The men's national basketball competition at the 2024 Olympics is down to its last two games. The battle for gold will feature Team USA versus Les Bleus. It will be a contest between the tournament favorite and the host and, interestingly, a rematch between the Tokyo Games finalists.
France, like any other opponent the U.S. has faced in the tournament, is the definitive underdog. However, Bill Simmons believes there's a way for the Europeans to pull off the upset, and it involves putting Rudy Gobert back in the starting lineup.
"I think France has to start Gobert in this game," Simmons said about the USA-France matchup on a recent podcast episode . "... I happened to watch [Joel] Embiid score 70 points on Wemby (Victor Wembanyama), and it was an absolute evisceration. It was also, unfortunately for Embiid, the highlight of his season — destroying a lottery team."
Benching Gobert
The Minnesota Timberwolves defensive specialist has been under flak in his home country after being removed from his starting spot and barely playing in the previous two games.
Rudy even tried to pass it off as having to undergo surgery to repair an injured finger, but France coach Vincent Collet quickly shot down that excuse.
A primary reason for the decision to keep Gobert off the court has been his inability to guard the perimeter. It is a weakness that has plagued his NBA stint and has caused him to also be benched in certain matchups, more so come playoff time.
It also doesn't help his case in gaining more minutes recently in the Olympics that his replacement, Guerschon Yabusele, has been on a tear. The former Boston Celtics forward has proven to be a great fit along the lanky Wembanyama , primarily because of his strength, athleticism, and surprising shooting efficiency from the perimeter.
However, Simmons wondered if Collet should reinstate Rudy to his usual position in France's final game in the competition. The Ringer founder reasoned that the idea of Wemby drawing the assignment of the suddenly hot Embiid might not bode well for Les Bleus. Funnily enough, Bill came to his senses and determined that keeping the big man on the bench again might be the best.
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Embiid's career night
Still, France must be wary of the Philadelphia 76ers superstar in the battle for gold.
First of all, "Big Jo" will likely be out for blood to prove to the home crowd that he made the right decision to have "USA" on his jersey. Moreover, the former MVP has finally come to life after struggling in the early part of the tournament. He had arguably his best game against Serbia, putting up 19 points against his rival, Nikola Jokic.
Simmons has that as Embiid's "new highlight of the season," surpassing his 70-point outing against the San Antonio Spurs in January. Interestingly, it probably wouldn't matter if Gobert would be out there to help Wembanyama in the championship round because "The Process" also dominated him in the 2023-24 NBA season.
It will be interesting to watch what strategy Collet carries out against Team USA, but an inspired and superstar-laden American squad will be difficult to topple, no matter what.
Related: Arenas says France's head coach has exposed Gobert: "I'm not gonna yell out defense and take out the DPOY"
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