We won’t see Victor Wembanya at the FIBA World Cup, but France is coming to achieve a great result even without him.
The continuity of good results is expected to be continued in Asia, where France will play in Group H against Canada, Lebanon and Latvia.
FIBA World Cup – France: Previous editions and the best results of the national team
In the period from 1963 to 2006 and the tournament in Japan, the national team of France qualified for the World Cup only once. Since then, they have had continuity and won two consecutive bronze medals, which is their best result.
In 2014, they were better than Lithuania in the game for third place (95:93) after a big comeback, and five years later they beat Australia by 67:59.
FIBA World Cup – France: Road to Mundobasket
Victor Wembanyama, the first pick in the NBA draft, was a significant part of France national team in the qualifiers, but Vincent Collet did not include his name among the 12 travelers to the FIBA World Cup. The reason is that the player wants to prepare as much as possible for the NBA season.
In the qualifiers, Wembanyama recorded four appearances where he averaged 19 points with eight rebounds, two steals and three blocks. France recorded only two defeats during the qualifiers (Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina), so they routinely strolled to Mundobasket.
FIBA World Cup – France: Roster and focus on those who are expected the most
France has a fantastic continuity of good results. Two bronze medals from the last two World Cups say a lot. An additional reason and confirmation of such a claim are the silver at the Olympic Games in Tokyo, as well as the silver at the last Eurobasket.
The fact that among these 12 players only one does not play in the NBA or the EuroLeague speaks volumes about how good France’s roster is. To be more precise, after Sylvain Francisco signed for Bayern, all members are in two elite competitions. Francisco could use this tournament for additional promotion.
As many as seven players in this roster were part of the team at the Olympic Games when France was defeated by the United States. Nando de Colo as the “Napoleon” of this national team, will form the backourt duo with Evan Fournier.
De Colo averaged 15.6 points, four assists and one steal last season. It is clear that one of the best point guards in Europe during the last decade will take responsibility every time. Evan Fournier is always ready to destroy any opponent with good shot from distance. He shown that countless times. Although he is effectively removed from the New York Knicks rotation, this is an ideal opportunity for him to shine again.
Fournier was on the All-Tournament team at the previous World Cup. Besides him, there were also Bogdan Bogdanovic, Ricky Rubio, Marc Gasol and Luis Scola.
Giants in the paint
Rudy Gobert and Moustapha Fall form a tandem at the center position. “The French Rejection” made 70 appearances in the NBA last season. He averaged 13.4 points with 11.6 rebounds for double-double statistics. In addition, he had “a block and a half” per game.
Moustapha Fall (Olympiacos center) will be Gobert’s replacement. In 17 minutes on the floor in the EuroLeague with Olympiacos, his contribution was eight points, 4.4 rebounds and almost two assists.
What is not written in the statistics is a huge security in the paint and a headache for every rival, whether it was one-on-one or zone defense. Also, he knew how to show good editions offensively against physically weaker rivals.
Rest of the roster
Guerschon Yabusele and Nicolas Batum could potentially be the cohesive factor of this team. The first of them is able to cover several positions, and defensively he can take on anyone. When it comes to Batum, this man was part of every France success and probably no one in the team has the authority that he has.
Yabusele found himself in the center of attention because of the wrestling tackle applied to Dante Exum, but the playing quality he possesses ranks him as one of the most useful players in Europe, in both directions. Terry Tarpey and Elie Okobo are here again and their responsibility will be to maintain freshness from the bench and the intensity of the match when the rivals second unit is on the court.
Yakuba Ouattara and Frank Ntilikina are the last pieces of the basketball mosaic arranged by coach Collet. Monaco member made a valid contribution to their historic season.
FIBA World Cup – France: More about head coach – Vincent Collet
The French expert was born in 1963 and ended his playing career in 1998. Since then, he has been working as a coach. He has spent his entire life in French basketball, whether it was club or national team.
Vincent Collet won the French League once as a player and twice as a head coach. He was named Coach of the Year in his homeland on five occasions. He added to all that a total of seven trophies (Cup or Super Cup).
Since 2009, he has been the head coach of France national team and it can be said that he created the cult of the national team. This is confirmed by the results. We have already mentioned some in earlier lines, but the fact that he won seven medals at major competitions will serve as a verification of the claim.
Although he missed the chance for World and Olympics gold, France managed to win the gold medal in the Eurobasket back in 2013. In addition, they have silver and one bronze in their showcases from that competition.
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FIBA World Cup – France: Expectations
The draw for the FIBA World Cup decided that France will play against Lebanon, Latvia and Canada in the first phase. Two key words that can be used to describe this team are cult and continuity.
There is no doubt that everyone has the highest possible expectations of them, but that really matters less in this situation. Their own expectations are more important. The already mentioned seven medals at major competitions since 2011 speak more than any words.
Defeats in the finals of the Eurobasket and the Olympic Games certainly left mark. The psychological moment may be crucial, but their ability in the past to rise and still win bronze medal games is a clear indication of their short-term memory.
This French team is ready to go all the way, at least on paper. It is up to them to prove it on the court.