USA vs France Men’s Olympics Basketball: Preview & Prediction

The Olympics are finally here, and it’s time for the gold medal match.

This year, the host country France faces off against the basketball powerhouse, USA. The gap between Team USA and other countries has been closing as more NBA talent emerges worldwide. Once upon a time, there were only five international NBA players outside of Team USA; now there are 51. This growth makes the journey to gold even tougher.

With legends like LeBron James, Steph Curry, and Kevin Durant on one side and rising star Victor Wembanyama on the other , this game is set to be a thrilling clash of past vs. future.

USA Preview: Watch Out for Embiid

Team USA has dominated throughout the Olympics but faced a tough challenge against Serbia. They needed stellar performances from Steph Curry, Joel Embiid, and LeBron James to secure their win. Playing at a fast pace gives them an edge over France’s slower defensive style. With a true shooting percentage of 67.5% and scoring 106.8 points per game compared to France’s 79.6, they have various lineup options thanks to Coach Kerr’s strategies.

Joel Embiid is expected to shine again after his recent impressive performances against Rudy Gobert and Wemby—scoring 32, 39, and even 70 points in some games! Fans might think that with such stats, Team USA has a solid chance of winning this matchup easily.

France Preview: All Eyes on Wemby

France has had an inconsistent run in the Olympics so far but managed to make it through despite some close calls against Germany and Japan. One major issue for them is turnovers—they average 14.4 per game—and personal fouls at 20.2 per game could also be problematic against Team USA’s aggressive style.

Victor Wembanyama will need an extraordinary performance for France to stand a chance; he averages decent stats but struggles with shooting accuracy at just 37.5%. The Americans can throw multiple defenders at him like Embiid or Anthony Davis which makes it hard for him to dominate alone.

Isaia Cordinier and Guerschon Yabusele have stepped up recently with strong offensive contributions but haven’t faced front courts as strong as Team USA’s yet.

Prediction: Betting on America

This matchup pits two teams from different leagues entirely—while France has had some good wins en route here—they lack overall athleticism compared to Team USA’s depth in talent across positions.

Even though Victor might become one of the best players globally someday—that day isn’t today! Expecting another close call after their narrow escape versus Serbia—the Americans should come out focused aiming straight for gold !

I’ll take Team USA covering -16 points here confidently.
USA vs France Pick: USA -15.5

What do you think? Can France pull off an upset or will Team USA secure another gold?