by Eurohoops Team / [email protected]
The French National Team will play against Spain today at 21.30 to become the biggest in Europe. France will try to make up for its disappointment at the 2017 EuroBasket with a gold medal.
Boris Diaw, general manager of the France National Team and former NBA player, spoke to Mozzartt Sport ahead of the EuroBasket 2022 final game. Diaw touched on the change of basketball in his statement.
Boris Diaw complained that almost every team now plays the same game on the court and uses similar offensive actions:
“Basketball has changed a lot. First of all, the styles of the teams… Now everything is taken to a higher level. Teams do many things similar to others. That’s why the overall level of basketball in Europe and America is pretty similar. Even when we look at the teams on our continent, the quality is almost the same.”
“If we go back 20 years, for example, Serbia, Italy and Spain used to play basketball in different ways. Now they all play more or less the same thing. Everyone on offense is focused on Spanish Pick&Roll or doing some of the things that have become so characteristic of the EuroLeague.”
“I feel like it’s harder for you right now to predict things, to figure out what separates one team from another. It is much more difficult to prepare for the matches because the teams are now thinking about getting the best out of the game. If Pick&Roll is the best thing right now, everyone will prefer it. If the three-pointer is the most efficient, he will aim for it. Teams are getting more and more even.”
Referring to the NBA stars’ early farewell to EuroBasket 2022, Diaw emphasized team play and the importance of side pieces:
“Basketball is still a team sport, played five-on-five, and everything can never depend on one player. Also, you need to have a deeper roster than ever before, with 10-12 players in the rotation for a good result. Jokic, Luka and Giannis are great actors but they all need to be involved in the action and play well. This goes for any team on the planet that wants to succeed. Having an extra star is great, but you need side pieces to provide support on both sides of the pitch.”
Click here not to miss the latest developments in the basketball agenda!
