After a productive and jam-packed five days in Abu Dhabi, Team USA moves on to London, where they will play two final exhibition games – against South Sudan and Germany – before their Olympic Games campaign that begins on July 28.
There's plenty to unpack in the UAE capital this week from America's victories over Australia and Serbia.
Here are some of the key takeaways as the Americans go in search of their fifth consecutive Olympic Games gold medal in Paris.
Curry, James, Embiid probably all three starts
It will take some time for Joel Embiid to adjust to this US Super Team and international basketball in general – but US head coach Steve Kerr has made it clear that the 2023 NBA MVP will be an integral part of his starting unit.
Although Anthony Davis has been shining for the U.S. so far and has been his best, Kerr has started Embiid in all three exhibition games they've contested.
Making his Team USA debut this summer, Embiid has averaged 6.5 rebounds per game in three friendlies played (against Canada, Australia and Serbia) and combined for nine turnovers.
Kerr believes it's only a matter of time until the Sixers center hits his stride.
“He's getting better and better every day,” Kerr said. “Usually big guys take a long time to get rhythm and flow. I love Joel. He's an impressive player.”
The three constants in Kerr's starting five on the team's exhibition schedule were LeBron James, Stephen Curry and Embiid, as the Golden State Warriors coach continues to tinker with his lineup for the remaining two spots.
“I like those three guys in the starting lineup. We're looking at other guys around them and we obviously have a lot of great options, but I like those three guys in the starting lineup,” Kerr said in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday.
For someone used to carrying the Warriors offense all year, Curry hasn't made a huge impact in the first two games but went 6-9 with 24 points in 21 minutes against Serbia on Wednesday.
Curry explained after the Australia clash that making sure Embiid is properly utilized has been a key focus for the starters.
“He demands a lot of attention so you have to use that and get him in position,” Curry said.
“We still have to figure out the spacing around him to give him a look, whether he shoots and scores or if he's out. And then if he's not in the post, we're trying to figure out different looks, and the chemistry of that group.
“I think we got a little bit better and we've got a lot more games to get better and use all the threats he can do and everybody out there.”
Embiid 'Time of My Life'
While things have yet to click for Embiid, the 30-year-old American-Cameroonian player has enjoyed every moment of this training camp so far.
“Well done. Obviously it's new, so we're still working on the chemistry, reading each other. Some of the trades we've had, most of them have been miscommunications,” he said Wednesday.
“But it's good, I'm having the time of my life, I don't have to do anything. I'm happy just chilling, just hanging out, dealing with the little things, and then just play together and win.
Curry to accommodate FIBA games
Since the FIBA game is known to be more physical and faster paced than the NBA, players must make significant adjustments to excel in this format.
For Curry, who is making his first national team appearance in 10 years, this is not the main challenge.
“The biggest difference is from game to game, there are different styles from country to country, the way they play,” the 36-year-old point guard said.
“That's the biggest adjustment. Physicality, speed, all of that, we can adjust to anything but focusing on the game plan and being disciplined on that front from game to game is tough, because everybody plays differently.
The U.S. has Serbia, South Sudan and Puerto Rico in its pool at the Olympics, meaning they will face three teams that boast basketball schools from three different continents.
We haven't seen America's full potential yet
As both Bam Adebayo and James said after their win over Serbia, we haven't seen the best from this team yet.
The Stars and Stripes beat Nikola Jokic's Serbia by 26 points but not much is being read into it ahead of the rematch in Olympic pool play next week.
Asked if America's performance against Serbia reflected the team's ability, Adebayo replied, “Not yet.”
“We still have work to do. We've still got some turnovers to clean up, we've still got some defensive schemes to clean up and we've still got a guy who's still working his way up. “
James echoed Adebayo's sentiments: “We still have a lot of room to improve but we want to continue to get better and not waste chances. I thought we did well tonight.”
Kerr is likely to continue with the hockey subs strategy, replacing all five starters with the second unit and alternating between the two groups throughout the game.
“I think the identity of the team is our depth, the strength of the team is depth. And so, if we can play sharp defense, hit the body, rebound, be physical and play in four-, five-minute bursts, it makes sense to play that way,” Kerr said.
“We'll see if we keep doing it but for now, it's allowed groups to come together, Eddie (Anthony Davis) and Bam (Adebayo) for example, Steph and LeBron, learning how to play together, feeling good. For each other. Our team's only strength is depth and if we have to play that way, we will play that way.
KD still out, but making progress
Three-time Olympic gold medalist Kevin Durant is still nursing a calf strain and has yet to make the US team, but coach Kerr is optimistic the Phoenix Suns forward will be ready for Paris.
“Kevin has been doing a lot the last couple of days and he's moving in the right direction,” Kerr said Wednesday.
As America's all-time leading scorer in the Olympics, Durant brings a lot of experience to this team and will undoubtedly make an impact if he is ready to play.
Ant-Man was made for the big stage
Anthony Edwards has been one of the best players in the league this past season and the 22-year-old brings confidence and explosiveness to the team.
He's averaging 14.3 points per game this Olympic preseason, whether he's a starter or coming off the bench.
“I thought he took his experience from last year's World Cup and got a lot better and became one of the best players in the NBA last season,” Edwards coach Kerr said.
“He still has some things to improve on. I talk to him about it often, rebounding and defense, not getting behind anybody, having a defensive vision.
“He's very talented, he's a great, great player. But great players are always good. Every summer they keep working on new things. So I'm going to encourage Anthony to keep getting better.
Another slam dunk from Abu Dhabi
The UAE capital continues to strengthen its position as the hub of international basketball in the Middle East and has once again delivered an outstanding event.
Having hosted pre-season games between the Milwaukee Bucks and Atlanta Hawks in 2022, and the Dallas Mavericks and Minnesota Timberwolves in 2023, Abu Dhabi has proven to be the perfect location for national teams to hold training camps and prepare for major tournaments.
Before last year's FIBA World Cup, teams including USA, Greece and Germany played training and exhibition matches in Abu Dhabi. And the Americans returned with the same agenda before the Olympics this year.
The Etihad Arena was sold out for both American games this week and will undoubtedly be at full capacity when NBA champions Boston Celtics and Denver Nuggets come to Abu Dhabi for pre-season games in October.
“We've had an incredible five days here. The hospitality in Abu Dhabi has been amazing, the people are amazing. We've just had a great trip and we really appreciate how welcome we've been from everyone here,” Kerr said.
Embiid added: “It's been amazing. I got here and called my wife and I told her it's really beautiful here. I've had the time of my life just meeting different people.
“I'm all about culture, being African, learning about other people's culture, it's big for me. So being here, seeing how beautiful it is is an amazing experience.
