STRASBOURG (FIBA EuroBasket 2017) - Just one conversation with France boss Vincent Collet is all one needs to understand why the country's basketball federation kept the national team reins in his hands following the side's disappointing Olympic campaign.

Collet, who has led the country to the podium on several occasions, has as much experience as any coach in the international game. He's organized, ambitious, honest and purposeful. And Collet is not afraid to take difficult decisions, particularly when it comes to squad selection.

As France, beaten in the Quarter-Finals of the Olympics last summer by nemesis Spain, start a new era without veterans Tony Parker, Florent Pietrus and Mickael Gelabale, Collet is on hand for a smooth transition.

Collet spoke to fiba.com in Charlotte, North Carolina, on a recent visit to the United States.

Nicolas Batum, whom you have known for a long time, was really pleased when you re-signed with the national team. How long have you known him?
He was 15 when he first came to Le Mans. I was coach at the time. We worked four years together there before he got drafted by the Blazers. After that we met again the next year when I became the coach of the national team. So it’s been about 15 years since we've been working together.

How beneficial is it to have a player you’ve know so long to continue to play for Les Bleus?
It's going to be very important for the French national team. It was a little different before with Tony. Boris (Diaw) I think will still be there. Now Nicolas will become one of the real leaders of the new team and for me, it’s very important because he knows me very well. He knows what I look for in a game.

What do you like about him on the court?
Especially mobility, without the ball, he's great. He’s also a very good passer. He can do many things for me. I’m not very surprised. That’s the way I saw him since the first day, when he was in Le Mans. He wasn’t as good a shooter as he is now, but he was already very good moving without the ball.

What about some of the younger players coming up? Are there enough to keep France among the leading sides in Europe?
We would like to stay at the top. We know it’s never easy when your best player retires but despite that, I think we have the tools to remain one of the best teams in Europe at least, and in the world. But it will depend on these players, the evolution of Rudy Gobert. We have a few big men coming behind, not yet in the NBA but could be very soon.

Will Alexis Ajinca be a part of the mix moving forward?
I don’t think so. First of all, he said he doesn’t want to. But we have some others, perhaps Kevin Seraphin will be back, Ian Mahinmi was doing very well last year. Joffrey Lauvergne at OKC (Oklahoma City) is also a good player. And I think we have one or two behind that will be very good, too. I think we have some big men.

What about Orlando's Evan Fournier, who was disappointed not to be added to the French roster after you won the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Manila? Will he be a part of the mix?
I would like him to. He has scoring ability and I think he should be a real important piece for us, too. I hope he’s going to change his mind and come back, too. We will take the step but we both have to do it.

Fournier could be key now that veterans like Gelabale are gone

How do you feel about your team’s first round at the EuroBasket in Helsinki and the competition?
I think it’s a harder group than two years ago. Greece and Slovenia will for sure be very difficult. Finland at home is not easy to match up against. (France will also face Poland and Iceland in Group A). But I think it’s better to play against good teams in the first round to be ready for the qualification round from the eighth-final (Round of 16). Two years ago, for us, the group was too easy. 

How is the success of France’s national team and the number of players in the NBA helping popularize the game more in your country?
You can see it’s a good thing. People watch the NBA and are happy to see the French guys. But we miss a lot of good players. We have 12 here and a lot in the EuroLeague competition among the 20-25 best players, they’re not in the French league so it’s hard to make this league competitive. But I think it’s improving. It would be easier with the best players.

Diaw has been vital during France's successful run under Collet

Besides making sure the team has great coffee, what else do you think Boris will do for the squad as it goes on?
Boris has been our captain for a long time. He always takes care of everybody. He wants the guys to feel good, the newcomers. He always helps them integrate better. He’s very important and his knowledge of international basketball is also a weapon for us. He’s unselfish, too unselfish when he was young. He scores more now while before he was more of a passer. For us, he’s important. We play a lot of zone in Europe. He’s always in the game for that at the high post. He’s fantastic to swing the ball to the open guy and I think you always need a guy like that in a team. If you want your team to be able to win, you need players like that - not only scorers.

FIBA