VILLENEUVE-D’ASCQ, France — Nicely, how’s that for Olympic males’s basketball gamesmanship?
After all of the booing that Group USA massive man Joel Embiid has endured from French followers upset along 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 along with his personal thumbs down for the French afterward. Their workforce, in any case.
Solely James is aware of if it was a artistic strategy to present assist 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 have been shifting 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 in opposition to Germany on Friday after they fell 85-71 — was nowhere to be discovered on his private energy rankings.
“There’s quite a lot 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 properly. Australia. So there’s quite a lot 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 recreation. I didn’t suppose they was prepared for the physicality of Germany. However aside from that, they’ve been taking part in some good ball.”
No matter James’ intent, his perspective underscored an thrilling reality concerning the basketball left to come back: With the cream of the crop shifting on, the video games must be much more thrilling than the snoozer that was Group 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 atmosphere had all of the power of a preseason Charlotte Hornets recreation. The group, which has been nothing in need of electrical nearly each day out for each the boys’s and ladies’s video games, didn’t embody a robust Puerto Rican contingent and thus the vibe was, properly, blah.
None of which issues now. After 10 days on this pretty area in Northern France, the place Group USA would shuttle backwards and forwards 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 type 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. Group USA (3-0)
The People downed Serbia, South Sudan and Puerto Rico, and had a degree differential of plus-64 that’s properly forward of the pack. Germany was second at plus-47. By way of expertise, there’s no higher signal of their roster power than the truth that Anthony Edwards (16.3 factors per recreation) is main the workforce in scoring whereas coming off the bench. Talking of which, possibly he wasn’t thus far off with these notorious ‘No. 1 choice’ feedback at Las Vegas coaching camp in spite of everything?
2. Germany (3-0)
James was dead-on about France’s lack of ability 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 via 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 recreation in wildly-entertaining style. 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 can be some of the formidable challenges to the U.S. within the knockout rounds. (Garrett Ellwood / NBAE through Getty Pictures)
3. Canada (3-0)
I used to be tempted to place the Canadians within the second slot, however their video games have been considerably extra taut than these of the Germans as Canada’s plus-20 mark, gathered in wins in opposition to Greece, Australia and Spain, is third amongst remaining groups. However their protection is what makes them so completely 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 type of factor that ought to serve them very properly when the stakes are raised.
Ditto that they’re very properly 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 overall supervisor of this system, is taking part in at a excessive stage (team-leading 21 factors per recreation, to go together with 4 rebounds and three.7 assists per recreation). Gilgeous-Alexander (19.0 factors per) and Brooks (14.3) are carrying vital offensive hundreds, too. If solely they may 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 12 months’s FIBA World Cup and is usually thought-about probably the greatest nationwide groups on the planet, has been powerful to gauge thus far.
They didn’t put up a lot of a battle in opposition to 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 recreation showcased their strengths, it was the 96-85 win over South Sudan on Saturday wherein the Hawks’ Bogdan Bogdanović caught hearth (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 additional time in opposition to 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 in opposition to Japan and continued a problematic pattern.
After France fell to Germany on Friday, coach Vincent Collet even highlighted Wembanyama’s penchant for ball-stopping on offense as a difficulty. So sure, in different phrases, there are vital wrinkles that should be ironed out. Nonetheless, “Wemby” is averaging workforce highs in scoring (17.0 per recreation) and rebounds (10.7) whereas becoming a member of forces with four-time Defensive Participant of the Yr Rudy Gobert down low (2.7 blocks per recreation for Gobert; 2.0 per for Wembanyama).
The veterans on this workforce — particularly 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 Group 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 decide 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 listing) who spent two seasons with the Lakers (2015-17) and at present performs for CB Canarias in Spain. And if Huertas & Co. wish to play their approach onto LeBron’s listing, there’s a simple strategy to do it: Pull off a stunner on Tuesday.
See you in Paris …
Required studying
Vardon: Embiid says he selected Group USA over France as a result of ‘these guys wished me’Amick: Antetokounmpo opens up on Olympic expertise: ‘I can’t cease smiling’
(Photograph of LeBron James: Thomas Coex / AFP through Getty Pictures)
