Top French NBA prospect Victor Wembanyama (left) and Metropolitans 92 coach and current coach of the French team, Vincent Collet (right)
Sports Illustrated (DR) / Metropolitans 92 (DR)

The French basketball team’s Olympic campaign has just started this Tuesday. 

Indeed, the Blues now know who they will have to face during the group stage, and they have clearly avoided the worst. 

For the moment, luck is with the Blues!

To succeed in major international competitions, you don’t just need talent, you also need a little luck.

With the arrival of Victor Wembanyama in the group, the presence of Rudy Gobert and other NBA players like Evan Fournier and Nicolas Batum, with the ever more important role of EuroLeague monster Guerschon Yabusele, the Blues will have the talent.

Fans must therefore hope that the other component will also be on the side of the France team this summer in Lille and Paris.

For the moment things are looking pretty good, since the group which was allocated to Vincent Collet’s men for the first round is well within their reach.

Above all, we must be wary of the reigning world champions, who will ride the euphoria of this coronation:

The Blues avoid the group of death!

The French team is in Group B with Germany, Japan, and the winning team of the Olympic Qualification Tournament which will pit Latvia, Georgia, Philippines, Brazil, Montenegro and Cameroon.

If the Blues have the means to achieve their ambitions, they should get out of the group stage without being scared and build up their confidence before joining Paris.

The good news is that a potential favorite should be eliminated in a death pool which could pit Australia, Canada, Spain and Slovenia against each other!

As for the United States, they should advance fairly quietly to the next round, despite the presence of the world vice-champions in the group.

On the fan side, the draw was also rather lenient:

The French team avoided the worst during this group draw for the next Olympic Games. 

Germany will be a team to watch, that’s for sure, but with such a talented group, the Blues will have the means to defeat them.