France Olympic Basketball Team 2012: Roster, Complete Schedule & More

Team France heads into the 2012 Summer Olympics as one of the top squads in Group A competition.

Though they'll be underdogs against Team USA, "Les Bleus" are nevertheless a talented bunch led by NBA stars Tony Parker, Nicolas Batum and Boris Diaw. They will likely be battling it out with Argentina for the No. 2 spot in Group A.

Joakim Noah is out with a left ankle injury, but Vincent Collet's boys should still be medal contenders. If Tony Parker's eye injury doesn't slow him down, the squad will be in good shape. He's easily their most important player, and his level of play will dictate their chance for a medal.

Have a look at Team France's roster, schedule and key players as we get set for the Olympic Games:

Roster

Player Position Height Weight Pro Team

Tony Parker Point Guard 6'2" 180 San Antonio Spurs

Nando De Colo Guard 6'5" 200 San Antonio Spurs

Yannick Bokolo Guard 6'3" 180 Gravelines Dunkerque

Fabien Causeur Guard 6'4" 195 Saski Baskonia

Nicolas Batum Small Forward 6'8" 200 Portland Trail Blazers

Mickael Gelabale Forward 6'7" 215 Khimki Moscow

Boris Diaw Forward 6'8" 235 San Antonio Spurs

Yakhouba Diawara Forward 6'7" 225 Cimbero Varese

Florent Pietrus Forward 6'7" 220 Valencia Basket

Kevin Seraphin PF/Center 6'9" 270 Washington Wizards

Ali Traore PF/Center 6'10" 250 Lokomotiv Kuban

Ronny Turiaf Center 6'10" 245 Miami Heat

Schedule

Opponent Date Time

United States July 29 9:30 a.m. ET

Argentina July 31 3:00 p.m. ET

Lithuania August 2 3:00 a.m. ET

Tunisia August 4 3:00 a.m. ET

Nigeria August 6 9:30 a.m. ET

Quarterfinals August 8 TBA

Semifinals August 10 TBA

Medal Game August 12 TBA

Key Players to Watch

Boris Diaw: The 6'8" NBA veteran is a superb role-playing forward who can shoot, rebound and facilitate.  He's been a captain on Team France since 2006, and he helped lead the program to a silver medal at EuroBasket 2011.

Nicolas Batum: Another all-purpose forward, but he's more agile and versatile defensively. He's long enough to cover tall forwards, yet quick enough to match shooting guards. His play will be critical in combating the plethora of wings of Team USA.

Kevin Seraphin: The 6'9" bruiser is making great strides as a post player in the NBA. He improved significantly in his second year with the Washington Wizards, and he's ready for an increased role on the Olympic squad.

Tony Parker: Not only is Parker the best player in France, he's one of the best guards on the planet. His dominance in EuroBasket last summer could be a foreshadowing of success in the London Games. The program's fate lies in his ability to create plays for his teammates and to put pressure on opposing defenses.

Outlook and Predictions

Aside from the showdown with Team USA, all of France's Group A games are favorable.

The matchup with Argentina will be a close one, as the combination of Manu Ginobili, Andres Nocioni and Carlos Delfino will test France's shooting guards and small forwards. But the prowess of Parker and the size of Seraphin and Ronny Turiaf will give France the edge.

As for medal considerations, bronze is definitely within reach, and even silver if they play their cards right.

Parker has the ability to make everyone on the floor better as he constantly opens up opportunities with his dribble-drive scores and pick-and-roll success. This bodes well for team-oriented players like Diaw, Batum and Turiaf.

In a potential matchup with Spain in the semifinals, France would compete and give the Gasols a run for their money. However, the talent and depth of Spain's front line, which includes Serge Ibaka, will be too much for Seraphin and Turiaf in the paint.

Parker will likely score around 20 points per game and dish seven assists throughout group play and the tournament, but that won't be enough against a well-balanced team like Spain.

My final predictions for Team France:

The team will go 4-1 in group play, then advance past the quarterfinals into the semifinals. A semifinal loss will set them up to win the bronze medal game and see their flag hoisted alongside Team USA and Spain.

Follow @danielobleacher