Men’s Basketball: Key Takeaways from France vs Brazil

France kicked off their Olympic journey with a win over Brazil, 78-66.

They have a strong roster filled with NBA talent, making them top contenders for a medal. Here are three big takeaways from their first game.

Victor Wembanyama is proving to be an incredible player. Last season in the NBA, he made headlines and it’s clear he’ll soon be a regular All-Star and possibly an All-NBA first team member. Once he masters his positioning near the basket, he’ll likely become a top Defensive Player of the Year candidate. Against Brazil, his potential was on full display.

Wembanyama scored 19 points, grabbed three rebounds, dished out two assists, and blocked three shots while hitting 54% of his field goals. His perimeter shooting was only 25%, but if he improves that, he’ll be unstoppable. Brazil couldn’t handle him and it’s likely other teams will face similar struggles throughout the tournament.

Key Insights:

Rudy Gobert’s presence makes France’s defense even stronger. With four Defensive Player of the Year awards and seven All-Defensive first-team selections under his belt, Gobert pairs perfectly with Wembanyama to create an almost impenetrable defense around the rim. Their size and length make scoring inside very tough for opponents unless they can consistently draw both bigs away from the paint or finish through contact.

Fans might think this duo could lead France to gold because their defense is just that good.

Nicolas Batum at age 35 is still going strong after a solid season with Philadelphia where he played in 57 games and started in 38 of them. He’s now a seasoned veteran who excels at three-point shooting and defense (three-and-D). He understands his role well and sticks to it.

Keith Smith tweeted: “Nic Batum is like Al Horford in that he can probably play for however long he wants to and will remain effective because of understanding his role.”

Under FIBA rules, Batum has more freedom as a floor spacer who can drive past defenders closing out on him. In this game against Brazil, he scored 19 points with nine coming from beyond the arc. Every team needs someone like Batum who can hit shots when needed and capitalize on defensive mistakes—he’s set up nicely to shine throughout these Olympics.

What do you think about France’s chances? Let us know!