Why didn't Joel Embiid play in U.S. men's basketball win over South Sudan?

Joel Embiid during U.S. game vs. Serbia - Credit: Getty Images

Joel Embiid during U.S. game vs. Serbia – Credit: Getty Images

For the second straight game, the U.S. men’s basketball team put on an offensive clinic en route to an easy win. But for the second straight game, the story is as much about which players weren’t on the court as the ones that were: While Jayson Tatum started the 103-86 victory over South Sudan, Joel Embiid didn’t see a single minute of action — the only U.S. player not to see the court.

There had been some controversy around Embiid’s status as the U.S. starting center, especially given his up-and-down tuneup performances. But head coach Steve Kerr had stuck with the big man throughout, and sitting him entirely is a pretty drastic turn of events.

So, what gives? Even given the embarrassment of riches at Kerr’s disposal, why would a player of Embiid’s caliber not play at all? Let’s dig in to what might be going on.

Why didn’t Joel Embiid play in U.S. game vs. South Sudan?

Let’s start with the big one: Embiid’s health. Embiid’s knee problems this year have been well-documented, and he didn’t look like himself against Nikola Jokic and Serbia in the Olympic opener. As much as any U.S. player, Embiid benefits from a load management program, and it would make sense that Kerr would want to rest the 7-footer’s legs a bit with an eye toward the knockout rounds.

There’s also the matter of the matchup. South Sudan doesn’t offer anything like a traditional big man in the mold of Jokic, instead opting to play a bevy of athletic guards and wings. It’s a matchup that calls for a small-ball approach, and the U.S. are uniquely suited to play that game with the ultra-switchable Bam Adebayo and Anthony Davis also on the roster. Maybe Kerr just looked at the game in front of him, and at Embiid’s health, and decided that there were basketball reasons for this to be the day his center got some rest.

This is a long tournament, with the deepest and most dangerous field in Olympic history. At some point, the U.S. is going to need a player with the sort of rim protection and post threat that Embiid brings, and like with Tatum, Kerr’s decision to keep Embiid on the bench will all be a distant memory. Given the strengths of this particular roster though, and the pace they want to play at, don’t be surprised if the other U.S. bigs start playing a bigger role.