With 13 points and 8 assists, Nando De Colo could certainly have done better in shooting, with a small 4/11 for him. But as Vincent Collet pointed out afterwards, the leader of Asvel was very “fair” in his game.
It was under his leadership, and that of Nicolas Batum (the captains), that the Blues were able to make the difference at the end of the first half on a 16-0. Before putting a layer in the third quarter to make a final difference.
Returning to the tricolor tunic after a well-deserved summer of rest, De Colo the veteran enjoys driving a team that mixes both old and newcomers. It is even he who, as a “big brother”, takes care of advising and replacing his young comrades.
Nando, how do you assess the performance of the team after this fourth consecutive victory in preparation (90-72)?
“It’s a good result. We tried things, so everything is not perfect yet. But we have to focus on ourselves. We will have a game [dès demain] and it will be completely different. »
Nicolas Batum was omnipresent in this success. He, like you, puts pressure on this kind of match at the top, right?
“It’s Nicolas, that!” If we don’t realize what he’s doing on the pitch, it’s because we don’t like our sport enough. We know that defensively, he can bring us a lot. It can compensate for a lot of rotations. And then, in attack, he also has an above average IQ, which allows us to circulate the ball well. »
“Discuss as much as possible between us”
Rudy Gobert explained that he missed Nicolas Batum and you last year…
“Me too, in front of my TV, it bothered me not to be with them… But these are choices that were made upstream. Personally, this choice, I had made it well before and I will not return to the subject. But this summer, we’re here, and that’s what we have to focus on because it will take us to the next summer. [et les JO à domicile]. We have very high goals in mind. We know it won’t be easy at all but we’re taking the steps one after the other. The next one is Friday. »
How do you feel after these four home games, with a still very warm, even boiling public, before taking off for Lithuania first, then Asia in a second?
“It’s good to be able to play in venues like that in France. Especially when it’s full. We do not see the French public every day with the French team. It’s good to be able to share that. »
We feel you are very well in this group which is getting better and better at the ball, do you also find that the tricolor collective game is particularly attractive this summer?
“That’s what it takes. Anyway, that’s what needs to be done. We know that there is a certain hierarchy to respect at certain key moments in matches. But we also know that it could have been our weakness in the past. We give each other a lot of advice. I tell everyone to talk to each other as much as possible, because that’s how we’re going to progress. That’s what I thought I would say in the locker room to Sylvain and Frank. They played together in this match and they did great things. The more we are going to be collectively involved, the better it will be. »
Interview in Orléans
Photo credit : Lenoir/TheAgency/FFBB
