Steve Kerr Speaks on Sixers Star Joel Embiid Not Playing for Team USA

Sixers star got a DNP in Team USA's second game of the 2024 Olympics.

Jul 28, 2024; Villeneuve-d'Ascq, France; Serbia shooting guard Marko Guduric (23) passes against United States guard Lebron James (6) and center Joel Embiid (11) in the second quarter against Serbia during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games at Stade Pierre-Mauroy. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports / John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

On Wednesday afternoon, Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid and Team USA had their second game of the Group Phase round of the 2024 Olympics. They faced off against South Sudan for the first time since their thrilling matchup in the showcase games.

Among the biggest storylines in Team USA's opening win over Serbia was Jayson Tatum not getting any playing time. Against South Sudan, it would be Embiid who never saw action.

Through this whole Team USA run, Embiid has been a constant in Steve Kerr's starting lineup. Following Wednesday's win, he touched on why Embiid received a DNP Wednesday. The decision stemmed from their opponent and wanting more athletic wing players in this matchup. Kerr also stated that Embiid is going to be back in starting lineup in their next game against Puerto Rico.

"This is the fastest team in the tournament we're going to play. We wanted to match up," Kerr said. "They made 14 threes against us in London. The whole game today was going to be about switching and staying in front of people."

Steve Kerr said he Joel Embiid received DNP-CD against South Sudan because USA wanted to better match up with their team speed.
- Kerr will start LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Devin Booker, Jrue Holiday and Embiid versus Puerto Rico on Friday.

— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) July 31, 2024

This DNP came on the heels on what was a lackluster Olympics debut for Embiid. He only played 11 minutes against Serbia and finished with four points and two rebounds.

Looking ahead to their next matchup, Embiid has a chance to have a breakout game against Puerto Rico. They've struggled through the first two games of the tournament, suffering blowout losses to South Sudan and Serbia.

Even though many have called for Kerr to put Embiid in a more limited role, it seems that there is nothing deeper to this DNP aside from the opposing team. South Sudan is a hyper-athletic team that likes to play in transition. Knowing this, Kerr opted to rely on his array of forwards then roll out the former MVP.