Dongguan (China) (AFP)
There will certainly be neither LeBron James nor Steph Curry on the American side, but the French will find on their way a strong armada of twelve important players of NBA, Wednesday in Dongguan in the quarterfinals of the World Cup.
Of the 32 of the tournament, the American team is obviously the only one of which all the selected ones play in the biggest league of the world. The second best-supplied team is Australia, with only five "NBAers". France has four (Gobert, Fournier, Batum, Ntilikina).
The United States are also the only ones to have in their ranks two actors of the last All Star Game, the exhibition match played mid-season between the best NBA players.
The first is Kemba Walker, the leader of Charlotte, a very strong scorer (25.6 points average this season), who played with Nicolas Batum and Tony Parker was the lining. He signed a $ 141 million four-year contract with the Boston Celtics. He is the best scorer and the best passer of Team USA at the World.
The second All Star is Khris Middleton, a very complete winger, great craftsman of the season Milwaukee Bucks (NBA semi-finalists) alongside MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo.
- Two future great -
Coach Gregg Popovich, the coach of San Antonio, a former "TP" mentor and perhaps the best-known member of the group, also convinced two of the NBA's top prospects for coming to China: Donovan Mitchell (23) , the spectacular leader of Utah Jazz (the team of Rudy Gobert), an explosive player who won the All Star Week End dunks contest last year and turned this season to 23.8 points, and Jayson Tatum, a 21-year-old winger chosen in the N.3 draft by the Boston Celtics two years ago.
Then there are indisputable holders in their franchise, which any coach of the World would like to have at his disposal. This is the case of the Brooklyn Nets Shooter Joe Harris, winner of the three-point contest of the last All Star Week End, Marcus Smart, the back of the Boston Celtics, elected in the best five defensive of the season, or Brook Lopez, the veteran of the team at age 31, a great pivot who started shooting three points later.
- No collective experience -
The domestic sector could still be the Achilles heel of Team USA. Mason Plumlee (Denver Nuggets) is an established player (six seasons in the NBA) but has never been a star, and the young Myles Turner (23 years old, Indiana Pacers) has yet to confirm his potential. They can expect to suffer against the French pivot Rudy Gobert, double best defender of the NBA.
The team lacks a little experience (only thirty, six players 25 years or less), especially in the game Fiba, a little different from the NBA, including the way to defend. Plumlee is the only reigning world champion (2014) and strong forward Harrison Barnes the only Olympic gold medalist (2016).
These players had never played together before the World Cup, a definite advantage for teams like France, Australia, Spain or Serbia whose members are dating from youth teams.
So, a team D these Americans?
"Those who say that are people who do not play basketball, who are in front of their TV, who judge on Twitter or Facebook, believes Gobert.Of course there are not the top 5 superstars, but they do not They are never there anyway, they are very well coached, very athletic, they remain on paper the best team in the competition ".
© 2019 AFP