"He looks out of shape" - Kendrick Perkins criticizes Team USA star Joel Embiid's conditioning after underwhelming outings
Joel Embiid has looked a step slower since being inserted as Team USA’s starting center in their exhibition games against the Canada and Australia.
It is further amplified considering his backup center Anthony Davis has been one of the team’s best players. Davis tallied 27 points, 25 rebounds, and six blocks on 11-of-22 shooting from the field in their first two matchups ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics.
On ESPN’s First Take, Kendrick Perkins expressed his opinions on Team USA’s rotation. He suggested it would be best for Embiid to come off the bench and let Davis start in the center position in the Olympic games. He also raised question marks on Embiid's physical conditioning, saying he does not look like one of Team USA's best five players at the moment.
"When is [Steve Kerr] going to put Anthony Davis in the starting lineup and take out Joel Embiid... Anthony Davis has been the best player on this Olympic team on both ends of the floor… When I look at Joel Embiid right now, he looks out of shape," Perkins said.
Embiid fouled out in their first game versus Canada in just 12 minutes of play. He managed five points, two assists and six rebounds but also conceded four turnovers.
He looked slightly better with 10 points and five rebounds in a 98-92 win over a much-smaller Australian squad. However, With Embiid’s lackluster performances and Davis’ impressive displays, talks about starting the latter have been gaining momentum.
Embiid has been battling knee injuries coming into last season’s playoffs before losing in the first round against the New York Knicks. Embiid was even diagnosed with early signs of Bell’s Palsy in the middle of the playoffs, paralyzing parts of his face even before the Play-in tournaments started.
While there are no updates about Embiid’s current diagnosis, he often looked out of place in Steve Kerr’s fast-paced offense with Team USA. He also looked a step behind on defense, hurting the team’s interior resistance, which relied on his rim protection.
However, regardless of who starts in the center position, the team remains to have enough firepower among the Olympic teams, which also featured Serbia’s Nikola Jokic, and France’s Rudy Gobert and Victor Wembanyama.
Steve Kerr to continue experimenting with Team USA’s lineups despite Joel Embiid’s struggles
Team USA’s head coach Steve Kerr addressed lineup concerns in the Team USA roster, saying that he used the remaining exhibition games to continue finding the right lineups for the team.
"These next few games I'm going to continue to experiment with the lineups," Kerr said.
Kerr then reaffirmed that Embiid is a crucial piece for Team USA, despite the early struggles he showed in the previous exhibition matchups.
"Joel is getting better and better every day. 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. That's still a work in progress," he said.
With just under two weeks before their Olympic tournament starts, Embiid is in a race against time to be in tip-top shape to snag his first Olympic gold medal.