Through three exhibition games, Team USA has kept LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and Joel Embiid in the starting lineup. Coach Steve Kerr plans to keep this trio for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
After a 105-79 victory over Serbia, Kerr mentioned that the other two starting spots will change depending on the game. He said, “I like those three guys in the starting lineup. We’ve been looking at other guys around them [Embiid, Curry, and James] and we obviously have a lot of great options. But I do like those three as starters.”
Kerr initially started Devin Booker and Jrue Holiday against Canada but switched to Jayson Tatum and Anthony Edwards versus Australia. For Serbia, he kept Tatum and brought back Holiday for better defense .
Team Dynamics:
Some analysts think Anthony Davis should start over Embiid because he’s better at defense. In Wednesday’s game against Serbia, Davis made a big difference in the second half with six blocks along with seven points and six rebounds.
ANTHONY DAVIS ELITE DEFENDER. ๐ฅ
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral)
Fans might wonder if this change would improve their chances even more.
Bam Adebayo has also been strong defensively whenever he’s played. During Wednesday’s game, Kerr tried playing Adebayo alongside Davis, which worked very well. “Bam and AD together are really something,” Kerr said. “The switching, they can also protect the rim and be in a drop if we go to that coverage.”
No matter who joins Embiid, Curry, and James in the starting five, Kerr has many good choices. Kevin Durant is recovering from a calf strain but will be another option once healthy.
Team USA will play South Sudan on July 20 and Germany on July 22 before heading to France for the Olympics. Their quest for a fifth gold medal starts against Serbia on July 28.
What do you think about these changes?
