Team USA lost to France at the FIBA World Cup marking the first time the U.S will not claim gold at a major tournament since 2006.
Team USA Fails to Deliver
Team USA lost to France in a result that isn’t as surprising as the headline. While this U.S team was the favorite coming in, it wasn’t by a wide margin. Many believed that they would eventually lose to Serbia in the semi-final. That was not to be since Serbia lost to Argentina yesterday in the quarterfinals. Before this game against France, many believed that Team USA would have trouble due to France’s size, athletic ability and overall experience.
The French have the reigning Defensive Player of the Year in Rudy Gobert. His ability is tailor made for the rules of international play. The U.S hasn’t gotten any meaningful contribution from their big men other than Myles Turner and today that was the case again.
France Want the Gold Medal
Despite the upset win, the French players say they did not come to this tournament to beat Team USA. They came to the FIBA World Cup to win gold and if they don’t achieve that, this win means nothing. While that might be true, that statement also reveals how weak this U.S roster really is. Had Team USA lost to France with it’s full squad of stars, it would be the biggest win in their history. It would be the biggest win in any nation’s history if we’re being completely honest.
Regardless of that fact, they were able to get this historic win behind 22 points for Evan Fournier and 21 by Rudy Gobert. Gobert also pitched in with 16 rebounds in France’s 89-79 victory over Team USA. This is certainly one of if not the best performance’s of Gobert’s career on any stage.
At one point France were down seven in the fourth quarter before they made their move. Meanwhile the U.S team went scoreless on their last six possessions which ended up being the deciding factor.
The Absence of Jason Tatum a Factor
It’s hard to say that Team USA lost to France because they didn’t have Jason Tatum. Even with him in the lineup they lost to Australia a few weeks ago. The way France looked today they would have probably still beat this team. That being said, Jason Tatum being out played a huge factor.
First of all, he is the most efficient scorer on the team. While Donovan Mitchell did have a big performance with 29 points, he had none in the fourth quarter. With Jason Tatum there to balance things out, it would have been harder to shut Mitchell down in that final period.
There’s also his size which plays a huge factor. He’s really the only wing player they have that has the size to score inside and outside. At 6’9 he can play multiple positions, especially in the international game. This team simply wasn’t talented enough to win this tournament without Tatum.
Team USA Play Serbia Next
The best possible finish for Team USA is 5th place and that is not a guarantee. They play Serbia next and the only thing that can make Serbia feel better about not winning gold is to beat Team USA. While it is embarrassing that Team USA lost to France, if they don’t bring their “A game” against Serbia, it won’t be their only one.
