Team USA has looked dominant through its three showcase games ahead of the 2024 Paris Games. Any criticism is nit-picking, but such is the standard for a country looking to win its fifth consecutive Olympic gold medal.
The United States had its most meaningful exhibition game yet on Wednesday. Going head-to-head with Nikola Jokic and Serbia, Team USA got a trial run against their toughest opponent when the Group Stage begins in Paris.
The Red, White, and Blue ran away with a commanding 105-79 victory, but there were still noteworthy takeaways when it came to stopping one of the tournament's best players.
Jokic didn't leave his typical imprint on the game, but it was clear that the second-unit frontcourt tandem of Anthony Davis and Bam Adebayo was much better suited to slow down the three-time NBA MVP than starting center Joel Embiid.
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Team USA found its answer for Nikola Jokic and it's not Joel Embiid
Embiid has been at the center of criticism around Team USA through its pre-Olympics showcase tour.
The 2023 NBA MVP is undeniably one of the best basketball players on the planet, but he has not found a way to fit in on this team full of superstars.
Head coach Steve Kerr continues to toy with the starting lineups, but Embiid, LeBron James, and Stephen Curry have been the only constants. Embiid's spot has frequently been called into question, particularly because reserve big Davis has outplayed him in all three games so far.
Maybe the United States' imposing win over Jokic and Serbia proves that it's best Embiid remains a starter, if only because Davis and Adebayo have been too good to split up on the second unit.
FIBA's approval of Embiid's U.S. citizenship to compete for Team USA felt even more important once Jokic and Serbia were drawn into the same group. Embiid seemed like the best bet to contain the offensive engine because Davis has struggled against Jokic in the past and Adebayo doesn't have the size to match up.
As it turns out, the combination of Adebayo's speed and athleticism with Davis' length and size lurking as a free safety (or vice versa) is a much better option than Embiid on his own.
Jokic got easy looks against Embiid one-on-one but had close to no luck against the Davis-Adebayo tandem. Both second-unit bigs took turns defending the star center with the other readily available to swoop in and contest shots as help defenders.
As a result, Davis recorded a team-high six blocks, and Adebayo played a key role in disrupting Jokic into a mediocre 16-point game on 19 shots.
3 BLOCKS IN UNDER A MINUTE 😲
— NBA (@NBA) July 17, 2024
AD is a 1-man block party!
📺 #USABMNT Showcase vs. Serbia on FS1 pic.twitter.com/VEfVk27WQZ
The Lakers tried a similar defensive scheme in consecutive NBA Playoff series against the Nuggets, but it wasn't nearly as effective because Rui Hachimura couldn't hold his own against Jokic.
Team USA has two Defensive Player of the Year-caliber bigs to alternate on the crafty 6-11 playmaker, allowing Davis and Adebayo to execute that same gameplan to perfection.
Even if both backup centers have individually outplayed Embiid as a starter, the United States' most noticeable advantage has been that brick wall of a second-unit frontcourt.
When Team USA opens the 2024 Paris Olympics against Jokic and Serbia on July 28, expect coach Kerr to lean heavily on Davis and Adebayo off the bench even if Embiid remains with the first group.
