Joel Embiid has received a lot of hate after his performances in the practice games. The Sixer knows how to draw fouls, or at least how it works in the league. But international basketball is different. The court is smaller, the rules are quite different and the opponents are in some ways harder to play against. And of course, drawing fouls is not that easy. Given the above, the former MVP has not really adapted well. But on the other hand, the Cameroonian had a lot of confidence in this team.

During the Team USA camp in Vegas, Embiid spoke candidly about working with future Hall of Famers. “Everybody knows it’s hard to bully me, and it’s hard to bully those other guys. I think we have enough size and basketball IQ. Honestly, I’m just excited to get the ball in the post and see Steph, ‘Bron make cuts,” Embiid told a small group of reporters at a press conference. What’s strange, though, is that just two weeks later, his brutal rematch of veterans on the national team sent the internet into a frenzy.

The process went on to shockingly explain that King James was no longer what it had been. “The LeBron of today is not the LeBron of a few years ago. So it’s a big difference. Anyone would tell you, and you can see it for yourself, that the athletic LeBron, dominant as he was a few years ago, is not the same as he is today.”

“I think people are misled by the names on paper. But those names have been built up over the course of their careers, and now they are older. They are not what they used to be,” Embiid concluded. All these takes are quite unexpected, considering he is on the same team. Many believe the team is the Dream Team 2.0, but on the other hand, one of the team members does not fully trust the veterans. Yes, James is not as athletic, but he still gives the same energy on the court.

Curry, on the other hand, is still the best shooter in the league and KD is still a deadly scorer from the mid-range. Their talents haven’t just disappeared, they’ve faded into the background as all the younger top players on the roster take the spotlight. Of course, when the time comes, these guys will be as impactful as they can be.

So far, Team USA has done well as collective in the practice games, after a slow start, but the real test will be against Germany. Joel Embiid, the Big 3 candidate on Steve Kerr’s list, has a lot to prove.

Will the coaching staff want to replace Joel Embiid?

The better options for Embiid’s replacement would definitely be ANT or AD. Now, it’s up to Kerr’s rotations to determine who gets to play in Embiid’s place, but with Steph, LeBron, KD, AD, and ANT, the team would literally dominate on the offensive end. There are other possible rotations, but this might be the one to watch. Also, guys like Booker, Haliburton, and Holiday could work well together for second-quarter substitutions.

With the Olympic Games just a week away, the coaching staff will still have to finalize the starting lineups. “At the moment we are still experimenting, so we are looking at different combinations,” The head coach had admitted this after narrowly winning the match against Australia.

Embiid looks out of shape and he slows down the flow when he’s on the court. On the other hand, AD’s double-double in every game as a substitute has certainly been the solution to increase the tempo while being equally good defensively.

In the most recent match against South Sudan, for which a King James layup to manipulate the 101-100 scoreboard in their favor, the “aging” LeBron scored 23 points with 6 rebounds and assists each, with 9-13 battles and 2-3 deep rebounds. On the other hand, Anthony Davis pulled off a double-double despite not starting the game with 15 points and 11 rebounds. And Joel Embiid was third on the scoring list with 14 points.

So, what do you think of Embiid as a starter? Do you think he should be replaced? Let us know in the comments.