players will be left out of the rotation.
But, I think everyone was shocked on Wednesday when 2023 NBA MVP and Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid was left out of the rotation in the team’s second Olympics game against Serbia. In fact, he didn’t play a single minute in the team’s 103-86 win over South Sudan In Lille, France.
In the team’s first game, it was Jayson Tatum and Tyrese Haliburton that found themselves sitting on the bench for the entirety of the game. Kerr simply said that, in the case of Tatum, it was due to the matchups against a bigger Serbia squad that saw the USA go to bigger lineups that left a small-ball 4 like Tatum out.
Joel Embiid has been starting for Team USA throughout their exhibition schedule and in the team’s first game, but Anthony Davis supplanted him in the starting lineup. That move was somewhat expected, as Embiid has struggled a little bit and Davis has looked good. But, as the game went on, it was clear that Embiid wouldn’t be in the rotation at all.
According to Ben Golliver of the Washington Post, the reason that Joel Embiid didn’t play on Wednesday was because that the USA wanted to match up better against South Sudan’s team speed. Kerr also said that Embiid would start on Friday against Puerto Rico Alongside Lebron James, Jrue Holiday, Steph Curry, and Devin Booker.
Someone even made a tongue-in-cheek highlight tape of Joel Embiid for Wednesday’s game.
For what it’s worth, reports were that Embiid was very engaged and active on the bench cheering on his teammates.
"Joel Embiid, despite not playing a minute, he's been actively involved on the bench, he's been laughing with his teammates, he's been up on his feet cheering, he's handled this in a very impressive matter."
– NBC Announcing crew
— Jacob Moreno (@jmoreno76ers) July 31, 2024
He’s been a controversial figure at these games, as many thought he would play for France. But he decided to play for the USA over France and his native Cameroon, as he was eligible to play for all three countries.
In Team USA’s first game, he had 4 points in 11 minutes.
Bam Adebayo led the team with 18 points on Wednesday.