FRA - Young guns firing for ASVEL post-Parker

LYON (LNB/Eurocup/Olympics) - When Tony Parker spoke to the French media on November 26 before returning to San Antonio to get ready for the delayed start to the NBA season, he considered what lay before ASVEL this season.

Everyone was wondering how ASVEL would cope without Parker, who competed in France during the NBA lockout and was Player of the Week after pouring in 34 points against Valencia Basket in his only Eurocup game on November 15.

In the French Pro A, Parker played in seven games and averaged 20.3 points, 6.3 assists and 4.9 rebounds.

"Everybody has to step up and take responsibility," Parker said after his last game against Strasbourg.

One of those players, Edwin Jackson, is a France national team hopeful.

Jackson, even while Parker was in ASVEL, was enjoying a solid campaign and doing his chances of making it to the London Games no harm.

In the win over Valencia, Jackson hit three of five shots from long range and scored 11 points.

In every Eurocup game, he has reached double digits in points. He is averaging 13 for the season.

In the past several days, he has been particularly effective for the ASVEL team coached by Pierre Vincent.

Jackson erupted for a season-high 25 points in an 87-78 victory at Hyères-Toulon.

He was five of eight from long range and nine of 15 from the floor overall.

The 22-year-old guard is 14 of 34 (41%) overall from behind the arc in the French top flight this season.

In the Eurocup on Tuesday night, Jackson had a game-high 18 points to lead ASVEL past Telenet Oostende.

Another French player to keep an eye on at ASVEL is Paul Lacombe, a player who had a leading role in France’s U20 European Championship gold-medal winning squad of 2010.

In that tournament’s Semi-Final triumph over Spain, Lacombe was four of six from long range and scored 23 points while in the victory over Greece in the title game, he had 14.

He shot an impressive 14 of 35 (40%) from behind the arc in that tournament.

Used sparingly by ASVEL when Parker was in the squad, Lacombe now has an prominent role.

He played 21 minutes in Saturday’s win over Hyères-Toulon and scored nine points and was, according to the ASVEL website, the “energizer” that day.

Lacombe played 26 minutes and scored 10 points and had two steals in Tuesday’s win over Oostende.

FIBA