After the late scare vs Australia, the Serbia game was a stage to prove a point. And so they did. In the 105-79 blowout win, a lot of worries were eased, but one issue stuck out like a sore thumb. It was the Sixers C Joel Embiid. After ditching France to fulfill his Olympic dream, Embiid’s USA pledge was met with enthusiasm and optimism. But his recent performances have planted the seed of doubt in the minds of many, one of them being Colin Cowherd.

In the latest episode of “The Herd” podcast, the FS1 analyst went bonkers over Joel Embiid’s contributions so far, including getting fouled out against Canada. After another lackluster outing that ended with 8 points on the board with 25% shooting, it was time for a thorough scrutiny. “I’m not denying he’s got a Shaq feel to him, but Shaq won in the playoffs. Shaq was dominant when it mattered.”

“I’m watching this Olympic stuff. Embiid gets in the way of the offense. With Embiid, there is no complimentary to his game,” said Cowherd. Shaq’s unmatched dominance on the court earned him 4 NBA Championships in his career, but Joel Embiid has yet to make a Finals appearance. “He forces you to play his style, and so does Steph Curry, but I get 4 titles.”

“Yes. He’s productive. So was Zach LaVine, and the Bulls can’t give him away. So was Carmelo Anthony and (Russell) Westbrook,” Cowherd further added. Comparing Embiid’s scoring with Melo and Westbrook could be seen as an appropriate example, as none of them could go all the way despite their explosive offense and scoring sprees.

“If you’re talking about the greatest bigs of all time, Russell, titles, Kareem, titles, Shaq, titles, Hakeem, titles, Embiid can’t win a 2nd round playoff series in the weaker conference. I don’t get the payoff for Embiid. Once again, you’re lecturing me on how great he is. Well, greatness in the NBA is May (or) June,” concluded the analyst. According to Cowherd, the biggest threat Team USA has is from Joel Embiid, who allegedly gets in the way of his teammates, and the fans seem to have agreed with Colin’s criticism too.

The others are adjusting to him, but that will not help Team USA’s cause to go all the way to the coveted gold medal. But Embiid isn’t bothered about the noise surrounding him. Rather, he is excited to be in the squad built with stars and future Hall of Famers.

Joel Embiid admits “having the time of my life” with super-team USA amidst getting torched by the media

After the USA-B announced the 2024 Paris Olympics roster, expectations were sky-high, to say the least. Many labeled it the Dream Team 2.0, and why not? Just look at the stacked roster. And that’s why sometimes it’s easier to hide in plain sight doing nothing. That’s exactly how Joel Embiid feels, and he did not keep it a secret. “I’m having the time of my life. I don’t have to do anything, so I’m happy just chilling, just hanging out and doing the little things,” this is what he said after the win against Serbia in Abu Dhabi.

Team USA will be playing their final two exhibition games before flying to Paris. With Anthony Davis racking up points and Bam Adebayo showing his quality, this lax attitude might send Embiid to the bench. The recent outrage over his commitment by Channing Fyre, who said, “Joel Embiid is flatout out of shape,” while playing for his national team, could even work as a catalyst for him to do better and be more aware. But will he care if he returns home with a gold medal around his neck? Probably not!