Skip Bayless Calls Joel Embiid Unfit, Wants Anthony Davis to Replace Him as a Starter

The recently concluded exhibition games of Team USA have sparked divided fan opinions. Shortly after, Skip Bayless joined this discussion by naming his preference for the starting center position. The 72-year-old deemed Joel Embiid unfit for the role, before demanding Anthony Davis to replace him as a starter.

Expressing his viewpoint on the latest UNDISPUTED episode, Bayless revealed the reasons behind his statement. He pointed to the players’ latest performances on the national team as the basis of his belief. Following this, he weighed in on AD being named in the starting five over Embiid, stating,

“Joel Embiid is not going to get in shape because he is so far out of shape, he doesn’t have time to play his way in shape… I think he is borderline liability right now… He is way overweight and way out of shape… I’m watching Anthony Davis in these games and there are times I don’t even recognize him cause he is playing so hard for Team USA”.

Time for Anthony Davis to replace Joel Embiid in the starting 5? @RealSkipBayless weighs in:

“AD’s playing so hard for Team USA. I think Embiid’s a borderline liability right now.” pic.twitter.com/Ep4tHJGVSS

— UNDISPUTED (@undisputed) July 16, 2024

Concerns surfaced following Team USA’s lackluster performance in their 98-92 victory over Australia. While the rest of the team struggled to find the rhythm, Davis came off the bench to turn things around. In the process, his remarkable double-double of 17 points, and 14 rebounds outperformed Embiid’s stat line of 10 points, and 5 rebounds on the night.

Interestingly, a similar instance occurred during their first exhibition game against Canada. Once more, AD was pivotal in helping Team USA stabilize the ship during their 86-72 win. Coming off the bench, the Los Angeles Lakers star recorded 10 points and 11 rebounds, surpassing Embiid’s 5 points and 6 rebounds in Las Vegas.

These two games have pointed to the need to have Davis in the start over Embiid. With Bayless adding volume to this narrative, fans may grow restless if this switch doesn’t happen in their upcoming clash against Serbia.

Even after this, Skip Bayless pulled Anthony Davis’ leg

The NBA community has grown accustomed to Bayless’ shenanigans by now. Yet, the 72-year-old never ceases to surprise fans with his dubious comments. One such instance occurred when Team USA recently squared off against Australia.

Shortly after Davis came to the floor to turn the tide, the analyst showered praise for the NBA champion. However, while doing so, he couldn’t resist mocking AD’s performances for the Lakers. Voicing his opinion in a typical Bayless fashion on X (formerly Twitter), he wrote,

“If only Anthony Davis played as hard every night for the Lakers as he does every second of every game for Team USA”.

If only Anthony Davis played as hard every night for the Lakers as he does every second of every game for Team USA.

— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) July 15, 2024

Despite the harsh comments, Bayless showed appreciation for Davis’ contributions. That said, AD must retain his form at all costs to continue gaining the support of the analyst. Otherwise, the latter might soon turn against him to undermine his efforts for the national team.