The players withdrawing from Team U.S.A. ahead of the World Cup have opened the door. It is a door that Evan Fournier and France know they have to enter.
In the United States, there is a certain amount of hand-wringing about the team the U.S. is about to send to China for the FIBA World Cup.
Out of the original roster pool of 20 players, nine players backed out in a matter of two weeks. And even some of the players U.S.A. Basketball named to replace them backed out before training camp begins August 5.
For a country that is used to sending virtual all-star teams to international competitions, there are only five former All-Stars on the roster and just two players named to last year’s All-Star team — Kemba Walker and Khris Middleton.
There are still plenty of intriguing and talented players that will keep the U.S. as the favorite to win at the end of August. Donovan Mitchell and Jayson Tatum probably have All-Star appearances in their future. Young players like Myles Turner also could develop into that kind of player.
Even with these withdrawals, this will still be a good team and still the favorite to win the gold medal. But it still feels like this is the most dangerous spot Team USA has been in since the team slipped to the bronze medal in 2004 and sparked the Redeem Team movement that started with a bronze medal in the 2006 World Championship.
Orlando Magic guard Evan Fournier is a bit surprised by all the developments still.
The roster has gotten pretty thin and some of the players who have declined — including former teammate Tobias Harris — were a bit surprising. It is still a bit surprising another of Evan Fournier’s teammates in Aaron Gordon was not included.
But Fournier has a theory for why Team USA is not getting the interest it has gotten for much of the last decade. In addition to the World Cup taking place in a year where so many players were on the move, the team thinks winning these tournaments will be easy.
Team U.S.A. has not been challenged of late and winning the gold medal is only an expectation but it has become easy and routine.
"“But, after all, what can you tell them?” Fournier told L’Equippe (translation via Eurohoops.net). “They are always beating national teams. Why would they be motivated? Do you really think they are jealous of us? As long as we’re not beating them…”"
The defeats in 2004 and 2006 led the U.S. to take the national team more seriously. It forced high-profile players in their prime to commit multiple summers to the national team in a way that this national team had not seen before.
That culture and program have worked. But interest has kind of waned — an effect that happens about every 16 years as Rodger Sherman of The Ringer noted.
The rest of the world senses there is an opportunity for glory in this year’s World Cup. Especially with interest among American players surely to increase before the more prestigious (to Americans, at least) Olympics next year.
And so there are several international teams now who feel a chance to get in. The window is open to get a gold medal.
The U.S. is still the undoubted favorite, but Fournier’s French team is certainly in the next tier. Westgate currently lists France as the fifth favorite to win the tournament behind Serbia, Spain and Greece. Any of those teams are certainly capable of beating the U.S. in a single game. And that is all that it will take.
Giannis Antetokounmpo is expected to become the first reigning MVP to play in the FIBA World Cup (or its predecessors). Serbia has put together a strong run in recent turnovers and will have Nikola Jokic anchoring the team.
There is an argument that if the U.S. meets either of these teams that it will not have the best player on the floor.
France and Spain are the most experienced in international competitions in this group. But both teams are going through their share of transition as players from their glory years retire from international play.
France seems best poised to remain a challenger for titles as this transition begins. And Fournier is at the center of it as one of the more experienced and solid perimeter players.
Rudy Gobert remains the best player on the team. During early preparations for the tournament in France, Fournier took a video of Gobert draining 3-pointers. The thought of him able to hit that shot should be terrifying for the teams in this tournament, much less the league.
.... 🇫🇷 pic.twitter.com/THLrfZAPCW
— Evan Fournier (@EvanFourmizz) July 30, 2019
But France will need Fournier to play his role too. They may need him to take a bigger role as a perimeter scorer. Certianly something similar to the 15.8 points per game he scored in the 2015 Eurobasket tournament.
He will have help on the perimeter for sure. France is a deep team with Nando de Colo to run the point with Rudy Gobert and plenty of solid guard play they can get from Thomas Heurtel and Frank Ntilikina. Nicolas Batum is still around to keep the ball moving.
But if France is going to score that gold medal that has eluded them, they will need Fournier to hit from the outside.
He is probably the team’s best shooter and still a solid ball handler. The Magic got him to be a better playmaker and that will help him more in this setting.
France should be able to attack from multiple areas and have one of the more potentially multi-faceted attacks, even if they lack stars outside of Gobert.
Fournier certainly has a lot to prove to more than just his country. He struggled last year shooting a career-worst 34.0 percent from beyond the arc. It was a slump that even Fournier could not really explain.
His passing and defense dramatically improved. The Magic certainly benefited from that. But they ultimately needed his shooting. And they will need his shooting again. France will need that too.
Like with his club team, Fournier has a big opportunity with his national team. And his team will need him to step up.
If France wants to be the team to force Team U.S.A. into a panic, it will take a big effort from him.