Rudy Gobert was taken out of the starting lineup for France at the Olympics. Gobert came off the bench against Canada in their Olympic quarter-final but left the game after three minutes. After the game, Gobert spoke to Ben Golliver about being taken out of the starting lineup, stating that he trusts his coach and his teammates.
“I have full trust in my teammates and coaches. It worked. You saw the way we started tonight. The guys were ready to play. They set the tone for the whole game.”
Gobert added that he suffered the injury during training prior to the knockout rounds beginning. The nature of the injury was unspecified, and Gobert didn’t share any further details about the injury.
France’s head coach confirmed after the game that Gobert did suffer an injury but didn’t undergo surgery for it. He added that Gobert was benched so he could play Victor Wembanyama to start at center and play a small-ball lineup against Canada, who have faster players.
“Small ball. I wanted Wemby to start at position 5. Yabusele at position 4.”
Initial speculation about Gobert being dropped from the starting lineup for France was suggested to be due to his poor performances. Gobert has yet to have a single game where he registers double-digit points.
While Gobert’s role isn’t that of a scorer on the French team, he hasn’t been delivering on the defensive end either. Gobert is averaging 4.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 0.3 steals, and 2.5 blocks per game. Gobert has accumulated 20 rebounds across four games, with only one game where he grabbed more than 10 rebounds.
France will try their luck with Victor Wembanyama going forward, as he has shown to be the centerpiece for their team, leading the squad in all major statistical categories in the tournament, except blocks, where he is behind Gobert, with 1.8 blocks per game.
Rudy Gobert Under Delivering For France
It is clear that the partnership with Rudy Gobert and Victor Wembanyama has not worked out for the team. Perhaps Gobert will be better when coming off the bench to replace Wembanyama in their next game. Gobert’s absence actually helped France upset Canada 82-73 to win and advance to the semi-finals, where they play Germany.
Gobert has been under fire since the Olympics started for his poor showings. Shaquille O’Neal even roasted him after France’s first game against Brazil. In that game, Gobert put up just 7 points, 3 rebounds, and 1 assist, as France was upset by Brazil.
This failed pairing on the court perhaps justifies Joel Embiid’s decision not to play for the French team, as it is difficult to see how the three seven-footers would have fit together, especially after Gobert’s poor showings.
France will want to capitalize on their momentum, and the home support, to make a push to reach the gold medal game. But with the prospect of facing Germany, the reigning FIBA world champions in the semis, they will have a tough path to that game.
The initial optimism surrounding France’s chances at the Olympics has dissipated greatly since the tournament started, even though they are still in the running. Victor Wembanyama will have to deliver some great performances to ensure that France walks away with a medal at the tournament.
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