Team USA progressed in their Olympic preparations with a decisive 105-79 victory over Serbia in an exhibition game on Wednesday.
Head Coach Steve Kerr has made adjustments to the lineup during three exhibition games, maintaining LeBron James, Steph Curry, and Joel Embiid as constants in the starting five.
Embiid’s performance leading up to the 2024 Paris Olympics has been below his usual standard, evident in Wednesday’s game where he shot 2 for 8 from the field, contributing eight points, eight rebounds, and three assists.
When questioned about the lineup’s future, Kerr affirmed the trio of Embiid, James, and Curry would continue starting. “Yeah, I like those three guys in the starting lineup. We’ve been looking at other guys around them and we obviously have a lot of great options, but I do like those three guys in the lineup,” Kerr stated.
One notable moment from Embiid’s performance against Serbia was his attempt to draw a foul during a layup against Nikola Jokic. The referee did not award the call, resulting in a turnover.
Despite challenges, Kerr expressed confidence in Embiid, reiterating no plans to alter the starting lineup ahead of Team USA’s first Olympic game on July 28, a rematch against Serbia.
