Coming out of the chickens, which they finished in a painful third place, hell was predicted for the Blues on the road to the coronation. After Turkey in the eighth, observers predicted the same pitfalls in unison: Serbia of the best player in the world Nikola Jokic in the quarter; then Slovenia, reigning European champion led by its genius Luka Doncic; and certainly Greece of the no less formidable Giannis Antetokounmpo in the final.
Evan Fournier’s squad has known hell so far. Except that after getting out of Turkey in overtime, the Blues repeated the miracle in the next round but against Italy. Before wrestling with the no less unexpected Poles this Friday evening. To find, perhaps, the winner of the confrontation between Germany and Spain. In other words: apart from France, all the other favorites and their world superstars have not even managed to grab the last four.
Twice, the Blues should also have left Munich prematurely. If Vincent Collet’s players are still there, they owe it a lot to their second knives. They are called Thomas Heurtel, Terry Tarpey or Guerschon Yabusele. Unlike their counterparts from other fallen selections, they were able to give a precious helping hand when the two spearheads of the Blues – the “NBAers” Evan Fournier and Rudy Gobert – weakened or had to go to the bench under the weight of faults.
“We need guys like him”
Of the three cities, Terry Tarpey is undoubtedly the best surprise. The Franco-American did not lie Vincent Collet, who decided to offer him the last place in the blue workforce leaving for the Euro. On waivers with Isaïa Cordinier, his excellent performances during the preparation matches played in his favor. During the first round, his scraping of balloons in defense coupled with a lethal efficiency on the other side of the floor avoided some scares for the French.
“Terry changed the course of the match. He was amazing”, greeted Rudy Gobert after the back of Le Mans 72 got them out of trouble against Lithuania while the Blues, defeated in the opening match against the Germans, already had almost no right to misstep. The analysis applies to all subsequent matches. In the eighth, his decisive interception at the last Turkish possession of the extra time assured the French team of their place in the quarters. Against Italy, a tap well felt at the very end of the fourth quarter allowed the Blues to stay in contact with the Italians, under penalty, again, of seeing the qualification fly away.
A life-saving and constant omnipresence, which convinced Vincent Collet to start him in the third match against Bosnia. Last year, when France left Tokyo with the money in the luggage, no one except the regulars of the Jeep Elite (division 1 in France) really knew who he was. The Franco-American – he was born in France but left the country for the United States at the age of three – did not make his first selection until November in Pau during a qualifying campaign window for the 2023 World Cup. His exit after the victory against Lithuania says a lot about the trajectory: “It’s kind of crazy to talk about Evan and Rudy as friends and teammates”he wondered. “If we want to succeed, we have to understand that he is the perfect example of how we should behave. We need guys like him.”assures Fournier, just as surprised to see him by his side in September.
Responsibilities
Much more familiar face of the French cottages, the substitute leader Thomas Heurtel also proved to be crucial for his team. When nothing was going against the Italians at the end of the match, the player currently without a club began to score the big three points, and the decisive lay-ups, including two points to equalize five seconds from the buzzer. He kept the same costume during the five additional minutes, while Evan Fournier was forced to join the sidelines, excluded midway through extra time for a fifth personal foul. With 20 points including 14 in the last fifteen minutes, the former Real Madrid leader, also the fourth best passer in the tournament, signs his second total in the France team.
“People who know me know that I am not afraid to take responsibility”, said the silent Thomas Heurtel, after the meeting. Unfeigned reference to some of his memorable actions during his 97 caps in the France team. The most memorable: this three-point prayer converted into the quarter-final of the 2014 World Cup against the eternal Iberian enemy, which will make commentator David Cozette say an improvised “Give me your Thomas shorts!”which has since gone down in history among French basketball fans.
Despite everything, it is possible that all these cumulative prowess would have been in vain without the contribution of Guerschon Yabusele. More expected than his two friends on this campaign, the strong winger of Real Madrid has more than met expectations: 13.8 points on average at 51.6% in shooting including 47.4% behind the arc, 4 rebounds and 1.7 assists. A stat line not far from ensuring him – provided that France is crowned – a few votes to be selected in the best five of the tournament.
What would be perceived as a great accomplishment for the ex-role player (rotation player) of the Boston Celtics, long perceived as an average basketball player, before gaining momentum since his return to Europe, at Asvel, two years ago. . During this campaign, his knowledge of the game, his acuity and his paying risk-taking strengthen his unofficial status as the best recruit of the post-Parker France team.
The only doubt: the physical form of the strapping fellow, 2m03, convalescent during a group match against Slovenia, and rested for the last ten minutes against the Turks. He did not seem to show any negative signals in the quarter, and will be, barring any unpleasant surprises, on deck to challenge the Poles. Much less serene than usual about the tournament, the France team will still need all its lieutenants if it wants to leave Germany with what it came for: the European title.