Anthony Davis vs Joel Embiid: Who Will Start at Center for Team USA in the Olympics?

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates Ukraine
Anthony Davis has recorded double-doubles in each game as a reserve and is more athletic than Embiid.
Coach Steve Kerr has stated that the lineup for Team USA is still a work in progress, experimenting with different combinations until the Olympics begin.
Davis has led Team USA with 17 points and 14 rebounds against Australia.
Embiid missed a significant portion of last season due to knee surgery and hasn't looked his best in the exhibition games.
Embiid played only 39 games in the past season due to his knee injury.
Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak praised Davis as Team USA's best big man, but he may be biased towards Davis as a Lakers fan.
Team USA's performance in pre-Olympic exhibition games has been a topic of discussion, particularly the play of Anthony Davis and Joel Embiid.
Anthony Davis vs Joel Embiid: Who Will Start at Center for Team USA in the Olympics?

Team USA is currently participating in the pre-Olympic exhibition games, and the performance of their players, particularly Anthony Davis and Joel Embiid, has been a topic of discussion for basketball enthusiasts. Davis has been impressive so far, leading Team USA with 17 points and 14 rebounds in their win over Australia. His strong play has raised questions about whether he could potentially replace Embiid as the starting center for the Olympics.

Embiid, who missed a significant portion of last season due to knee surgery, has not looked his best during these exhibition games. Despite this, he remains confident in his abilities and is willing to play whatever role is asked of him by coach Steve Kerr.

Kerr himself has stated that the lineup for Team USA is still a work in progress and that he will continue experimenting with different combinations until the Olympics begin. The team wants to improve its dominance on the inside, and having a strong presence at the center position is crucial for their success.

Anthony Davis has been impressive as a reserve in both games, recording double-doubles in each and being better shaped and more athletic than Embiid. However, it's important to note that Davis's strong performance does not necessarily mean he will replace Embiid as the starting center. Kerr will likely consider various factors before making a decision.

Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, chairman of the Department of Culture and Tourism in Abu Dhabi, where the exhibition games are being held, has praised Davis as Team USA's best big man. However, it's important to remember that Al Mubarak is a Lakers fan and may be biased towards Davis.

Embiid played only 39 games in the past season due to his knee injury, which could impact his performance during the Olympics. It remains to be seen how he will fare as the tournament progresses.

The United States aims to continue its dominance in Olympic basketball and has a talented roster at its disposal. The decision on who starts at center for Team USA is an important one, and fans will be eagerly watching the exhibition games to see how Kerr handles this situation.



Confidence

70%

Doubts
  • How will Embiid's knee injury impact his performance during the Olympics?
  • Is Anthony Davis' strong performance in the exhibition games enough to warrant a starting position over Joel Embiid?
  • Will coach Steve Kerr consider other factors besides performance in making the decision on the starting center?

Sources

96%

  • Unique Points
    • Anthony Davis has played like Wilt Chamberlain in Team USA’s two exhibition games against Australia and Canada.
    • Anthony Davis has posted double-doubles in both games, including a 17-point, 14-rebound performance against Australia.
    • Davis averaged nearly 25 points for the Lakers last season, making him a legitimate scoring threat for Team USA.
    • Team USA loves playing Davis and Bam Adebayo together on the second unit.
  • Accuracy
    • ,
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (90%)
    The article contains a few instances of inflammatory rhetoric and appeals to authority. It uses phrases like 'still a work in progress' and quotes other players discussing the performance of Anthony Davis and Joel Embiid. Additionally, it references Steve Kerr's consistent lineup experimentation during the exhibition season. However, these fallacies do not significantly detract from the article's overall quality.
    • Steve Kerr was asked Monday evening... by a member of the foreign press
    • Kerr has been consistent on his lineups, insofar as during the exhibition season, they would be inconsistent.
    • But with less than two weeks to go before the Olympics begin, Kerr would not confirm Embiid... as a likely starter.
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

86%

  • Unique Points
    • Anthony Davis leads Team USA with 17 points and 14 rebounds in their 98-92 pre-Olympic exhibition win over Australia.
    • Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, chairman of the Department of Culture and Tourism, praises Anthony Davis as Team USA’s best big man.
    • Anthory Davis has flourished as a reserve in both games, recording double-doubles in each and being better shaped and more athletic than Embiid.
    • Despite his strong performance, Davis states that he will play whatever role is asked of him for the team.
    • Team USA wants to improve its dominance on the inside by having a strong presence at the center position.
  • Accuracy
    • Anthony Davis leads Team USA with 17 points and 14 rebounds in their win over Australia.
    • Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak praises Anthony Davis as Team USA's best big man.
    • Joel Embiid starts at center but has not been effective and slows the flow of the game.
    • Anthony Davis flourishes as a reserve and records double-doubles in each game.
  • Deception (50%)
    The article contains editorializing and selective reporting. The author expresses their opinion that Anthony Davis is the best big man for Team USA and implies that Joel Embiid is out of shape and slows down the flow when he's on the floor. However, they do not provide any evidence to support these claims beyond anecdotal observations from a game against Australia. The author also quotes Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak expressing his bias towards Davis as a Lakers fan, which is irrelevant to the analysis of deception in the article.
    • He also confessed to being biased about that [Davis being the best big man] – he’s a massive Lakers fan.
    • Anthony Davis leads the way with 17 points and 14 rebounds in Team USA’s 98-92 pre-Olympic exhibition win over Australia.
    • Embiid had five rebounds against a smallish Australian team with three turnovers. He had four turnovers and five points last week when the Americans opened exhibition play against Canada.
    • This is Embiid’s first taste of USA basketball and international competition, and at one awkward point in the third quarter against Australia, it showed.
  • Fallacies (90%)
    The article contains an appeal to authority from Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, chairman of the Department of Culture and Tourism, who expresses his personal preference for Anthony Davis. Additionally, there is a dichotomous depiction of Embiid as being out of shape and slowing down the flow when he's on the floor. However, no other fallacies are found in this article.
    • Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, chairman of the Department of Culture and Tourism, said Anthony Davis was Team USA's best big man.
    • Embiid has started at center in both showcase games so far, but starting hasn't equal being the best big man so far. That would be Davis... Next up would be Bam Adebayo.
    • One problem: Once the ball hits the rim in international play, it's fair game and can be touched.
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (0%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

96%

  • Unique Points
    • Steve Kerr is the head coach of Team USA men’s basketball team
    • Joel Embiid has been trying to play his way back into shape with Team USA after undergoing knee surgery during the NBA playoffs.
    • Anthony Davis averaged nearly 25 points for the Lakers last season, making him a legitimate scoring threat for Team USA.
  • Accuracy
    • Joel Embiid struggled in his first game against Canada with five points, six rebounds and fouled out in the third quarter
    • Embiid appears out of shape and slows the flow of the game when he is on the floor, causing concern for Team USA before the Olympics.
    • Embiid played only 39 games in the past season due to a knee injury that required surgery.
    • Through two exhibitions, Embiid played 28 total minutes and committed seven total turnovers.
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

72%

  • Unique Points
    • Embiid played only 39 games in the past season due to a knee injury that required surgery.
    • Embiid's offer to join USA Basketball for the Olympics was made before his recent injury impacted his performance significantly.
  • Accuracy
    • Joel Embiid averaged 34.7 points, 11 rebounds, and 5.6 assists in the recent NBA season.
    • Anthony Davis has been Team USA’s most impressive player with consecutive double-double performances.
    • Embiid started over Davis in both exhibition victories and had dreadful performances.
    • Davis averaged nearly 25 points for the Lakers last season, making him a legitimate scoring threat for Team USA.
  • Deception (30%)
    The article contains selective reporting as the author focuses on Embiid's poor performance in the exhibition games and ignores his impressive statistics from his professional basketball season. The author also uses emotional manipulation by implying that Embiid's decision to join USA Basketball despite his injury could be 'damaging to the American cause'.
    • The primary reason will be the decision to ride with Embiid as one of the team’s few true big men.
    • Given that Embiid reacted to that tactic by turning over the ball once for every 5 minutes he spent on the floor, it also might be an indication opposing coaches and defenders believe doubling Embiid will lead to him turning the ball over.
    • It also could be damaging to the American cause if the real Embiid is unable to appear in Paris.
  • Fallacies (75%)
    The author suggests that Joel Embiid has appeared out of shape and out of step with the other players on the USA Basketball team during their exhibition games. Mike DeCourcy highlights Embiid's poor performance in both games, mentioning his low scoring and rebound rates, lack of rim protection, and high turnover rate. Additionally, DeCourcy quotes Steve Kerr as providing a positive outlook on Embiid's progress but still acknowledges the issues with his performance. The author also discusses other players on the team but does not make any fallacious claims about them.
    • In his most recent season of professional basketball with the Philadelphia 76ers, Joel Embiid averaged 34.7 points, 11 rebounds, and 5.6 assists...
    • Embiid started over Davis in both exhibition victories...
    • MORE: Ranking Team USA's men's basketball players...
  • Bias (80%)
    The author expresses concern about Joel Embiid's performance with USA Basketball and suggests that his poor play may be a reason why the team might not win gold. The author also mentions Embiid's turnovers and lack of effectiveness against double-teams as issues. These statements could be seen as implying that Embiid is a liability for the team, which could be considered negative bias towards him.
    • Given that Embiid reacted to that tactic by turning over the ball once for every 5 minutes he spent on the floor, it also might be an indication opposing coaches and defenders believe doubling Embiid will lead to him turning the ball over.
      • It is beginning to appear that if the U.S. does not win gold, the primary reason will be the decision to ride with Embiid as one of the team's few true big men.
        • Through two exhibitions, Embiid has played 28 total minutes and committed seven total turnovers.
        • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
          None Found At Time Of Publication
        • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
          None Found At Time Of Publication