Steve Kerr: ‘I Like’ LeBron James, Steph Curry, Joel Embiid Starting for Team USA

Adam WellsJuly 17, 2024

Christopher Pike/Getty Images

Team USA head coach Steve Kerr isn’t planning to deviate from his current starting unit featuring LeBron James, Stephen Curry and Joel Embiid.

Speaking to reporters after America’s 105-79 win over Serbia on Tuesday, Kerr said “I like” the group with that trio in it.

Fadeaway World @FadeawayWorldSteve Kerr expects to continue playing LeBron, Steph, and Embiid as starters: “Yeah, I like those three guys in the starting lineup. We’ve been looking at other guys around them and we obviously do have great options, but I like those three guys together.” pic.twitter.com/y0C6hJpW9U

Kerr has mixed up the other starters in his lineup for the three showcase games, but James, Curry and Embiid have been the three staples in the first unit. Jayson Tatum has started the last two games after Devin Booker got the call against Canada.

Jrue Holiday was back in the starting lineup against Serbia after Anthony Edwards started Monday’s win over Australia.

One possible explanation for why Kerr has been tinkering with some spots in the starting unit is because of Kevin Durant’s injury. The three-time Olympic gold medalist is still recovering from a strained calf, but he was able to do some on-court work before tipoff on Wednesday.

Durant would likely be starting at one of the forward positions next to James if he were healthy.

Embiid is off to a slow start in his first stint with Team USA. The Philadelphia 76ers star had the worst plus-minus in America’s win over Canada (-4) and he scored just eight points on 2-of-8 shooting in 16 minutes against Serbia.

The spotlight is going to shine even brighter on Embiid given how well Anthony Davis and Bam Adebayo have been playing. Davis had a double-double against Canada and recorded six blocks in 16 minutes in the victory against Serbia.

Adebayo is averaging 11.0 points on 12-of-20 shooting and 5.7 rebounds in three showcase games.

The luxury of having Adebayo and Davis off the bench is that no other team in the world is capable of putting two big men on the court that can match their defensive ability.

Until there is some evidence that Kerr’s starting unit with James, Curry and Embiid isn’t working, there’s no reason to make a significant adjustment. There might come a point in the Olympics when the matchup warrants a change, but it’s hard to predict that that would at this point.

Canada and Serbia are arguably the two biggest threats to the U.S. going into the Olympics, and neither one posed a significant challenge in these exhibition matchups.