French Basketball Team at EuroBasket: Weakened but Still Dangerous!
EuroBasket Without France’s Biggest Stars?
The French national basketball team, the current Olympic silver medalists, are heading into EuroBasket 2024 with serious problems. Their three biggest stars – Victor Wembanyama (San Antonio Spurs), Rudy Gobert (Minnesota Timberwolves), and Evan Fournier (Olympiakos) – will not participate due to health reasons. Legends like Nicolas Batum and Nando de Colo have retired from the national team after the Paris Olympics.
Who’s Left?
Coach Frederic Fauthoux has a wider roster of 18 players but without his biggest stars. Among them are Bilal Coulibaly and Alex Sar from the Washington Wizards, Moussa Diabaté from the Charlotte Hornets, Usman Dieng from Oklahoma City, as well as experienced European players like Mathias Lessort (Panathinaikos), Theo Maledon (ASVEL), Frank Ntilikina (Partizan), and Elie Okobo (AS Monaco).
Group D and the Challenges
France will play in Group D in Katowice alongside Poland, Iceland, Belgium, Israel, and Slovenia. Without their biggest stars, the question is how well they can compete. Still, they remain serious medal contenders due to their depth and experience.
What Does This Mean for EuroBasket?
The absence of Wembanyama, Gobert, and Fournier is a huge blow to France. Wembanyama played only 46 games last season due to blood clots, Gobert decided to rest this summer, and Fournier is injured. Without them, France loses height, experience, and quality. However, Fauthoux still has six NBA players on the roster, which guarantees they will be dangerous.
Is This the End of France’s Dominance?
Nicolas Batum and Nando de Colo are gone, and the young players have a tough task to maintain France’s reputation on the big stage. It will be interesting to see how this team copes without its biggest stars. EuroBasket 2024 in Poland, Latvia, Finland, and Cyprus promises plenty of excitement, and France will be one of the main talking points – not because of strength, but because of the question of how far they can go without their top names.
Conclusion
France is weakened but not defeated. They have depth, experience, and the desire to prove they are still a force in European basketball. But honestly, without Wembanyama and Gobert, it will be a fight for survival, not an easy stroll to a medal.
Think France can surprise or is this the end of an era? Drop a comment below – we love hearing your take! Who knows, your prediction might just be right!
