While Team USA is stacked with multiple future Hall of Famers, every superstar on the roster was selected to play a unique role in the Paris Olympics. With the experience and scoring ability of veteran players like LeBron James and Kevin Durant, many believe that they rank the highest in the pecking order. However, Celtics legend Paul Pierce claims that the two veterans and the rest of the American squad are surpassed in importance by big man Anthony Davis because of what he brings to the table.

When asked who he believes is the ‘Most Important Player’ on the current Team USA roster during the Undisputed show, Pierce responded, “Well, I did say that LeBron is probably the most valuable player and Kevin Durant is gonna be very very instrumental. But to me, the most important player in all of this has to be Anthony Davis.” But why did The Truth choose AD over so many legends? Well, while most players on the team are great scorers and elite offensive players, only a few can match AD’s presence on the defensive end.

“I feel like he’s the backbone of the defense.” Pierce remarked. As we have already seen in the five exhibition games and the two group stage encounters, every time, different players have stepped up to be the top scorers. During the Serbia game, KD led the charge with 23 points, and against South Sudan, it was Bam Adebayo who surprised everyone with his 18-point performance. But in both games, Davis stuck to his role of protecting the paint. “I feel like Anthony Davis changes the game every time he starts, comes off the bench or plays.” Pierce added. After AD scored seven points and eight rebounds in the opener against Serbia, Steve Kerr bumped him to the starting lineup the next game. And he played a pivotal role against South Sudan grabbing a steal and getting two crucial blocks. Moreover, with KD, LeBron, and Steph in their mid to late thirties, the team needs someone like Davis to take charge of defense day in and day out.

Should Anthony Davis replace Joel Embiid as a starter?

Although AD got his first start in Paris in the last game, Steve Kerr has announced that Joel Embiid will get his starting role back against Puerto Rico. But so far, Embiid has struggled to get anything going on the international stage as he scored only 4 points in his debut against Serbia and was benched the entire game against South Sudan. Meanwhile, AD has been consistently dominant every time he steps on the court. And that has made many believe that Davis should get the starting nod over Joel in the knockout stages.

Moreover, Paul Pierce revealed a key reason why AD has outperformed Embiid in the Olympics, “The difference between him and Joel Embiid. Joel Embiid, when you play him with Steph, Durant, Booker, and LeBron, these guys need the ball in hand. They’re scorers and so is Embiid. He needs the ball, you need to feed him the ball.” However, AD can be productive without the ball because he does so many things on the court from screening to shot blocking. “He fits perfectly with the starting unit.” The Celtics legend remarked. So, Steve Kerr might need to make some tough decisions going forward regarding the roles of Anthony Davis and Joel Embiid.

Before you go, do not forget to check out this crossover between BG12 and Georgia Bulldogs star Silas Demary Jr.