I still wonder how Israel managed to loose against Macedonia.
Anyway, I expect a non game between Greece and France as ranking won't matter much. Hope both teams will meet again in final.
Btw, now that Les bleus are almost qualified for the World Championship, I can't help but salivating at the idea of 10 NBA starters on the floor at the same time. I know it's a reach, but that would be awesome!
Well, ISrael is not so good, Macedonia can play very well, we have beaten some good teams, especilly in test games. We played great against israel and against Croatia. This today and with Greece, is not who we are, we did not do our best. I dont get it, its strange, like something happened when they see a big team, maybe its impression or something, they are paralized, i dont know.
Question for the French posters:
France has won the AQR, swept their first 4 games at the EC, and qualified for the QFs. Assuming that they do enough to secure a spot at the WC, is this summer already a success? Are they playing with house money from this point forward?
secure a spot at the WC is the minimum they want, a success would be a medal, a triumph the gold.
The main idea is to finally build a real team up to the potential of the players we have. Then, results and medals should come.
http://www.eurobasket2009.org/en/cid...366-E-3-1.html
11 September 2009
France Katowice Bound After Demolition Of F.Y.R.O.M.
Game Summary
Turning point: The opening tip - France started the game on a 17-3 run, setting the tone for the rest of the game.
Hero: The French bench. Vincent Collet's reserves tallied 39 points with De Colo leading the way with 14 points while Ali Traore had 13.
Stats: France shot 61 percent for the game and held F.Y.R.O.M. to just 35 percent.
------------------------------------------------------
France booked their spot in the quarter-finals with an overwhelming 83-57 victory over the Former Yugoslavian Republic of Macedonia to remain perfect at EuroBasket 2009.
Florent Pietrus and Nando de Colo led five scorers in double figures for Vincent Collet's team with 14 points each while Tony Parker, Ali Traore and Nicolas Batum all added 13 points.
The French improved to 3-0 in the Qualifying Round Group E and join Greece into the final eight, which start on 17 September in Katowice.
"We started very strong. We wanted to put a lot of pressure on (F.Y.R.O.M.). We watched their other games and saw that if they could develop their game that they could shoot, including their big men. And we didn't want them to have their position. And that helped us early. And the game was over at half-time," said Collet, whose team used a 17-3 run to start the game and never looked back.
"We started the game well, just like the coach asked us too. We knew that we had to start well. Even though they were considered the weakest team in the group, there was no reason to let up," said de Colo.
F.Y.R. of Macedonia slumped to 0-3 in the group despite nine points each from Jeremiah Massey and Darko Sokolov while Predrag Samardziski had seven points and eight rebounds for Jovica Arsic's team, whose team shot just 35 percent for the game.
"They played much better than my team. We didn't play defense like we should have. They scored almost 50 points (48 points) in our point. And that is unacceptable," said Arsic.
Riste Stefanov nailed a three-pointer about two minutes into the game as Arsic's men took their only lead of the game at 3-2.
Pietrus and Batum led a 15-0 charge which eventually saw the French lead 24-9 after one period.
Parker scored the first seven points of the second quarter for France, who opened the period with a 14-0 surge for a 38-9 advantage. Todor Gechevski finally got F.Y.R.O.M. on the scoring board with four minutes left in the second quarter and Arsic's underdogs trailed 49-18 at intermission.
Pietrus's triple to start the second half pushed the gap to 34 points and Collet's team would not allow their opponents any closer than 28 points in the period and led 67-35 after three quarters.
The French's final reserves came on in the fourth and watched F.Y.R.O.M. go on a 9-3 run to cut the deficit to 70-44. But France scored the next seven points and the gap did not go lower than 26 points the rest of the way.
They are too much relying on 3 point shot. This is what happens with such teams you can win games if they go in even against good teams like how you had Croatia by 17 but then if you miss shots then it falls apart which is like Croatia coming back to win.
Shots go in = win Israel for example
shots miss = France and Greece games for example
I think Macedonia should have instead had same strategy that German team has used this tournament.
Parker leads France to 83-57 win over Macedonia
San Antonio Spurs guard Tony Parker led France on a 17-3 game-opening run in an 83-57 victory over Macedonia on Friday that kept the French unbeaten at the European basketball championship.
Forward Florent Pietrus and reserve guard Nando De Colo each scored 14 points to lead five French players in double figures in the second-round game.
Earlier, defending champion Russia defeated Croatia 62-59 behind 18 points and eight rebounds from center Timofey Mozgov. Tied at 55 with a minute to play, Russia made seven of 10 free throws down the stretch.
Russia next plays Macedonia on Sunday, and Croatia takes on Germany.
In another Group E matchup, guard Vasileios Spanoulis scored 20 points to lead Greece to an 84-76 victory over Germany. Heiko Schaffartzik had 23 points for the Germans.
The top four teams in Group E and Group F advance to the quarterfinals.
Israel team has some very talented players like Burstein, Eliyahu, Halperin. But the problem with their team is that these same players are like this:
Burstein = more like glue player, like champion role player, not a lead player
Halperin = most mentally weak and biggest choking player alive
Eliyahu = 100% offense and 0% defense. He is like extreme version of Amare almost.
Highlitghs of the game (some nice dunks and alley hoops):
http://www.fibatv.com/page/fibaeurop...397063,00.html
Nico Batum
I will consider this summer as a success if FNT get his qualification for the next WC. I'm not asking or hoping for more.
The main reason why they won their first 4 games is that they get a great draw. It's quite unreal how a side of the bracket is stronger than the other in this Eurobasket.
I've just noticed that TP is leading the tournament in steals with 2.8 SPG.
Sweet
Yeah, that was nice to see, they made some nice dunks in the beginning and also a nice one a bit later in the gameHighlitghs of the game (some nice dunks and alley hoops):
http://www.fibatv.com/page/fibaeurop...397063,00.html
Nico Batum
I will consider this summer as a success if FNT get his qualification for the next WC. I'm not asking or hoping for more.
The main reason why they won their first 4 games is that they get a great draw. It's quite unreal how a side of the bracket is stronger than the other in this Eurobasket.
Did Ian get playing time, or is he still recovering?
Nice to see De Colo playing well.
Anyway we could get Florent Pietrus, that guys got a euva lot of athleticism and sum skills.
For french speaking posters, a nice video on the qualification for the Euro:
http://player.canalplus.fr/#/274465/
Yes and no. I know that between Turkey and the wild card France is already "technically" qualified for the WC... but I'd rather have them finish in the top 6 and be done with the drama. In that sense the QF will be a major game. So yes for the team to be rested and ready (and injuries please!), on the other hand a slightly easier matchup will be better too (not too easy since we know how the French team performs against "easy" opponents!)
Teams in the other group are damn close. The team finishing 1st in the other group won't really be stronger than the team finishing 4th.
I also want to see the team ending in the top 6 or 7 to be directly qualified for the WC but I don't think them finishing 1st or 4th in their group will have a significant impact on that goal.
I hope you are joking. No way in should he be considered by the Spurs.
Damn we have some re ed Spurs fans. Flo Pietrus sucks. No way in is he Spurs material.
http://www.eurobasket2009.org/en/coi...leMode_on.html
Quarter-Final Bound France Take On Croatia
12 September 2009
By Yarone Arbel
The last game of the second day in Group E played in Bydgoszcz will feature two power houses in two different momentums - Croatia and France.
The French team is on fire having a perfect 3-0 record after not dropping a single game the whole championship. Their concert against F.Y.R.O.M. two days ago set an example what can happen when things connect for the squad of Coach Vincent Collet.
Coach Collet enjoys a deep roster with experienced players but also some uprising stars as Nando De Colo and Antoine Diot who show they fit the level in their first EuroBasket performance.
It's very tough to play against the highly athletic French team, who put big pressure on defense, and use their size and physical attributes to dominate the offensive side.
The only big riddle about the French team is how they are going to react when they face their first big opponent, as so far they have gained three wins against the least skilled and deep Group B teams and added another on F.Y.R.O.M.
Rarely there are good games on EuroBasket, but facing a team with a short bench is easier for a team that relays a lot of pressure on defense and exhausting the key players of the opponent as France.
How they will react against a long list of top players is a question they still didn't answer.
Croatia at the other end is in trouble and not only because of their 1-2 record in the group.
Before the championship started it seemed as Croatia would be the one to fit the description of a highly talented team with a team roster - of the kind France didn't face yet, but In the 16 quarters they played so far, they can count maybe three as successful ones. The rest, and the Croats are the first to admit it, doesn't fit their potential.
There are a lot of doubts and hesitations in the Croat camp regarding what holds them from bringing to the court their expected level.
A 12 man roster loaded with talent, experience, skills, size, athleticism, shooters, intelligence, pride and they are even a glued group of friends who support each other the whole way.
On the bench sits one of the best coaches in Europe - Jasmin Repesa, who has his share of experience in EuroBasket as well as finals in top club compe ions, backed by Drazen Anzulovic - a coach with a resume thicker and more impressive then some of the head coaches in the compe ion.
It seems like every minute the Croats can blow up and bring the expected level of play, but after four games they are still looking for their answers, and with a loss to France they could be 40 minutes from a shocking elimination.
Will France prove they can make it happen against the big names too or will Croatia finally blow up and give France their first defeat? All the eyes of basketball fans in Europe are set on this interesting match.
Head-to-head: In a span of 14 years these two teams faced each other only five times, and Croatia won three of them. The last of them was two years ago in EuroBasket 2007 when Croatia won 86-69 in the 5-8 classification games behind 15 points by Zoran Planinic and Marko Popovic.
Last time out: Croatia suffered a tough 62-59 loss to Russia behind a very bad shooting day, while France easily crushed F.Y.R.O.M. 83-57.
Stats: After four games in the group France have the best defensive numbers by allowing only 59.3 ppg. Croatia already showed they have trouble against tough defense as Greece and Russia, so a lot will depend on their outside shooting. So far in their two losses Croatia was accurate in 31.6% and 29.4% from the arc, while in their two wins jumped to 50% and 38.5%. This will be a factor against France as well probably, but there's one thing the players of Coach Repesa must keep in mind. So far in this EuroBasket there's one team that allow both the fewest made three pointers (5.8) and lowest percentage from the same distance (28.4%) and that team is no other than...France.
Key Match-Up: Zoran Planinic and Tony Parker are the hearts and minds of their teams. The Croat leads his team in assists (ranked 2nd in the compe ion), while the French in points (2nd) and steals (1st). Planinic is so far the most consistent contributor in his team's back court, while Parker is the French postman - always delivers and on time.
X-Factor: Davor Kus of Croatia is the barometer when it comes to his team's three point shooting. In the good shooting nights of Croatia he scored twice from distance in good percentages, while in the two bad shooting days he missed all of his attempts. Follow his performance to learn more on what is about to come for Croatia in this game.
Sounding-Off: "Playing against Croatia after they lost to Russia can't be good for us, because they will come hurt and must win if they want to make the quarter-finals, but if we play good we could beat them." - France's Boris Diaw.
Last edited by Freeze; 09-13-2009 at 05:18 AM.
I also just read it.I just read in l'équipe that Ian is uncertain for today
The story:
Ian should have played against Macedonia but felt a pain during the warm up. He didn't practiced with the team yesterday and is unlikely to play today.
http://basket.blog.lemonde.fr/2009/0...-les-passions/
For tonight game:
Croatia has one of the most talented team of this Eurobasket. It will be a damn hard game for FNT if Croatian players are motivated.
Croatia has also great shamans.
http://www.eurobasket2009.org/en/coi...leMode_on.html
Ghosts Of 2000 Haunt Croatia-France Match-Up
13 September 2009
By Yarone Arbel
FIBA Europe holds every summer three youth events, in up to three divisons, where the stars of the future show their face to the world of basketball.
EuroBasket is a great chance to see just how far the "stars of the future" actually made it in retrospect, but sometimes, as in the case of the France-Croatia game, when no less than seven players who faced each other in the finals of a youth event are on the same court, there's an added value for that check.
10. Zoran Planinic (Croatia)
Zoran Planinic was in Zadar and led the tournament in scoring.
The first U18 European Championship of the millennium took place in Zadar, Croatia. The main candidate for the gold was the local team that featured Marko Popovic, Zoran Planinic, Kresimir Loncar, Marin Rozic and Toni Dijan.
The first four are on the team here in EuroBasket 20009, while the last disappeared from the map of top European basketball, mostly due to injuries.
Planinic, who was voted to the All-Tournament team of the championship and was also the top scorer, along with Popovic, who was the top passer, combined the great back court, and were also the leaders of the team that made it all the way to the finals without dropping a game on the way.
In the gold medal game they faced the team from France, who earlier in the compe ion beat Bulgaria 83-33 and a Greece team that included Nikos Zisis and Vasilis Spanoulis 68-39 on the way to the finals, but did drop a single game on the path - the game against Croatia.
France had on that team no less than Tony Parker, Boris Diaw, Ronny Turiaf, Yakhouba Diawara and Mickael Pietrus.
The first three are here in Poland, and the last two are NBA players themselves.
Nevertheless the clear favorites before the finals tipped off were the Croats.
"We won the first game between the teams, we were the home team and the atmosphere in the finals was one of the best I have ever played in my whole career," shared Popovic with eurobasket2009.org.
Indeed the arena in Zadar is famous around the whole continent to be one of the hottest places to be when a big basketball game is played there.
Yet there was more to it.
Parker, the eventual MVP of the tournament, was already a big name that everybody wanted to catch but for Diaw it was only the first European Championship and he was still adjusting, and Turiaf was still just a developing back-up center. The potential was clearly there, but for that time Croatia were the favorites.
"That game was very important for us and the final score hurt us a lot.
"Everybody was crying in the locker room and we couldn't believe it slipped from out hands," Popovic recalls.
The final score he refers to was 65-64 in favor of France after two overtimes in one of the most memorable finals in youth compe ions history.
Parker wasn't even on the floor in the big drama since he fouled out after playing no more than 28 minutes.
France had the chance to win the game before the original buzzer, while Croatia followed in the first overtime.
It came down to a huge blocked shot by Diaw to give France the last ball in the last seconds of the second overtime.
"I remember Turiaf shot the ball, and Dijan managed to touch it but the ball still went in," speaks Popovic.
It was only the first field goal made by Turiaf the whole game, but the sweetest one.
"Playing the youth tournaments help the players mold together," shares Turiaf today.
"Since that tournament Boris, Tony and me are very good friends and I have great memories from that tourney.
"The gold medal we won...it was a unique game," he remembers.
Winning that le, and actually their first medal ever, had a big influence on the French players who rode to s om from there, but pay attention to what Parker, who had won a few things since those days, has to say.
"That game is one of my best memories as a basketball player, and my love for the national team started in that game," he said.
"Since we won that trophy I dream to win in the next level, in EuroBasket, too and that's why I'm here.
"We have a lot of good memories from that championship, and it gave us a lot of confidence for the future.
"My connection with Turiaf and Diaw started in that championship and we carry it on to this championship here."
One who managed to repress that game is Loncar, back then the top big guy of Croatia and a big time prospect.
"That finals was so many years ago I really don't remember much, other than that last shot by Turiaf," he shares.
"I don't see any connection to the game today and it's certainly not a matter of revenge for us, because back then it was a kids game and now it's the real thing."
"We were considered the best team but if you look at the final results five of the players in France made it to the NBA and in our team Planinic is the only one who made it to the NBA before coming back, so I guess it means they were the better team."
Nevertheless, when the ball will tip off tomorrow those seven players, now stronger, tougher and more experienced, will fight just like they did nine years ago.
We can only wish for a double-overtime game with a buzzer beater game winning shot, yet watching how far these players have made it from the FIBA Europe youth events all the way to the grand platform is a beauty to follow by itself.
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