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The Philadelphia 76ers have one of the best players in the league.
Joel Embiid is a generational talent at the center position, and not many people on Earth could contain him one on one.
As of now, only injuries have been able to slow him down.
However, that hasn’t been on display during his brief time with Team USA.
Embiid has struggled mightily in the exhibition games, and he just seems off.
Things have been significantly better when either Anthony Davis or Bam Adebayo have been on the court, both individually or for the team.
That, according to NBA analyst Jason Timpf, has to do with the way Embiid is used to playing in Philadelphia (via The Volume Sports).
Timpf explained that Embiid isn’t an active big in the sense of making multiple defensive efforts, sprinting up and down the court, or running to get open.
“Embiid needs to be the best player on his team, and he needs everything run through him”
—@_JasonLT explains why Joel Embiid has struggled for Team USA pic.twitter.com/6Re38g6hs9
— The Volume (@TheVolumeSports) July 16, 2024
Instead, he’s the kind of player who needs to have every single action run through him.
He needs to be the best player and the focal point of the offense, and now that he’s not, he’s struggling to find any sort of rhythm and is taking forced shots.
Embiid needs to play within his role and within the context.
He’s most definitely one of the best players on Earth, but Team USA doesn’t need him to be that kind of player.
Otherwise, they should strongly consider benching him in favor of Davis or Adebayo, who already look like better fits.
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