Tokyo 2020 | Can the French beat the dream team again?

Rudy

Of course it is not the case that we are dealing with two cake makers of the French selection. Rudy Gobert is a highly regarded player in the Americas – he was named the league’s best defender for the third time this year – and four of his teammates are also active in the NBA. Almost all the other French people have experience either in America or in one of the biggest leagues in Europe.

Kevin Durant

Durant always plays with a file chip on his shoulder, although the logic behind it is sometimes missing. The American likes to imagine that the whole world is against him and he has to deal with everything and everyone. For example, shortly after winning the semi-finals, he talked about critics who didn’t appreciate them (or especially him?) during these games and wrote them off too early. Whether that’s something he really believes or whether he makes it up for motivation remains unclear, but it certainly wouldn’t make him play any less.

French confidence

The French don’t need an outside motive. The chance to beat the Americans in an Olympic final would certainly be enough. Knowing that they can beat the dream team will also boost them towards the final. At the moment they seem to be the best collectively, but the Americans can certainly play as a team, as they showed in the second half against Spain.

Remarkably, both teams fell behind in the first quarter in all of their knockout matches. It could go either way tonight and for the tournament it could be for the better. The match, like all other duels, will be played in the Saitama Super Arena and will start at 4:00 AM Dutch time.

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