Kevin Durant Reveals Joel Embiid’s Reaction To Steve Kerr’s Surprising DNP-CD vs South Sudan

Joel Embiid’s inconsistent run of form seems to have finally caught up with him! The recent matchup between Team USA and South Sudan saw The Process play a total of 0 minutes, while other names like Bam Adebayo and Anthony Davis gained some extra on-court minutes. Furthermore, the game also witnessed Jayson Tatum finally getting some game time after having sat out of the opener. Only in the Olympics can two-star players be less favored over their counterparts in the pursuit of Gold!

Despite their gameplay on the international stage, both Jayson Tatum and Joel Embiid realize the importance of team balance. The same was recently emphasized by Kevin Durant, the most experienced Olympian on the Team USA roster. He discussed the DNP-CDs (Did not play – coach’s decision) situation, expressing, “They didn’t complain.” With one being the 2023 MVP holder, while the other recently secured the NBA title, traveling to Paris and then missing out on the action, wouldn’t have been an easy pill to swallow.

On the other hand, Durant also assured, “We had guys who stepped up and filled those roles perfectly.” A few days ago, even though he maintained his game-by-game tactical stance, Steve Kerr saw the fan fury and soon declared that “Jayson (Tatum) will play. We’re going to need him.” During his 17 minutes on the court, the player was able to secure a score of 4 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 assists.

W.r.t. Joel Embiid, the player probably isn’t out of the main lineup entirely, as he was spotted during the pregame warmups. He entered the arena with loud boos and jeers from the crowd who had come to watch the game in person. Fortunately, the player took the criticism in his stride, waving his hands which triggered the crowd further.

It’s no secret that the 7-foot star has not been performing up to expectations at the Olympics. During the matchups against Germany and Sudan, he only added 15 and 4 points, respectively. His disappointing stint had even caused many to indicate that no further discussion was needed on the Nikola Jokic-Joel Embiid debate. “Like, he’s closer to the Paul Georges and the guys in the team and the 20s than he is to the big dogs. Like him and Jokic, it’s like Mahomes and Tua or something,” Colin Cowherd’s co-host, John Middlekauff, said. However, whatever was said and done, Steve Kerr’s decision to bench Joel Embiid had a specific reason.

Steve Kerr ‘made sense’ of handing Joel Embiid the DNP-CD

Along with highlighting Kevin Durant’s above-mentioned remarks, Washington Post’s reporter Ben Golliver also clarified the doubts about Steve Kerr’s decision. In a statement, the head coach stated that Joel Embiid was benched because of the need for Team USA to match South Sudan’s speed. The Sixer may be useful in a lot of areas, but his huge stature restricts rapid movement. Kerr also assured fans that Embiid will return in the upcoming game against Puerto Rico. “I went with the combinations that made sense.”

“That was for tonight. He handled it well. He’ll make his mark,” Kerr concluded. After the South Sudan blowout, LeBron James also touched base on the rotation decision. Knowing that it is part of what the coaching staff has to do during the tournament, he stated that “it could be anybody’s number any given night, and it’s not about who starts, it’s not even about who finishes, it’s about when you’re in the game, you know, the minutes that you play, you play at a high level.”

According to NBC’s Announcing Crew, Joel Embiid seemed to be in good spirits while on the bench, “laughing with his teammates”, and cheering to keep his teammates’ spirits up! The fact that the player did not hold a grudge is what Kevin Durant appreciated in him.

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Before you go, remember to check out this crossover between BG12 and Georgia Bulldogs star Silas Demary Jr.