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“MVP” chants in favor of Victor Wembanyama. Hearty hugs and smiles found again. Failing to be totally reassuring, the Blues did the minimum: winning against a direct competitor in the quarters (78-66), in a Pierre Mauroy stadium reconfigured into an incandescent Olympic arena, so boiling that it was impossible to hear the announcer pronounce the name of the French. The slightest Blue rebound is celebrated like a three-pointer.
The Olympic vice-champions arrived in Villeneuve-d’Ascq, in the suburbs of Lille, feeling timid, not reassured by their four defeats in a row. First victorious against the Turks (96-46) then the Germans (90-65) without the best, the Blues stammered their basketball against this same Mannschaft in full, Serbia, Canada and Australia. That is to say, contenders for the podium, or even the title, chosen on purpose so that the Blues would become aware of their real level. And avoid the disappointment of last year: after having strolled in preparation, the selection had been smashed in the first round of the World Cup.
The start of hostilities this Saturday was not enough to reassure Vincent Collet. Brazil quickly reminded that it did not escape the qualifying tournament by chance. The Auriverdes immediately relied on their outsides to rack up the midrange (those two-point shots converted on first intention) or the shots behind the arc. Grandpa Marcelinho Huertas, 41, still putting up a bit of resistance (11 points). Fast as can be, the Brazilian wingers slip into the gaps, the ball circulates well, the French are late, punished half the time by the referees. When they don’t get caught out on the slightest pick’n roll (when a player sets a screen, “rolls” towards the basket and finds himself served). Everything we should do, in a way.
After an 8-0 run by Brazil, Batum and co realize that there is probably something to do near the rim: the tallest Brazilian is no taller than 2.07m. Instead of persisting in sending 3-point shots that don’t go in, the French get closer. “Wemby” takes out the trowel, and starts a nice project in the paint. The French go 24-9 to take the lead by a whisker at halftime.
Minimize ball losses
Liberated, although very Wemby-dependent in attack, the Blues suffocated the Brazilians, who were incapable of finalizing a system or concluding a possession with an easy shot, blinded by the endless arms of the two French towers, Gobert and “Wemby”. Only nine points conceded in the third quarter. With these two, however, Collet is still looking for the best formula. When Brazil got back into it in the last act, the hosts toughened up their play on both sides, “Nico” Batum and Frank Ntilikina scoring a few crucial baskets.
For Collet and his assistants, the areas of work in the coming days will be the same. The most urgent of them: reduce ball losses as much as possible. The French have once again given away an incalculable number of balls. Far too many to envisage a victory when the serious stuff arrives. He will also have to find solutions in attack, especially when Wemby is not there. This implies that the leaders Evan Fournier (7 points) and Guerschon Yabusele (4 points) show themselves more and that Vincent Collet makes them play more. Statistics that are far too weak for those who were our offensive leaders in the last international competitions. A feverish Japan, defeated by 20 points against Germany, looks like the ideal team to refine all that in two days. After that, things will seriously get tougher.
Source: www.liberation.fr
