PARIS (France) - Long-time France coach Vincent Collet sees both sides of the coin after watching Les Bleus end up in the same group with Canada, Latvia and Lebanon at Saturday's FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 Draw presented by Wanda in Manila.

One aspect of the draw is inescapable for all four of the teams, that finishing in the top two in Group H is going to be an enormous challenge.

The other side of the coin?

"This is the promise of a very intense start of the competition," Collet said to basketeurope.com, "but in a way, it's not bad. We know what to expect."

Canada won all but one game in the Americas Qualifiers, which is evidence they mean business. They were the first to qualify for the 32-team event and with both Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and RJ Barrett expected to be on the roster, other teams will have to batten down the hatches.

Nick Nurse will have many other talented players at his disposal.

Latvia, likewise, had the best record, 9-1, of all the teams in the European Qualifiers. They, too, are likely to add talent from the NBA in the shape of Kristaps Porzingis and Davis Bertans.

THIS DRAW SIMPLY MEANS WE'LL HAVE TO BEAT VERY HIGH LEVEL TEAMS RIGHT AWAY.

"From the start, we feared being drawn with Canada," Collet said. "We have a very tough group, with not only Canada but also Latvia and then, we are crossing the Group of Spain, Brazil and Cote d'Ivoire.

"We will need to be ready from the start."

France will open with their game against Canada. The countries faced off several years ago when a lot was at stake, at the 2016 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Manila.

The French won their Final, 83-74, to advance to the Rio de Janeiro Games.

Nando De Colo had 22 points in France's win over Canada at the 2016 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Mania

"The duel with Canada will be intense," Collet said, "we'll have to wait and see which roster Canada will have. Will all the NBA players be there? But on paper, they are one of the most dangerous teams. So, just to reach the Quarter-Finals, we will have to beat very good teams."

Another way to look at the Draw for France, Canada, Latvia and Lebanon is that if they want to be the best, they have to beat the best.

"We still have the ambition to play for the medals," Collet said. "The path is very complicated and we'll need to be ready. This Draw simply means we'll have to beat very high level teams right away."

Collet says the signs are good that Victor Wembanyama, the presumptive No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft, will play for France at the World Cup.

Wembanyama could make his World Cup debut in Jakarta for France against Canada

"For now, he's really motivated to play this summer," Collet said. "We hear very good things."

Some uncertainty appears to have crept into the availability of Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert, who played in his first big tournament with France nine years ago at the World Cup in Spain when Les Bleus claimed third place.

"We need him and I think he needs the French national team to have a great NBA campaign next season. In 2014 (video below) he was there at the World Cup and this was very positive for him because that's where he really launched his NBA career."

As for the newly crowned league MVP Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers, Collet believes his appearance at the World Cup to be unlikely. Embiid, who hails from Cameroon, obtained both French and USA passports in recent months.

"He still has not taken a decision," Collet said. "But it seems difficult that he'll join us this summer. But he still might be with us in 2024 (Paris Olympics). He getting married this summer, during our training camp."

France are going for a third straight podium finish at the World Cup. In 2019, the team eliminated the USA in the Quarter-Finals and following a loss to Argentina in the Semi-Finals, beat Australia in the Third-Place Game.

The national team has been on a roll. France followed that up by beating the USA on the opening day of the Tokyo Olympics and eventually reaching the Final before a narrow defeat to the Americans.

Last summer, France made it to the EuroBasket Final in Berlin.

FIBA