(Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
Philadelphia 76ers superstar center Joel Embiid has been the target of plenty of ire during his stint as Team USA’s starting center in the Olympics over the past few weeks, as many fans are pushing for him to be benched due to his unimpactful and inconsistent play so far in Paris.
One former NBA player went so far as to rip into the former MVP for his perceived lack of preparation.
On SiriusXM NBA Radio, former NBA player Sam Mitchell said he isn’t happy with how Embiid prepared for this tournament, saying, “To show up out of shape, disinterested, it makes me wonder.” and adding “It has nothing to do with the play…it has everything to do with your preparation.”
“To show up out of shape, disinterested, it makes me wonder”@SamMitchellNBA is not happy with the way Joel Embiid prepared for Team USA…take a listen pic.twitter.com/sRWSibGffq
— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) August 7, 2024
Embiid had his best game in the first round of the knockout round against Brazil on Tuesday with 14 points on 5-for-6 shooting and seven rebounds in just 12 minutes as Team USA advanced easily.
Embiid has looked a step slow at times and it has been clear that the team plays faster with Anthony Davis or Bam Adebayo at center, which is why many have been calling for an Embiid benching, but that doesn’t appear to be in the cards even though he didn’t play at all in the Group stage matchup against South Sudan.
He looked more like himself in the Brazil game and it’s possible he is just starting to get comfortable, as this is all a big adjustment and he isn’t the only one who has gone through struggles in Paris.
Stephen Curry has quietly been awful, but nobody is pointing a finger at him.
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