FIBA World Cup 2019: 5 non-Team USA teams with a chance to win gold
By Phil Watson
France
France won its first-ever medal in the FIBA World Cup in 2014, taking the bronze, and have recovered from a disastrous 12th-place finish during the 2017 EuroBasket tournament to climb to third in the FIBA World Rankings.
This is the fourth straight time France has qualified for the FIBA World Cup, the longest streak in their program’s history, even after failing to qualify for the Olympics in both 2004 and 2008.
France placed sixth at the Rio Olympics in 2016 prior to their face-plant at the most recent EuroBasket.
The French can defend, with two-time reigning NBA Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert of the Utah Jazz anchoring the middle and long, pesky Frank Ntilikina of the New York Knicks on the perimeter.
Other NBA players on the roster include national team veteran Nicolas Batum of the Charlotte Hornets, Evan Fournier of the Orlando Magic and Vincent Poirier, recently signed by the Boston Celtics.
But the French also have Nando De Colo and Axel Toupane with past NBA experience. Ntilikina and big man Mathias Lessort are the only players on the roster younger than 25, so this is another experienced squad.
France, in Group G with Germany, the Dominican Republic and Jordan, should be a lock to get to the second round, where they will contend with two solid teams that will come out of Group H, which includes Australia, Canada and Lithuania.
If they can emerge from there into the elimination round, France could be a very tough out.