FRA - Pietrus believes twice-beaten France will find their feet

BERLIN (FIBA World Championship) - France boast stars like Tony Parker, Boris Diaw and Mickael Pietrus but if they fail to play as a team, disappointment is inevitable for Les Bleus and their fans at the FIBA World Championship in Japan.

The Frenchmen lost consecutive games this week, falling to Greece in the Acropolis Tournament (70-56) and then crashing against Italy in Berlin on Friday, 79-65. 

"We have a great team," Pietrus said to PA Sport after the defeat to Italy. "But on the other hand, there is great talent on the other teams, too. We just try to play together and make things happen for us.

"We just have to play together and we´ll be fine."

Some experts are picking France to do well in Japan, where they will start off against Olympic gold medalists Argentina on August 19 before taking on in Group A two-time defending world champions Serbia & Montenegro, Venezuela, Lebanon and Nigeria, is that Claude Bergeaud's team is loaded with NBA players.

Six are currently with the squad: Parker, Diaw, Mickael Pietrus, Mickael Gelabale, Ronny Turiaf and Johan Petro.

"The national team is all about winning," Pietrus said. "It is not about statistics, it is not about who you are. It is all about 12 people who try to compete and win."

That 12-man squad has yet to be finalised. There has been an intriguing battle between Petro and Turiaf for the 12th and last place in the team.

Both are talented youngsters who are early in their NBA careers. Turiaf, while at Gonzaga, even played for France at EuroBasket 2003, helping them reach the semi-finals. Unless coach Claude Bergeud springs a surprise (something he did last summer when giving a late call-up to Frederic Weis and cutting Alain Digbeu), one of those two will not be in the squad.

"They are two great players," Pietrus said. "Obviously, if they play in the NBA, they have great talents. You know the coach has to make a choice and you don´t know which one it is going to be.

"And if we succeeded in Japan, I just want to tell them that they were part of our success. It is a tough decision and I cannot vote for anyone. But if I would have to take one, I would take both of them."

By PA Sport
Exclusively for FIBA