Vincent Collet has already led the Blues to some very great things (the gold medal at Euro 2013, the silver medals at the 2021 Olympic Games, Euro 2011 and 2022, the bronze medals at the 2014, 2019 World Cups and Euro 2015) but, as a teacher, these campaigns were always based on a foundation, patiently built.
These 2024 Olympic Games are very different. After the rout of the 2023 World Cup, the coach had thus changed the identity of the selection, wanting to rely on a wall Victor Wembanyama – Rudy Gobert near the circle and imagining a first curtain Matthew Strazel – Isaïa Cordinier – Nicolas Batum in front. But from the middle of the preparation, faced with an attack that displayed severe limitations and an Evan Fournier who could not find rhythm coming off the bench, he had looked for compromises.
Almost everything changed in 48 hours
Compromises that further exposed the limits of this squad in the group stages. But Vincent Collet surprised by radically changing his approach for the quarter-finals.
“We did a month of preparation for almost nothing because we changed almost everything in 48 hours” explains Nicolas Batum. “I've known Vincent for twenty years, but in the last five days, it's just been phenomenal. Yesterday, I saw him preparing his match all alone in his office with his cards. It was 9:30 p.m. I told the guys: 'He's our leader'. He's too dedicated to what he does. We can only follow him.”
Seeing the failure of his “double wall” idea, Vincent Collet did what he had never done in the French team: change everything in the middle of a competition, taking off Rudy Gobert to leave Victor Wembanyama as the only interior. To rely in particular on the low post impact of Guerschon Yabusele and Mathias Lessort.
But also on the athletic qualities ofIsaiah Cordinierthe symbol of this renewal with his 20 points against Canada and then his 16 points against Germany. Without forgetting his defensive activity.
A French phalanx
“It's obvious that Rudy would prefer to play more, but it's also this movement that allows us to play two matches like that”, recalls Isaïa Cordinier on this moving game which resurrected the Blues. “The supposed leaders had to accept certain choices. Our strength is that the “we” took precedence over the “I.”
A “we” that forms a real phalanx, capable of alternating defenses and offering absolutely no penetration corridors to Dennis Schröder and Franz Wagner, and then quickly projecting.
“We are “cailleras” and we look everyone in the eye when we play like that. With our good attitude, it gave us stops” he concludes. “I'm very strong in transition play, in recovery play and once I score one or two baskets, confidence takes over. I wasn't necessarily the offensive weapon in the prep, nor in the group matches. But once we saw that I could contribute…”
Enough to also attract the praise of Kevin Durant, even if the American winger does not know how to pronounce the name of the Virtus Bologna player. Maybe it will come during the final!
Photo credit: FIBA
