Almost a month has passed by and Joel Embiid still struggles to fit into Team USA’s roster. LeBron James & Co. took on Team Serbia in their inaugural game at the Paris Olympics. The game was clearly overshadowed by Kevin Durant with his masterclass shooting performance. However, amid this highlight, the Philadelphia 76ers big man’s skirmish stood out big time. Speaking of the 7-foot center, the former Golden State Warriors star, Tim Legler scrutinized his game and also dropped a crucial piece of advice.

Right throughout the exhibition games, many argued to bring Anthony Davis to the starting lineup, citing The Process‘ struggle. In the first three games, the big man averaged 7.7 points, shooting at 37% FG. The Cameroonian struggled to extract foul calls from the international refs like he did in the NBA. On the other hand, Joel Embiid barely made any impact on the defensive end, giving away 2.7 turnovers per game.

Nevertheless, nothing seemed to have changed as Steve Kerr has continued to start games with him. And again Joel Embiid had an underwhelming run with 4 points 2/5 FG in his 11-minute stay. Addressing his performance, Tim Legler featured on the latest episode of All NBA Podcast. First of all, he clarified one thing, saying, “Embiid did not look in flow but he also didn’t look like he was like thrilled about being there!”

Moreover, a report also suggested that both Embiid and AD weren’t feeling well before the game. But they still proceeded to play after Steve Kerr’s request. Legler continued, “He looked miserable. I don’t know what was going on with him. Is it just not fun for him? Like playing on a team like this. You know, do you know for some guys it’s like, ‘Hey man I’m gonna adapt what I have, I want to play with these guys because this is an incredible, this one of the greatest teams ever assembled. ‘I want to win a gold medal. I want to represent the United States.'” The former NBA star made it clear that Joel Embiid wasn’t fitting in well with the side.

Moreover, while there are rumors about an “under the table” deal, Legler suggests a possible solution for the big man.

 Tim Legler tweaks Joel Embiid’s role and “makes sense” of the chaos

Team USA proved its perimeter shooting prowess with a magnificent display against Serbia. The team shot 18 three-pointers with an impressive 56.3% FG. Amid this hot streak, the Hoopers barely required someone near the rim for protection. Addressing the situation, Legler said, “I don’t know that starting out the game and feeding the ball to the post on a team like this makes a lot of sense to me.”

“I almost feel like it’s the other way around because when those guys start going from the perimeter and the amount the way the floor is going to have to extend defensively then Joel Embiid becomes, he’s got one-on-one coverage with that space in the middle forget about, it’s over.”

Nevertheless, Legler’s crucial piece of advice doesn’t seem to move the mountain amid the latest rumor. While the majority of fans demanded the benching of Joel Embiid because of his inconsistent performances, Jason Timpf, made a shocking revelation on his pod, saying, “This most probably has to do with sort of under-the-table deal to try to get Embiid not to play for France instead. Right?”

“That was the whole thing. Is he going to play for France?” With already two 7-footers on the side, the jury is still out on Jason Timpf’s allegation, and no proof was backed up with that claim either.

So, do you believe it? Or what do you believe?

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