"He on Phil Jackson s**t"- Former Bucks guard bluntly questions Joel Embiid starting for Steve Kerr's Team USA

Former Milwaukee Bucks star guard Brandon Jennings isn't a believer in Steve Kerr starting center Joel Embiid on Team USA. However, despite some questioning the decision, the Golden State Warriors coach is firm in his stance to start the 2022-23 NBA MVP.

Fans have said that starting Anthony Davis or Bam Adebayo could be better for the national team. After all, the two big men have experience playing with stars on Team USA in the past. Embiid, on the other hand, is playing for Team USA for the first time.

This gave other critics a chance to air out their frustration regarding Kerr's rotation for the team. On the recent episode of "Gils' Arena," Gilbert Arenas and Jennings shared their thoughts on the rotation.

"I don't know what games he's been watching or practices he's been watching, because if he is watching the same sh*t we watch, it don’t look like they all three are playing the same-looking game that he's watching," Arenas said.

Jennings then added:

"He on some Phil Jackson s**t. He think he Phil."

Team USA is undefeated in its exhibition games, and the team looks confident with Embiid as its starting center. Even Davis, the player who most fans are looking to see in the starting lineup, has no issues with coming off the bench.

The national team will continue to showcase what it has in exhibition games before the 2024 Paris Olympics. On July 21, the team will go against South Sudan in London.

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Joel Embiid on the physicality of international games

In Joel Embiid's first exhibition game against Canada, he struggled to keep up with the physicality of the game. There were times when he was looking to draw fouls but referees would simply ignore him. Other times, Embiid was doing too much physically, like when he fouled out in the first game.

Now that he's gradually getting the feel of the physicality, he doesn't see any difference in the physicality of FIBA and the NBA.

"It's the same," Embiid said after Wednesday's 105-79 win over Serbia.

It's just tune-up games for now, and teams may be holding back a little to have energy when the real tournament starts. But seeing Team USA's starting center adjust to the physicality is a good sign.