'We Got Our A** Kicked!' What If France Had Spurs' Victor Wembanyama for World Cup?
Down two points with only 4.7 seconds left on the game clock, New York Knicks shooting guard Evan Fournier is faced with a tough decision.
Standing around mid-court during the FIBA World Cup, Fournier has the ball in his hands, but what should he do with it? Does he know how imperative his next decision will be? Does he see an open Rudy Gobert down low, asking for the ball?
In the moment, it doesn't matter what he knows, but rather what he does. And after scanning the floor, Fournier decides to pass to his teammate waiting on the right wing, who passes it to an open man in the corner.
After that, the Knicks star no longer has control of the game. A last-second 3-point shot goes up, rims out and France is eliminated without so much as a shot at the podium. In Fournier's words, what happened to his team was simple:
"We got our a** kicked."
The loss was heartbreaking for many onlooking fans, who had likely expected to see France compete for another medal, but even more than the fans, the players themselves were hurt. Some likely felt they had let down their country.
"For sure, it's a nightmare after the defeat last Friday," French head coach Vince Collet said following the game. "We were expecting a reaction. I think we got it. In the first three quarters, we played much better, but it was not enough because we have suffered from, we sensed that our spirit was not at the Latvian level. I think that made the difference in the last couple of minutes."
So, without a victory and without a chance at a medal, France has the chance to reflect on what went wrong during the World Cup. How much more could it have done? The team did lose by just two points, after all. But while it's easy to pick apart what went down on the court or how the roster was constructed, there is another side to the "What If."
Instead of focusing on who was playing for France, what if we focused on who didn't?
What if the French National Team had Victor Wembanyama on its roster?
The idea certainly sparks an interesting debate. On one side of things, Wembanyama would not have performed very well. He chose to skip out on FIBA World Cup because he was coming off of playing 34 games for Metropolitans 92 not a month-and-a-half prior.
“I’ve decided to dedicate this summer to preparing my body for the many events awaiting it in the coming years,” Wembanyama said in early August, several weeks after being officially drafted to the San Antonio Spurs. “This meant skipping the World Cup. It was a difficult decision, and one that required the advice of many people. But I sincerely believe it’s the best one for the French team and myself.”
To make one thing clear, Wembanyama also mentioned that he felt no pressure to do so by San Antonio. It was a decision to came to on his own, but it didn't make it any easier. Prioritizing Summer League and his regular-season debut certainly makes sense, especially if he really wants to maximize his potential in the NBA.
But while that decision made sense for him, it maybe wasn't the best one for the French team — though nobody on the roster would likely admit that at the risk of sounding selfish.
Still, Wembanyama would have helped on the court for France, even if he was playing in limited capacity. His frame would have made for a nice pairing with Minnesota Timberwolves big man Rudy Gobert — who has already expressed his praise for the rookie and his potential.
"I think he's going to be very unique," Gobert told TMZ Sports. "I don't think there's any ceiling on what he can do. I'm very excited to see how he's going to change the game."
Unfortunately for the French center, he didn't get to see much of Wembanyama's potential. Between Summer League and the World Cup, the Spurs rookie showed flashes of his skill, but for the most part remained quiet in terms of his ceiling. But with a veteran teammate like Gobert, Wembanyama likely would have learned to fit alongside him and help lock down the paint against teams' primary weapons.
Fournier also would have made for a strong dynamic with Wembanyama. His time in New York may be already over, but there isn't any question regarding his passion for basketball. Wembanyama would have only reinforced that, especially since Fournier did express a wanting to play with him and Gregg Popovich in San Antonio.
"Playing for [Gregg] Popovich [and the San Antonio Spurs] ... would be a pleasure and an honor," Fournier said. "Being with Victor [Wembanyama] ... being able to start chemistry on the court, that would be great."
Once again, the chemistry aspect might have been what went wrong for France. But it also could have been an unlucky day — despite Fournier's harsh self-criticism. Either way, playing with a rookie dubbed "The Extraterrestrial" likely would have changed something about France's fate.
Pondering about what could have been isn't any healthy way for teams to cope with a loss — especially at the national level — but luckily, this exercise isn't intended for the French national team itself. Just for those wondering about Wembanyama's potential impact. The fact that the idea is noteworthy, too, says a lot about his expected ceiling.
That ceiling will become more gaugeable with time as well. By time the next World Cup comes around, Wembanyama may have the capacity to take on the commitment that comes with playing for the French National Team. Whether he changes the outcome or not is a different story, but he certainly could.
Victor Wembanyama would have helped the French team, yes. How far is also not gaugeable, but earning a second Gold Medal in team history isn't out of the question.
Wembanyama would have drawn just about as much media attention as defenders on the court, and the idea should absolutely be something for French supporters to look forward to in the coming years.
Just not yet.
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