French Basketball Team Strengthening Strategies by Jacques Monclar, Involving Tony Parker and Antoine Rigaudeau as Assistants
France's Euro 2023 Campaign: A Mixed Bag of Results
France's basketball team had a rollercoaster ride in the recent Euro 2023 campaign, showcasing impressive victories against Slovenia (103-95) and Poland (83-76), but ultimately exiting in the round of 16 against Georgia (70-80).
Jacques Monclar, a former French international with 201 selections and a consultant for beIN Sports, analysed the team's performance. Laurent Sciarra, a former international French player with 113 selections and a silver medalist at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, also expressed concerns.
Sciarra highlighted the team's defensive play and interception abilities as areas of concern. Against Georgia, the team struggled to find play inside without an anchor, and their collective expression and fundamentals were lacking. The team was unable to stop Deni Avdija and Tornike Shengelia of Georgia.
The team's hierarchy took too long to establish, and they lacked a clear direction, often playing reactively. Yoan Makoundou, Neal Sako, Petr Cornelie, and Terry Tarpey were not recalled for the interior game, and the go-to guy in the game was Elie Okobo, who could have started in the first five.
Brice Dessert and Neal Sako would have been useful even on the bench, but Matthew Strazel's injury did significant damage to the team. The defeat against Israel (69-82) was a disappointment, and Sciarra believed it would allow for a reshuffle of the team's cards.
The only team with a dominant anchor in the paint was Nikola Jokic with Serbia. France started strong inside but lacked on the exterior lines.
As for the coach's proposed plans to address the French basketball national team's shortcomings after Euro 2023, these were not mentioned in the provided search results. However, Sciarra questioned the team's readiness to move the furniture and bolster the staff.
The goal for the team was to achieve the best result possible in 2025 to best prepare for the 2027 World Cup and 2028 Olympic Games. Leaders need to be on the starting court to ensure this goal is met.
