Team USA men’s basketball is starting to reach its potential at the 2024 Paris Olympics, winning its first two games of group play without too much difficulty.
It blasted Serbia in its first contest and then got past South Sudan, a team it barely defeated in an exhibition contest two weeks ago.
With all the talent Team USA possesses, head coach Steve Kerr has had some difficult decisions as far as who to prioritize in his rotation, and in the second game, he decided to bench a former NBA MVP.
Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid lost his starting spot, and in fact, didn’t play at all in the contest.
Embiid has been underperforming since the squad’s first exhibition game, and Nick Wright said on “First Things First” that the two-time NBA scoring champion he has possibly been the squad’s worst player to date.
“He’s been Team USA’s third-worst player, at best, and at worst, their worst player,” Wright said.
“This is another opportunity for Joel Embiid to be dominant in a big spot — and he’s going 0-fer. … He’s been Team USA’s 3rd worst player, at best, and at worst, their worst player.”
— @getnickwright pic.twitter.com/I0MTfOkxxf
— First Things First (@FTFonFS1) August 1, 2024
Embiid’s numbers in the NBA regular season have been very impressive, and he has gone from a great player to a dominant one over the past few years.
He won the scoring title in the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons and claimed the regular-season MVP award in the latter campaign, and if it wasn’t for the meniscus injury he suffered midway through this past season, he may have won both honors again.
But his NBA playoff numbers are significantly lower than his regular-season numbers, and he has never reached the Eastern Conference Finals in his eight NBA seasons.
Despite his great talent, Embiid’s career is in danger of becoming a disappointment, and with nine-time All-Star forward Paul George now at his side, his excuses have run out in the minds of most.
NEXT:
Chris Broussard Says ‘No More Excuses’ For Former NBA MVP
