They are twelve French on the starting line of the NBA season which begins on October 19.
Not all have the same ambitions: some are aiming for the title and individual recognition, others want to confirm and the youngest hope to find a place in paradise.
They can be champions
Rudy Gobert (Utah / pivot), 29, 9th NBA season.
Returned for the third time, best defender in the League, "Gobzilla" (his nickname, contraction of Gobert and Godzilla) has not yet reached the supreme goal in the playoffs with the Jazz, eliminated in the semifinals of the Western conference by the Clippers.
The Jazz have yet dominated the regular season.
“When you don't finish champion after that, you feel like you've missed something,” says the Olympic vice-champion.
It's up to us to learn from our experiences to come back stronger.
The pivot of the Blues knows he must have more offensive input to achieve the goal of his career: slip an NBA champion ring on his finger.
Read alsoNBA: Rudy Gobert, a golden salary but his feet on the ground
Nicolas Batum (LA Clippers / winger), 32, 14th NBA season.
The season of his rebirth in Los Angeles was punctuated by a lost Western Conference final against Phoenix, before a fantastic Olympic epic, which saw him heroic in "Batman" mode. “A lot of people, especially in France, were retiring me. I didn't even have the level to play in Pro A or Pro B… Today I am told that I have closed my mouth. But I don't care, ”assures Nicolas Batum. The Clippers have extended the contract for the best French player of the year 2021 for the federation by two years. His defensive virtues, his versatility and his increased desire are precious and should make him a leader in a team that is in dire need of it, to validate his ambitions for titles. A fortiori in the absence for a long time of Kawhi Leonard, operated for a partial rupture of the cruciate ligaments of the right knee.
They will shine
Evan Fournier (New York / back), 28, 10th NBA season.
He dreamed of playing in New York, here he was granted a four-year contract.
“I feel at home,” says Evan Fournier.
The back-scorer of the Blues is one of the main offensive weapons of the Knicks (with Julius Randle, Kemba Walker and Derrick Rose) who have been lacking for ages, including last year.
Despite their return to the playoffs (eliminated in the first round), the New York franchise has mainly relied on its defense and combativeness.
Highly motivated, “Ant” promised to be hard-working on these two points: all the ingredients are there to make him one of the favorites of the legendary Madison Square Garden.
New York wants to find the light in the NBA.
Fournier is there to help him.
Killian Hayes (Detroit / point guard), 20, 2nd NBA season.
His second season must be the right one for the highest drafted Frenchman in history (7th position) in 2020, but whose rookie year was plagued by a hip injury that caused him to miss 46 out of 72 games. His performances were below expectations (6.8 points at 35% on shots, 5.3 assists, 3.2 stray balls on average), but without this weakening his status as a holder, the Pistons wanting to build around from him and the future star Cade Cunningham, drafted in 1st position this year.
They have to get off the bench
Frank Ntilikina (Dallas / point guard), 23, 5th NBA season.
Finally the good one?
After four seasons shining the bench of the Knicks, the leader of the Blues and announced too early as the future Tony Parker tries the rebound with the Mavericks, where he will still be a replacement, barred at the post by the genius Luka Doncic.
It is through his defensive qualities that he could find a better place, in a lax team in the matter.
Timothé Luwawu-Cabarrot (Atlanta / winger), 26, 6th NBA season.
Not retained by Brooklyn, the silver medalist in Tokyo hopes to have more minutes with the Hawks, finalists of the Eastern Conference last season.
His energy and defensive tenacity will be significant assets.
Théo Maledon (Oklahoma City / leader), 20, 2nd NBA season.
The blue reveal from last season. Unexpectedly, the leader has made a starting place for his rookie year with the Thunder (10.1 pts, 3.5 assists). But its leaders have chosen another leader, Josh Giddey, in 6th position of the last Draft 2021. Facing the Australian, party to be in the five major, the competition will be tough.
Axel Toupane (Golden State Warriors / winger), 29, 6th NBA season.
NBA champion with the Bucks this summer, the former Strasbourg has not been selected by the franchise. He spent the summer waiting for the phone to ring but when it happened it was worth it. At the weekend, the San Francisco Bay Club made him an offer that cannot be refused. Playing with Stephen Curry isn't for everyone. Now, he must find a place for himself in a collective undergoing reconstruction.
Sekou Doumbouya (Los Angeles Lakers / strong winger), 2 years old, 3 NBA seasons.
He looks great the former Poitiers and Limoges player on the Lakers site in the middle of a magical workforce.
His neighbor is called LeBron James.
Well, it's just for the photo because the young man is far from the level of the star.
After two complicated seasons in Detroit, an express passage in Brooklyn, Doumbouya must make his hole in LA.
Possible because the boy is talented, but on condition of cleaning up his life outside the parquet floors.
Rajon - Kendrick - Kent - LeBron - Russ - 🇫🇷 Sekou @lakers |
# NBA75 pic.twitter.com/XDIpd7uti1
- NBA France (@NBAFRANCE) October 17, 2021
They must come out of the anteroom
Several French players are starting the season in the G-League, the second division of the NBA.
For Killian Tillie (Memphis / pivot / 23 / 2nd season), Yves Pons (Memphis / strong winger / 22 / 1st season) and Olympic silver medalist Petr Cornelie (Denver / pivot / 26 / 1st season), it will be difficult to grab minutes in the NBA.
The same goes for Jaylen Hoard (winger / 22 years old / 3rd season) and Joel Ayayi (fullback / 21 years old / 1st season), not retained by the Thunder and the Lakers and who must wait until we call on them.
