The French men's basketball team made its debut on Sunday in the Olympic tournament in Tokyo with a big entry challenge, facing the United States in group A. Triple reigning Olympic champion, the "Team USA" however appeared in full doubt with two defeats in a preparation match.
A shock of last four from the first day of basketball at the Tokyo Olympics (July 23-August 8).
The French men's team faces the United States on Sunday at 2 p.m. KST.
World references, the Americans are once again leaving as the big favorites of the Games to go for a fourth consecutive Olympic coronation.
But the Covid-19, among other ups and downs, came to seal their preparation.
What perhaps give a glimmer of hope to the French, who will be able to draw inspiration from their benchmark victory against the United States in the quarter-final of the 2019 World Cup (89-79).
A poorly fit American team
USA coach Gregg Popovich is counting on his stars from the NBA, the most successful American championship in the world, to run for another Olympic gold medal. His group is armed offensively with Kevin Durant, already crowned twice in London in 2012 and Rio in 2016, Damian Lillard but also Jayson Tatum. An armada to forget the notable absences of LeBron James, Stephen Curry or James Harden.
On paper, "Team USA" is intimidating, but this did not really materialize during its preparation, which ended in two unexpected losses against Nigeria (87-90) and Australia (83-91 ), followed by two reassuring victories at the expense of Argentina (108-80) and Spain, reigning European champion (83-76). Above all, it is the irruption of the Covid in the group that caused damage, since Bradley Beal had to forfeit, just like the interior Kevin Love, injured in his right calf.
Contact case, back Zach LaVine only joined the team in Japan on Thursday.
And if Popovich hopes to make him play Sunday for the entry into contention against France, he will probably compose with a rotation with nine players since Khris Middleton, Jrue Holiday, crowned NBA champions Tuesday with Milwaukee, and Devin Booker, unhappy finalist, do not. will arrive only Saturday in Japan.
It is therefore the USA far from being 100% which will enter the competition against the Blues and their colony of NBA players (Rudy Gobert, Nicolas Batum, Evan Fournier, Timothé Luwawu-Cabarrot, Frank Ntilikina), with obviously a feeling of revenge.
The feat of the 2019 World Cup
A revenge that the Americans have been waiting for since the 2019 World Basketball Championship. The France team led by its NBA players won against Team USA in the quarterfinals for the first time in its history. The Blues had been able to count on the remarkable performances of Evan Fournier and Rudy Gobert, authors of more than 20 points each.
Such a feat may therefore be possible with the happy protagonists, finally bronze medalists at the last World Cup. But the selection of Vincent Collet also presents itself with doubts. The Blues have played three preparatory matches for the Olympic Games for ...: two against the great rival, Spain (77-86 in Malaga and 79-87 in Paris), and a much more embarrassing against Japan on Sunday (75-81). "We will have to remember our start to the match [against Japan] which was far from the expected standards for the Olympic Games. It is a reminder, a warning to be taken into account", underlined the coach Vincent Collet after the last match friendly from France.
Despite this difficult preparation, the goal of the Tricolores remains the same: to win an Olympic medal. To do this, they will have to rule out a hell of a competition between the Spanish world champions, the Argentinian vice-world champions and vengeful Americans.