USA Basketball: Joel Embiid, Jrue Holiday will re-enter starting lineup vs. Puerto Rico at 2024 Olympics

After Jayson Tatum and Tyrese Haliburton had been saved on the bench for the whole thing of Workforce USA’s Olympic opener vs. Serbia, Joel Embiid did not see the courtroom within the People’ win over South Sudan on Wednesday, which clinched the U.S. a spot within the quarterfinals. 

Earlier than we get there, the People nonetheless have one sport left to play to complete out their Group C round-robin schedule in opposition to Puerto Rico on Saturday. For that one, it seems Steve Kerr will go back to his original starting lineup of LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Jrue Vacation, Devin Booker and Embiid. 

Kerr has performed the matchup card by way of the primary two video games and it has gone just about precisely as deliberate. Towards Serbia, he performed larger with Embiid and leaned on two-big bench lineups, with Tatum drawing the quick straw to make room for the return of Kevin Durant. 

Towards the smaller, sooner South Sudan, he needed extra wings on the ground collectively, which made approach for Tatum and the defensive mobility and athleticism of Davis rather than Embiid. 

It should not matter what lineups the U.S. performs collectively in opposition to Puerto Rico; the expertise discrepancy is simply too broad. However the People must take each alternative they must construct cohesion with the models they are going to lean on after they get into the quarterfinals, the place one dangerous sport takes you out, and hopefully, the medal rounds, the place once more, one dangerous sport takes you out of rivalry for gold. 

All issues thought of, the People have performed excellent basketball by way of the primary two video games. They’ve dialed up the defensive strain from the beginning, and so they’ve gone again to that each time they’ve wanted to re-open a giant lead. LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Bam Adebayo, Derrick White and Anthony Davis have all dominated for stretches. 

For Embiid’s half, he did not do a lot vs. Serbia. Very similar to Curry, who has additionally struggled, he isn’t the point of interest of the offense and protection isn’t his robust swimsuit on this sooner surroundings. However he’ll be again in there on Saturday with one other likelihood to place his prints on what the People are hoping can be a run to a fifth straight Olympic gold medal.