At the beginning of the week, Vincent Collet had presented the match against Turkey as “an improved training session”. A quiet start, twenty-two days before the opening ceremony of the Paris Games. The coach of the Blues was right. This Wednesday evening, in a sold-out Kindarena in Rouen (5,467 spectators), the players of the French basketball team did not have to force their talent to win largely (96-46) against the Turks, admittedly weakened by the absence of certain key players and not qualified for the Games.
But the score was not the priority of the evening. The main thing was elsewhere. After having started the preparation only last Friday due to the ban imposed on NBAers to train collectively more than 29 days before the Games, this match was to give the tricolor staff indications on the state of form of the players and their compatibility in the game which will be very defensive. Clues to reduce the group – currently 16 elements – to 12. Collet will have to deliver his list this weekend.
Wembanyama, true leader
A review of the squad materialized by regular rotations of the five players on the court. Every five minutes, the face of the Blues changed completely. The game had been launched – perfectly – by a starting 5 composed of Matthew Strazel, Isaïa Cordinier, Bilal Coulibaly and the (highly anticipated) duo composed of Victor Wembanyama and Rudy Gobert (8 points out of the first 11 of the Blues), Then, halfway through this quarter, Vincent Collet launched Théo Maledon, Nadir Hifi, Evan Fournier (lacking rhythm when he entered), Guerschon Yabusele and Mathias Lessort. And so on for the 16 Blues still present.
All played between 10 and 15 minutes, except for Victor Wembanyama who was able to do a little extra (20 minutes) and delight the crowd. With 24 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists in 20 minutes, the number 32 of the Blues (whose jerseys were counted by the dozens in the stands), who had not played in France since June 15, 2023 and the defeat in the final of the French Championship with the Mets, confirmed that he was (already) the new leader of this team and the guide to follow to win a medal at the Games.
Not necessarily in rhythm, Fournier is one of the rare Blues not to have impressed. Icon Sport/Sandra Ruhaut
If the suspense seems to have long since vanished regarding the selected players from the interior sector for the Games – an impressive four-a-side with Wemby, Gobert, Yabusele and Lessort – it remained intact for the exterior players. For those who doubted it, and despite his 37 years, Nando de Colo showed why he was essential for Vincent Collet. He seems to have reassured the staff and obliterated his ticket for the Games.
The outsiders will force the staff to make difficult choices
Strazel, Maledon, Hifi, Cordinier and Elie Okobo, on the other hand, were playing for big. Beyond the points on the stat line, it was especially important to mark the spirit of Vincent Collet. It is difficult to get a clear idea in such a match and facing such adversity, but the players all showed good intentions that reassured the staff… who have not finished racking their brains to make the final choice of the 12 elected.
After this quiet start, the Blues will get into the thick of their preparation and treat themselves to a double dose of the German world champion on Saturday and Monday. Vincent Collet should deliver his list at the end of the first duel.
