After the last preparation match before the start of the official competition in Lille, Vincent Collet took the time to answer numerous questions from the media at a press conference in Orléans.
It must be said that after four consecutive defeats, questions abound, whether about the still problematic point guard position, or about a French attack that is still in its infancy, or even about the level of intensity of this preparation.
He was also asked what exactly Kenny Atkinson's role was in the Blues' staff…
“When the game starts, I never know which outside player is going to perform well.”
Vincent, you have suffered a new setback, a fourth in a row, what are your immediate reactions? Are you worried about this negative series?
It's a less worrying match than the previous ones. We are obviously disappointed and well aware that we have just lost four times in a row, even if it is against very strong teams and candidates for the podium. It is certain that we would have liked to take this last match to get a breath of fresh air in terms of confidence. We knew that it was a possibility so we are ready to continue working. We do not forget that the competition has not started and it is always different from the preparation. We are not necessarily happy with this series of defeats, but there is no other alternative than to continue to progress and that is what we did in relation to the match [face au Canada]. In terms of content, we have things that are improving, and others that are not enough, that's how it is, we do what we can with our means.
You recently mentioned seeking serenity, and not falling into weak periods that drag on, do you think there was an improvement against Australia?
A little. But there is still some waste. It is linked to certain performances and new associations. We are still looking for five players that work, that are as balanced as possible and find a certain alchemy. We are starting to see things emerge. But, in the outside sector, they are called into question almost every match. It is one of the difficulties that we have, but we will continue to work and there is no reason why we should not succeed. The general lack of consistency is due to these mood swings. When the match starts, I admit that I never really know which outside player is going to perform. For the moment, I cannot know…
After the defeat against Canada, you were hoping for a victory against Australia, if only for the confidence of the group. This is not the case, how did you reassure your players?
Even if we had won this match, it wouldn't necessarily be more reassuring… If Nico doesn't lose the ball on the rebound, we've won the match. But we wouldn't be more reassured. And I don't think we should be! With the team we have, we need to fight, we need determination to perform. We'll have to fight. The only thing that matters to me is to beat Brazil on Saturday afternoon, even if I know it's going to be complicated. I understand that there are a lot of questions about our level, but I also know that things can go quickly, in one direction or the other. We have to take advantage of these next six days to prepare for this first match that we have to win.
You finished again above the 20 lost balls mark, isn't that prohibitive at this level of competition?
It's an element of the game that we need to improve on, that's clear. Above all, we have a lot of lost balls that are not forced, which are the result of taking ill-considered risks. We had quite a few chances, especially in the first half, where we had a recovery game for easy baskets but on the contrary, we lost the ball and we were penalized on the other side. In the locker room, there is indeed frustration but we have a good group that will find the energy that drives us. When you play the best teams in the world, you are not sure of winning! We thought we would snatch one out of two, or two out of four. That is not the case, we regret it. But it shows us precisely how much we will have to fight to dream. But we must continue to dream.
You were physically shaken up during this prep, which was a desire you expressed from the start. Are you still convinced of the validity of this theory?
It's a good thing, yes. When you play at an average level of intensity, you're not sure you'll be able to adapt to a higher level of intensity. There, it won't be any higher. Or at least, it will be equivalent. In our offensive problems, that's the main reason. When we had an average defense against us, like against Germany in the first game, we scored 90 points. But it was a deception! That's not the level we're going to play at. [aux JO]We will see what our opponents can do, if they are at the level of Canada or Australia.
“For a team to be more serene, we need to know which players we can rely on”
Victor Wembanyama finished this match very close to a triple-double, with 17 points, 12 rebounds and 8 assists. Did you appreciate his contribution to creation in particular?
Even if we can't find it that close to the circle yet [qu’on le souhaiterait]it's still a little better. And in general, we managed to find him. He was more active in this match [que les deux derniers]. It will create complicity with teammates. They will understand how important it is to serve him in good conditions. He is our best player and, just as he receives special treatment from our opponents, he must have special treatment from our team too…
The outside players contributed more scoring in this match, whether it was Matthew Strazel or Frank Ntilikina, both with 7 points for example, is that progressing in your opinion?
Nando brought a lot. Nico's return was also important. I think there has been a clear improvement. Overall, this match is encouraging and that's why I regret that we didn't win it because it would have been the icing on the cake. I said it to the players in the locker room, there is still the satisfaction of having been much better and more consistent, especially in attack. What I was talking about on the outside sector is more the irregularity. For a team to be more serene, we need to know which players we can rely on and behind, we have one or two good surprises that also help. For the moment, it's not like that for us, we have to deal with it.
Defensively, it was rather positive, holding Australia to 83 points in the end…
[Il coupe] I was really disappointed with our defensive start. We weren't intense enough, not tough enough, especially on the outside. We let them play a little. And then, in attack, we didn't play well. The ball wasn't moving enough. So loss of the ball and counterattacks [australien]. Or forced shots and we are sanctioned behind. At this level, the sanction always comes very quickly. Playing fair is the only protection against these quick points [de l’adversaire]. Hence the importance of increasing the percentage of controlled possessions.There has been a lot of talk about the association between Rudy Gobert and Victor Wembanyama, where are you in your experiments with these “twin towers”?
There are times when it works well, others less so. Defensively at least, it's well in place. Victor is very mobile, he can defend very well in 4. In attack, it still depends on the moments. We have to use him but not systematically. Inside, we are lucky to have real regularity. Between Guerschon and Matthias, we have two impact players but we still have to find the associations that are the most interesting, at different times of the match. We have to better punish the duels that the opponent offers us. We were not able to do it against Canada for example, when [Dillon] Brooks was defending Victor. He could hardly take the lead 7 or 8 meters from the basket, but we were not able to serve him well closer to the rim.
Unfortunately, we were unable to discuss with Kenny Atkinson his role in the staff, but he is also one of the new additions to the French team this summer. What does he bring to the group and what motivated you to bring him in?
We were looking for a different perspective, a different vision, someone who knows the NBA inside out. Because, as you noticed, our opponents all have a lot of NBA players, and impactful NBA players, who have minutes in their respective franchises. Canada, for example, has seven outside players who have real roles in their team. We wanted to have someone who has this knowledge. In this prep, we didn't do a lot of scouting, deliberately because these are opponents that we can potentially play again. The good side is that we work more. The bad side is that it changes the situation. Now that we're going to do it again, Kenny will give us his insight on players that he knows much better than we do. It will be important on the defensive aspects. And more generally, he brings his culture. In organizing the sessions, he takes charge of part of the training, everything that is drills, he has real know-how that is very complementary. I am very satisfied with his contribution.
Interview conducted in Orléans
