Team Profile: France are eager to get back on the podium

 

PARIS (France) - The wounds have healed up. In the last couple of years, France took bronze and silver at the FIBA Basketball World Cup and the Olympic Games after a horrendous ending to FIBA EuroBasket 2017.

It was the worst finish for Les Bleus in this competition since 1963 as they lost to Germany in the Round of 16. After finishing in 12th place, France are eager to get back to where they belong – on the podium.

Any coach would be envious of Vincent Collet, who has been at the helm of France since 2009 and steered them to a first-ever EuroBasket gold medal

They will be led by none other than Vincent Collet. The legendary coach is heading into his 13th straight campaign with the national team and seems to be keeping up with the always-changing game of basketball – he won the Coach of the Year award in the French league this season, steering Metropolitans 92 towards a third-place finish.

Collet's task is to turn one of the strongest groups of players on paper into a well-oiled machine. Five stars are coming from the NBA, while the others eight play at the highest level in Europe, so depth will not be a problem.

The ‘Stifle Tower’ Rudy Gobert is missing only a gold medal with France. A six-time All-NBA First Defensive Team member is fresh off a trade to the Minnesota Timberwolves after another less than convincing run in the NBA Playoffs with Utah. However, do not be fooled – when the game is played by FIBA rules, the center’s impact on the court tends to grow from huge to dominant.

When Gobert sits on the bench, France will have plenty of options to choose from as big men Vincent Poirier and Mouhammadou Jaiteh are ready to step in and make sure the frontcourt remains impactful against any opponent.

Evan Fournier and Elie Okobo will probably split the main scoring duties between them. If the New York Knicks guard is a familiar name among the top scorers for France, Okobo will make his debut appearance at a major tournament with the senior national team. After averaging 18.9 points in the FIBA U20 European Championship six years ago, he never made the final selection due to his voyages between the NBA and the G League. The 31st pick of the 2018 NBA Draft finally had a breakout season in Europe and, in tandem with Fournier, should take a huge share of France's perimeter scoring.

The likes of Guerschon Yabusele, Timothy Luwawu-Cabarrot, William Howard and Isaiah Cordinier will take up the forward positions. The all-around Yabusele, 3-and-D wing Luwawu-Cabarrot, sharpshooter Howard and slasher Cordinier should each provide some versatility around the key building blocks of Gobert and Fournier.

Questions surround the point guard situation. Will scoring-first Thomas Heurtel be in shape after his season was cut short? Can he bring the best out of his teammates, especially since defensive beast Frank Ntilikina will not take part in the competition after all?

Collet has the know-how of winning EuroBasket gold. And, if France play their cards right, not only they are going to prove that their 12th place finish was a fluke, but will also be serious contenders to step on the podium once again.

 IN THE LAST 10 FIBA EVENTS

YEAR	EVENT	LOCATION	ACHIEVEMENT
2021	Olympics	Tokyo (JPN)	Silver
2019	FIBA Basketball World Cup	Beijing (CHN)	Bronze
2017	FIBA EuroBasket	Istanbul (TUR)	12th
2016	Olympics	Rio de Janeiro (BRA)	6th
2015	FIBA EuroBasket	Lille (FRA)	Bronze
2014	FIBA Basketball World Cup	Madrid (ESP)	Bronze
2013	FIBA EuroBasket	Ljubljana (SLO)	Gold
2012	Olympics	London (GBR)	6th
2011	FIBA EuroBasket	Kaunas (LTU)	Silver
2010	FIBA Basketball World Cup	Istanbul (TUR)	13th

   

HOW DID  QUALIFY: FIBA EUROBASKET 2022 QUALIFIERS - 1st IN GROUP G (4W - 2L)

DATE	GAME	RESULT
21/02/2020	Germany v France	83-69
24/02/2020	France v Montenegro	85-66
27/11/2020	Great Britain v France	56-79
29/11/2020	France v Germany	86-74
20/02/2021	Montenegro v France	71-73
22/02/2021	France v Great Britain	73-94

 

FIBA