Japan – France

Friendly Game
Tokyo, August 17, 10:00 CET

Basketball national team of Japan has serious problems in defense, at the end of the preparation period for the appearance at the World Cup this summer.
It is certain that in the important friendly and preparatory match against France in Tokyo on Thursday, the Japanese team will be without the NBA star, Phoenix Suns swingman Yuta Watanabe. Also, their most famous player, L.A. Lakers forward Rui Hachimura, canceled his appearance at the World Cup this summer. Watanabe could play on Saturday in the new warm-up match against Slovenia - but he was "crossed out" for this duel with France because of injury.
Overall, this match will be the most serious test for the Japanese ahead of the World Championship so far. They did not impress during the preparations. They lost 94:75 against a not too good New Zealand team in a match played on August 4. They beat the same opponent two days earlier 74:72, but both teams significantly changed their standard rotation in that game. Encouragement for the Japanese is the victory over Angola 75:65 in the match played on Tuesday - but the African selection really does not impress with quality.
On the other hand, the European vice-champion France has been playing impressively since the beginning of the preparations. This is a selection that, since the defeat in the final of the Eurobasket last year in September against Spain, has won a total of nine games in a row, five of which this summer in preparation.
Behind the French are exceptional editions in victories against excellent Lithuania 90:72 (August 9) and 76:70 (August 11), and before that against Venezuela 86:67, Montenego 80:69 and Tunisia – even 93:36. Without Watanabe, it can be said that Japan is on par with the quality of Venezuela's selection, if not slightly below it.
In the first match against Lithuania, as many as five French players achieved double-digit scores. The centers play exceptionally well this summer - in that game, the young star of Real Madrid Yabusele scored 15, and the famous NBA center Gobert had 14 points with six rebounds. In the second match against Lithuania, Yabusele shone with 19 points and six rebounds. At the guards positions, the exceptional options are the experienced Euroleague star De Colo and the excellent shooter with NBA experience Fournier.
The fact that the key players of France are on the positions under the hoop - Gobert and Yabusele - does not particularly suit the Japanese, who in reality have no options to play good defense against them. A large number of points are expected from the French in transition and under the basket, so it is easy to expect that Japan will receive a lot of points in this match, even though they are the hosts.
Last year, in the elimination phase of Eurobasket, France had only one match in which they scored less than 87 points. Overall, they have a diverse, exceptional offensive quality and potential. This match with the Japanese is an opportunity to demonstrate that.