It is therefore a (very) expanded list that Vincent Collet presented, ahead of the Paris Olympic Games. Because if the Blues coach called 19 players, there will only be 12 to play in the Olympics.
This expanded list responds to both technical and tactical constraints. Techniques because the Blues training camp begins on June 17, at INSEP. However, players who play in the NBA will not be able to participate in the first training sessions of the Blues, while the first preparation match against Turkey will be played on July 3.
Bring back the competition…
“We don't have a lot of certainty and that made us want to see more people. Completely reshuffle the cards. Before Tokyo, we made the final list with training partners. I still think that this is an advantage overall even if less competition sometimes leads to less commitment to preparation. The list for Paris is very large and we will get rid of players quite quickly. The other reason is that legally, players under NBA contract will not be allowed to train from day one. If I had been sure about all 12, I would have done it again. There, clearly, this is not the case and we need to see certain players evolve” explains Vincent Collet on the FFBB website.
After the debacle of the World Cup, Nicolas Batum had called for a return to competition. Between the lines, we understand that Vincent Collet does not consider this to be the miracle solution for the Blues, even if he admits that the team undoubtedly arrived much too confidently at the last competition.
“I imagine high-intensity workouts. And this is what we want to boost in this campaign with a change of face compared to last year. We were too comfortable and waiting for something that seemed to be ours.” he admits. “We must rediscover our spirit of conquest. Be on the attack. Intensity will be fundamental. And everywhere. Competition can help bring in a lot and make it a value for the team. »
Find an intractable defense
What is clearis that “construction, after the failed World Cup, will require the return of an intractable defense.”
With the Wembanyama – Gobert pair under the circle and the arriving or returning profiles of Andrew Albicy, Bilal Coulibaly and Nicolas Batum, there is reason to find a strong defense. It has always been the keystone of the Blues' success in international competitions, and it will have to be again this summer.
The problem is the vagueness that reigns on the external posts, and in particular at the lead. Vincent Collet expects Victor Wembanyama to establish himself (already) as one of the leaders of the team but we must find the right launching pad, while finding points outside for an exterior/interior alternation that holds the road.
In this configuration, the Blues will therefore need the points of Evan Fournier and a leader capable of taking care of defensive missions on the opposing stars.
“There are profiles that we know will perform well, such as Andrew Albicy. Matthew Strazel (Monaco) was interesting in February and is having a convincing season. Sylvain (Francisco) was part of the reflection, but we studied different parameters. For him, it’s also a question of size. We formed our group based on the players we could meet. To oppose Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jamal Murray, Luka Doncic… you need certain profiles” recognized Vincent Collet regarding the absence of the Munich player.
Which leader(s)?
The problem is that if these profiles exist (Frank Ntilikina, Killian Hayes, etc.), they remain over very complicated seasons, and there is therefore no certainty. Hence the importance of the training camp.
“Evaluating is tricky because we cannot consider Betclic, the EuroLeague, the G-League, the NBA in the same way. A player like Frank Ntilikina has played very little this season but has always performed well in the national team. We have no guarantees. We hope for certain things. But we want to see them firsthand.”
Uncertainty also exists over Nando De Colo, a Vincent Collet executive whose place is however far from assured, due in particular to a major sprained ankle.
In short, there is a lot of work to do for the Blues staff, in order to find the most effective formula for these Olympic Games at home. Around Victor Wembanyama in particular, with a defense which must regain its standards and a leader position which still risks being the hot topic of the summer…
VINCENT COLLET’S EXPANDED LIST FOR THE 2024 Olympics
Leaders: Andrew Albicy, Killian Hayes, Théo Maldeon, Frank Ntilikina, Matthew Strazel
Exteriors: Nicolas Batum, Isaia Cordinier, Bilal Coulibaly, Nando De Colo, Ousmane Dieng, Evan Fournier, Nadir Hifi, Elie Okobo
Interiors: Rudy Gobert, Jaylen Hoard, Mathias Lessort, Vincent Poirier, Victor Wembanyama, Guerschon Yabusele
