After months of anticipation, the wait is almost over: The U.S. men's basketball team begins its drive for a fifth consecutive Olympic gold medal on Sunday, facing off against three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic and Serbia at 11:15 a.m. ET.
It's a fitting start to a tournament that will likely require Team USA to overtake several teams with NBA superstars in its quest for gold.
How right is Joel Embiid?
The longer the U.S. pre-Paris tune-up went on, the further away Joel Embiid got from the knee issues that hampered him toward the end of this past NBA season — and the more comfortable and effective he looked. He saved his best for last, scoring 15 points and making an impact on the glass in the win against Germany in London.
Now, though, the warmups are over, and Jokic is a whole different kind of test. If Embiid isn't moving well enough to hang with Jokic defensively or punish him offensively, that could set the tone for the rest of the game.
Steve Kerr has preferred to keep Anthony Davis and Bam Adebayo together as a big and ultra-switchable duo off the bench, and for good reason: Those are arguably the two most versatile defenders on the planet, and their athleticism and explosiveness will create problems for a Serbian bench lacking in those areas. Which is why Embiid's form is so key: Not only will it give Team USA a sweet-shooting 7-foot monster of its own to match Jokic, but it will allow the rest of Kerr's rotations to fall into place behind him.
SEE MORE: How to watch the U.S. men's basketball team at the Paris Olympics: TV and stream schedule
Figure out the lead guard problem
Of course, "problem" should really be in air quotes here; just about every other team in the men's tournament would kill to have Steph Curry and Anthony Edwards as its primary ball-handlers.
Feeling out of the loop? We'll catch you up on the Chicago news you need to know. Sign up for the weekly Chicago Catch-Up newsletter.
Still, the fact remains: Curry's shot has blown uncharacteristically hot and cold this summer, and Edwards is still learning the sort of elite-level playmaking chops required to play point guard at this level. The result? Too often during their warmup games, the U.S. half-court offense bogged down amid turnovers and contested twos, one of the main reasons their games against South Sudan and Germany were such close calls. The last time these two teams faced off, Steph Freaking Curry showed up, draining 6-of-9 from 3-point range.
Perhaps not coincidentally, the U.S. won going away.
Even with Jokic, Serbia will find itself at a distinct disadvantage as far as athleticism goes; their goal is to muck things up as much as possible and turn this into a grinder of a game. If Steph's shot is failing, and if Edwards can keep the ball moving, that becomes much harder to do.
SEE MORE: Basketball 101: U.S. Olympic roster and player news
Will Kevin Durant play? And how healthy wlil he be?
It's the million-dollar question: Will Kevin Durant finally return from the calf strain that's cost him all five of the U.S. tune-up games? Durant and head coach Steve Kerr seem optimistic, but we won't know until we know.
SEE MORE: Steve Kerr 'confident we'll have everybody' vs. Serbia as Kevin Durant eyes return
At the risk of stating the obvious, getting even 10-15 minutes of healthy Durant is a huge deal. Not just because he's, well, Kevin Durant, but because his shooting, versatility and willingness to pass and move make him the ultimate lubricant for when the American offense starts to get gummed up.
He's also a walking quality shot, and the ultimate bailout option when the shot clock starts winding down — two things that could really help in crunch time, and whenever Kerr is looking to get things back on track.
