VILLENEUVE-D’ASCQ, France — Effectively, how’s that for Olympic males’s basketball gamesmanship?
After all of the booing that Staff USA large man Joel Embiid has endured from French followers upset together with his controversial alternative to not play for his or her workforce — the most recent spherical coming on the finish of the People’ 104-83 win over Puerto Rico on Saturday when he egged them on by waving each arms because the buzzer sounded at Pierre Mauroy Stadium — his highest-profile teammate, LeBron James, countered together with his personal thumbs down for the French afterward. Their workforce, in any case.
Solely James is aware of if it was a inventive solution to present help for his teammate or if we’re connecting dots that don’t exist. However when the 39-year-old chief of this American squad was requested whether or not he had been scouting the groups that had been transferring on to the knockout spherical that begins on Tuesday in Paris, it was fairly fascinating that France — which suffered its first loss in three tries towards Germany on Friday once they fell 85-71 — was nowhere to be discovered on his private energy rankings.
“There’s loads of nice groups proper now,” he started. “Clearly Canada, Germany. I just like the battle Greece has had. You realize, Serbia, we had them in our group play. We all know what they’re able to. Australia superior as nicely. Australia. So there’s loads of nice groups.”
A French reporter, predictably, chimed in.
“What about France?” the person stated.
“Um, I’ve been impressed,” James stated unconvincingly earlier than altering course. “Um, you already know, I wasn’t very impressed with their final sport. I didn’t assume they was prepared for the physicality of Germany. However aside from that, they’ve been enjoying some good ball.”
No matter James’ intent, his perspective underscored an thrilling fact concerning the basketball left to come back: With the cream of the crop transferring on, the video games ought to be much more thrilling than the snoozer that was Staff USA’s newest win.
The People finally took care of enterprise, however their begin was so sluggish and sluggish (they trailed 25-17 late within the first quarter) that early on this sometimes raucous surroundings had all of the vitality of a preseason Charlotte Hornets sport. The group, which has been nothing in need of electrical virtually each trip for each the boys’s and ladies’s video games, didn’t embody a powerful Puerto Rican contingent and thus the vibe was, nicely, blah.
None of which issues now. After 10 days on this pretty area in Northern France, the place Staff USA would shuttle forwards and backwards from Paris for video games whereas most of us scribes stayed right here, the second section of their gold-medal journey ought to embody the sort of parity (or one thing nearer to it) that makes for extra compelling hoops theater.
Since James shared his top-five Olympic energy rankings for the basketball world, it’s solely proper to observe swimsuit. Right here’s how I see it as we head into the do-or-die portion of the schedule.
1. Staff USA (3-0)
The People downed Serbia, South Sudan and Puerto Rico, and had some extent differential of plus-64 that’s nicely forward of the pack. Germany was second at plus-47. When it comes to expertise, there’s no higher signal of their roster power than the truth that Anthony Edwards (16.3 factors per sport) is main the workforce in scoring whereas coming off the bench. Talking of which, possibly he wasn’t to this point off with these notorious ‘No. 1 possibility’ feedback at Las Vegas coaching camp in spite of everything?
2. Germany (3-0)
James was dead-on about France’s incapacity to deal with the Germans’ aggression and drive, by the way in which, however my takeaway was extra pro-Germany than it was anti-France. Both approach, the reigning FIBA World Cup champions seemed very sturdy whereas rolling by means of Japan, Brazil and France.
They’re led by Dennis Schröder, the Brooklyn Nets’ level guard and veteran of this nationwide workforce who’s averaging 19.7 factors and 9 assists per sport in wildly-entertaining trend. The Orlando Magic’s Wagner brothers, Franz and Mo, have been stout and spirited (12.3 factors and 5 rebounds per for Franz; 12.3 factors and 4 rebounds per for Mo). Daniel Theis, now with the New Orleans Pelicans, is averaging 10.3 factors and a team-high seven rebounds per.
Franz Wagner and Germany shall be one of the formidable challenges to the U.S. within the knockout rounds. (Garrett Ellwood / NBAE by way of Getty Photos)
3. Canada (3-0)
I used to be tempted to place the Canadians within the second slot, however their video games had been considerably extra taut than these of the Germans as Canada’s plus-20 mark, gathered in wins towards Greece, Australia and Spain, is third amongst remaining groups. However their protection is what makes them so totally different and harmful, with (Oklahoma Metropolis’s) Shai Gilgeous-Alexander up prime and the hellacious Dillon Brooks (Houston Rockets) and Lu Dort (Thunder) on the wings. That’s the sort of factor that ought to serve them very nicely when the stakes are raised.
Ditto that they’re very nicely coached, as (the Nets’) Jordi Fernandez is receiving rave evaluations out right here for his dealing with of this membership.
R.J. Barrett, the Toronto Raptors guard whose father, Rowan, is the final supervisor of this system, is enjoying at a excessive stage (team-leading 21 factors per sport, to go along with 4 rebounds and three.7 assists per sport). Gilgeous-Alexander (19.0 factors per) and Brooks (14.3) are carrying important offensive masses, too. If solely they might get (the Nuggets’) Jamal Murray going (5.7 factors per on 33.3 p.c taking pictures total and 10 p.c from 3 (1 of 10).
4. Serbia (2-1)
Serbia, which took silver in final yr’s FIBA World Cup and is usually thought of probably the greatest nationwide groups on the planet, has been powerful to gauge to this point.
They didn’t put up a lot of a combat towards the People of their pool play opener, falling 110-84 and lacking 37 of 46 3s alongside the way in which. Then they routed Puerto Rico (107-66), which was definitely higher than the choice however not all that insightful contemplating the disparity in standing and expertise.
But when any sport showcased their strengths, it was the 96-85 win over South Sudan on Saturday by which the Hawks’ Bogdan Bogdanović caught fireplace (30 factors on 10 of 14 taking pictures, together with six 3s) and the Nuggets’ three-time NBA MVP, Nikola Jokić, went for 22 factors, 13 rebounds and 4 assists. If Serbia goes to medal, these two will carry the overwhelming majority of the load.
5. France (2-1)
It’s not nice for France’s prospects that Victor Wembanyama’s Olympics debut has been so uneven.
The Spurs’ 20-year-old sensation has moments of brilliance, like when he took over in time beyond regulation towards Japan on Tuesday. However he has lengthy stretches the place he’s a non-factor too, just like the three quarters that preceded his outburst towards Japan and continued a problematic development.
After France fell to Germany on Friday, coach Vincent Collet even highlighted Wembanyama’s penchant for ball-stopping on offense as a problem. So sure, in different phrases, there are important wrinkles that have to be ironed out. Nonetheless, “Wemby” is averaging workforce highs in scoring (17.0 per sport) and rebounds (10.7) whereas becoming a member of forces with four-time Defensive Participant of the 12 months Rudy Gobert down low (2.7 blocks per sport for Gobert; 2.0 per for Wembanyama).
The veterans on this workforce — specifically Nic Batum and Evan Fournier — might want to discover a approach to enhance the cohesiveness and chemistry if France goes to advance.
Qualifiers that didn’t make the (energy rankings) lower: Greece (1-2), Australia (1-2), and Brazil (1-2)
A fast phrase on Staff USA’s opponent, Brazil, earlier than we get to packing the suitcase for the relocation.
The Brazilians went 1-2 in pool play, shedding to France (78-66) and Germany (86-73) earlier than downing Japan on Friday (102-84). The Brazilians aren’t elite, however the Bruno Caboclo present has definitely been price watching.
The 28-year-old who was the twentieth choose of the Raptors in 2014, and whose final NBA days got here with the Houston Rockets within the 2020-21 season, has performed in France, Brazil, Mexico, Germany and Serbia since then. He’s averaging 13 factors (second on the workforce) and seven.3 rebounds (team-high).
Brazil additionally options the oldest males’s basketball participant within the Video games in Marcelo Huertas, the 41-year-old level guard (LeBron at 39 is second on that checklist) who spent two seasons with the Lakers (2015-17) and presently performs for CB Canarias in Spain. And if Huertas & Co. wish to play their approach onto LeBron’s checklist, there’s a simple solution to do it: Pull off a stunner on Tuesday.
See you in Paris …
Required studying
Vardon: Embiid says he selected Staff USA over France as a result of ‘these guys wished me’Amick: Antetokounmpo opens up on Olympic expertise: ‘I can not cease smiling’
(Picture of LeBron James: Thomas Coex / AFP by way of Getty Photos)
