Team USA did not find their desired production out of Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid in the first few games, but a switch flipped towards the end of their exhibitions.
Embiid performed at a high enough level against Germany and South Sudan to sway the public's narrative. Among these people is ESPN analyst Brian Windhorst, who believes the Sixers superstar could be the key to the USA bringing home the gold medal.
"He's actually looked really good these last several games where the team has struggled a little bit," Windhorst said on First Take. "He's been a bright spot, and against these teams that have huge size, he's going to be extremely important for the Americans. The difference between the Americans winning the gold and not could end up being Joel Embiid. This is not a luxury player, this is a necessity player."
"The difference between the Americans winning the gold and not could end up being Joel Embiid."
— First Take (@FirstTake) July 26, 2024
—@WindhorstESPN on Joel Embiid's potential impact on the U.S. Men's National Team in the Olympics 👀 pic.twitter.com/UasZtIMdWI
Windhorst mentioned how crucial Embiid's presence is when facing off against some of the world's best big men, including Nikola Jokic, Victor Wembanyama, and Rudy Gobert.
France and Serbia pose threats to the top spot, but Team Canada is the near-consensus No. 2 behind the USA. The 76ers star could play a decreased role against their guard heavy-roster if the two countries meet in the championship or sooner.
