France vs. Spain FIBA World Cup: Game Grades, Analysis for La Roja vs. Les Bleus
Spain was a lock for the FIBA World Cup Finals. Or so we thought.
Eyeing the final spot in the semifinals, France defeated the Group A powerhouse 65-52, eliminating one of the tournament’s top teams and confirming its status as a medal contender.
The two teams last met in the group stage, where Spain pulled away with the 88-64 victory. However, lacking firepower from its usual leaders, it was unable to do so again, as France fell into an early groove and—despite trailing entering the fourth period—enjoyed a dominant final quarter in which it outscored its opponents, 23-9.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
As ugly as it was intense, the game wasn't decided until the last minute, as France's role players came alive on both ends while Spain continued to struggle in a manner that has not yet been on display.
France
Boris Diaw: A
With Tony Parker on its side, France would have been an indisputable medal contender from the start. However, Parker’s absence in 2014 has been a sizable obstacle for Les Bleus, who relied on Parker as both a distributor and a go-to scorer.
Against Spain, Parker’s NBA teammate, Boris Diaw, stepped into the point guard’s role as France’s orchestrator and offensive playmaker. He scored 15 points and grabbed five rebounds, adding three assists as well.
His production coincided with France’s pushes, with his early success helping it jump out to an early lead, while his contributions down the stretch—primarily on the scoring front—allowed for a late run.
Though France enjoyed success from numerous players, Diaw deserves top mention for his consistent production, highlighted by big plays in the closing minutes.
Thomas Heurtel: A-
Diaw may have taken over a portion of the point guard duties, but the team’s true Parker replacement, Thomas Heurtel, played a major role for France in the upset victory.
Facilitating the squad’s hot start, Heurtel managed to overcome scoring issues seen early in the tournament. He provided 13 points of his own in addition to four assists.
"Captain cluch Heurtel https://t.co/jOPH7NDSdp
— Wild Boy (@Mick_Bulls) September 10, 2014"
Though much of his play wasn't stellar, he came alive primarily in the final few minutes—with just over a minute to go he took control, scoring five straight points—and can be credited as the team's late-game offensive spark.
Rudy Gobert: B
Rudy Gobert isn’t a polished talent by any means, but on Wednesday, his raw skill and incredible length proved valuable assets against a tough Spanish interior.
He was limited on the scoring end, but his energy on the boards and defense stood out, especially in France’s push in the final few minutes.
Gobert commanded the paint defensively, blocking shots—though the box score only officially recorded one—and dominating the glass, totaling a game-high 13 rebounds.
Overall, his incredible size and athleticism proved too much for a Spanish team whose primary inside threats failed to show up as they had throughout the tournament.
Nicolas Batum: C+
Few could have imagined that France would pull off its biggest win in a game where Nicolas Batum struggled.
He finished with nine points but shot just 25 percent from the floor and scored over half his points from the charity stripe.
Batum didn't provide much leadership, chucking shots and allowing for awkward spacing from France's end. Though he made the occasional big play, Batum will have to make offensive adjustments to carry Les Bleus into the gold-medal game.
Rest of Team: B
As a whole, the game did not feature a fantastic effort from France. The French dominated early and late but were far from perfect on the offensive end. Shooting just 39 percent, the team would have benefitted from another star, with only Mickael Gelabale (nine points) and Joffrey Lauvergne (10 rebounds) making noise on the stat sheet.
Beyond the statistics, there's little to report. Everybody played his part, but inefficient shooting—outside of Gobert the bench shot just 26.7 percent—makes it hard to give much credit to the role players.
Spain
Ricky Rubio: D+
Rubio has had his offensive struggles throughout the tournament, though his incredible defensive impact has been apparent from the start. Today, his primary positive impact was on the defensive end, where he tallied three steals.
However, the "Rubio can't shoot" narrative will live on, as the point guard made just one of his seven field-goal attempts. He failed to show up in the passing game as well, finishing with only one of Spain's nine assists.
That Spain lost isn't entirely his fault—or anything close to it. However, even when Pau Gasol provides the team with a go-to scorer, the offense begins in Rubio's hands.
Rumor has it Spain is still waiting for that to begin.
Pau Gasol: B
Pau Gasol established himself as the LeBron James of the 2014 FIBA World Cup, so expectations were soaring when he stepped onto the court in the quarterfinals.
While he finished with 17 points, eight rebounds and three blocks—all team highs—Gasol failed to make the impact his home crowd came to expect.
It wasn't a terrible performance from his end, but better was necessary if Spain was going to overcome poor production from the rest of its roster.
Juan Carlos Navarro: C+
He’s been a role player for Spain throughout the tournament, but fan favorite Juan Carlos Navarro emerged as one of its notable players against France. Playing an important role as Spain attempted to come back in the second half, Navarro finished with 10 points.
However, Spain had become reliant on his outside shooting to provide space for its interior stars, and Navarro's four misses were instrumental in his team's defeat.
Marc Gasol: D
The other Gasol brother failed to show up completely, finishing with just three points on 1-of-7 shooting.
His impact on the boards was minimal as well, and given his status as one of the top players in the tournament, it didn't bode well for Spain to see one of its leaders struggle from the onset.
Credit him for some of the squad's defensive stops as it made its run, but as a whole, Marc Gasol finished with a contest he'd like to forget.
Rest of Team: D
Spain lacked production from its usual sparks, with Rudy Fernandez held to just six points and Serge Ibaka's terrible performance earning him a ride on the pine in the game's crucial minutes.
As a whole, it made just two of its 22 three-point attempts and allowed France to grab 20 more rebounds.
Believed to be a gold-medal favorite by some, Spain's weaknesses were on full display as France ran away with the surprising win.
What's Next?
France will take on Serbia in the quarterfinals, with the victor preparing for a gold-medal matchup with the winner of the USA-Lithuania contest.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
