Ballstorm
06-07-2006, 08:02 AM
Mamoutou Diarra (198-F-80) of ES Chalon-Sur-Saone
Diarra has always played in france so far , and until this year it had always been in paris . Mamoutou is a very elegant player , cat like , whose biggest weakness could be his physical fragility . Standing nearly 200 for a guard , he must weigh around 90 kilos at most and has often seen his seasons reduced because of injury . Now , he is an athletic , disciplined forward who had a first good season in chalon .
12 pts (55% 2pts) 40% 3 pts 6.2 rbds .
Boris Diaw (203-F/C-82) of Phoenix Suns (USA)
Do we really need to present the best french player ? The formulation can pass for provocative , but it is my opinion that he is at this moment the most complete player around , surpassing parker's skills . given the situation in phoenix , he demonstrated that he could score quitee asily playing under the rim , and through the year his ability to nail jumpers from medium distance has improved as well . Was it a real mutation from a player describbed as a little too altruist to a scorer ? Not really , rather the revelation that Diaw is a competitor , and that he won't shy away from taking his responsabilities , whatever it takes .
Laurent Foirest (197-F-73) of Elan Bearnais Pau-Orthez
Foirest is not any longer the young greyhound he was once .. he has had a difficult season because of an injury which he has not yet completely recover from . Still , he remains an important player thanks to his strong fighting spirit and his ability from long distance . The choice has been regarded as a little suspect here but Foirest is a square guy , and if he does not live up to the expectations , I am confident that he will le tht ecoach know .
Mickael Gelabale (201-F-83) of Real Madrid (ESP)
Strange season for Gelabale . After having been a revelation on the European scene ( but not in france :) ) last year , he had a much more difficult season . Some people thought he would shine on the top european level , and finally he ended up not even being a part of the team in the final games of the spanish play off .. He's rumoured to look forward to joining the NBA next season ...(Seattle). Despite this so-so season , he is a good defender with a very solid all around game .
Joseph Gomis (180-G-78) of Forum Filatelico Valladolid (ESP)
Another player that is so accustomed to the spanish league that we always forget forget about him in france ...A player who applies good defensive pressure and can shoot the ball from long distance . Not really known as a tremendous playmaker though .
Aymeric Jeanneau (185-G-78) of Strasbourg IG
The "sergeant" of Eric Girard (coach of Strasbourg) . has developped a good outside stroke these last years and after one year playing the euroligue has gained a valuable experience at the hightest european level . A team player .
Cyril Julian (206-F/C-75) of Sluc Nancy Basket Pro
Best rebounder in france this year , Julian can score inside ( he's having problems doing it at the moment in the french play off though) , can rebound ( finally the area of the game in which he is probably the most reliable) . Not a very active defender .
Vincent Masingue (204-F-76) of Adecco ASVEL Lyon-Villeurbanne
Unlike Julian , Masingue is a solid defender , more of a team player and a good presence inside the locker room . Now he is just 204 cm at best , and not an atheltic beast . Somewhat of a limited player compared to the European best players , but he has always played with a chip on his shoulder and this strong mentality is a major asset .
Tony Parker (183-G-80) of San Antonio Spurs (USA)
The little scoring machine has had trouble making the difference i the last european championship , and despite all the things that can have been said at this subject , I am fairly sure that he looks forward to turn things around and make it clear that he is not just an NBA marvel .
Florent Pietrus (202-F-81) of Unicaja Malaga (ESP)
As most french inside players , Pietrus is a role player , limited in attack . On the other hand , he is a pesty defender and a physical player always looking for the offensive rebounds , which he often picks thanks to his quickness and jumping ability .
Mickael Pietrus (198-F-82) of Golden State Warriors (USA)
After a so-so season in golden state , mickael will have an occasion to continue to recover from the injury he suffered this year . He has played well in the last european champ , and will be a valuable asset , as long as he defends first and don't look too often for his own shoot , which is not the most reliable around .
Frederic Weis (217-C-77) of Lagun Aro Bilbao (ESP)
Had a great last european campaign , thanks to which he became a fan favourite after having been rather a subject of mockery for years . When he's fit , Weis is a very good rebounder and especially a good defender . really a center piece of the french edifice . His presence is absolutely necessary and his new found motivation highly expected . Let's hope that he is not too wore out after a season in Bilbao .
Head Coach: Claude Bergeaud
Diarra has always played in france so far , and until this year it had always been in paris . Mamoutou is a very elegant player , cat like , whose biggest weakness could be his physical fragility . Standing nearly 200 for a guard , he must weigh around 90 kilos at most and has often seen his seasons reduced because of injury . Now , he is an athletic , disciplined forward who had a first good season in chalon .
12 pts (55% 2pts) 40% 3 pts 6.2 rbds .
Boris Diaw (203-F/C-82) of Phoenix Suns (USA)
Do we really need to present the best french player ? The formulation can pass for provocative , but it is my opinion that he is at this moment the most complete player around , surpassing parker's skills . given the situation in phoenix , he demonstrated that he could score quitee asily playing under the rim , and through the year his ability to nail jumpers from medium distance has improved as well . Was it a real mutation from a player describbed as a little too altruist to a scorer ? Not really , rather the revelation that Diaw is a competitor , and that he won't shy away from taking his responsabilities , whatever it takes .
Laurent Foirest (197-F-73) of Elan Bearnais Pau-Orthez
Foirest is not any longer the young greyhound he was once .. he has had a difficult season because of an injury which he has not yet completely recover from . Still , he remains an important player thanks to his strong fighting spirit and his ability from long distance . The choice has been regarded as a little suspect here but Foirest is a square guy , and if he does not live up to the expectations , I am confident that he will le tht ecoach know .
Mickael Gelabale (201-F-83) of Real Madrid (ESP)
Strange season for Gelabale . After having been a revelation on the European scene ( but not in france :) ) last year , he had a much more difficult season . Some people thought he would shine on the top european level , and finally he ended up not even being a part of the team in the final games of the spanish play off .. He's rumoured to look forward to joining the NBA next season ...(Seattle). Despite this so-so season , he is a good defender with a very solid all around game .
Joseph Gomis (180-G-78) of Forum Filatelico Valladolid (ESP)
Another player that is so accustomed to the spanish league that we always forget forget about him in france ...A player who applies good defensive pressure and can shoot the ball from long distance . Not really known as a tremendous playmaker though .
Aymeric Jeanneau (185-G-78) of Strasbourg IG
The "sergeant" of Eric Girard (coach of Strasbourg) . has developped a good outside stroke these last years and after one year playing the euroligue has gained a valuable experience at the hightest european level . A team player .
Cyril Julian (206-F/C-75) of Sluc Nancy Basket Pro
Best rebounder in france this year , Julian can score inside ( he's having problems doing it at the moment in the french play off though) , can rebound ( finally the area of the game in which he is probably the most reliable) . Not a very active defender .
Vincent Masingue (204-F-76) of Adecco ASVEL Lyon-Villeurbanne
Unlike Julian , Masingue is a solid defender , more of a team player and a good presence inside the locker room . Now he is just 204 cm at best , and not an atheltic beast . Somewhat of a limited player compared to the European best players , but he has always played with a chip on his shoulder and this strong mentality is a major asset .
Tony Parker (183-G-80) of San Antonio Spurs (USA)
The little scoring machine has had trouble making the difference i the last european championship , and despite all the things that can have been said at this subject , I am fairly sure that he looks forward to turn things around and make it clear that he is not just an NBA marvel .
Florent Pietrus (202-F-81) of Unicaja Malaga (ESP)
As most french inside players , Pietrus is a role player , limited in attack . On the other hand , he is a pesty defender and a physical player always looking for the offensive rebounds , which he often picks thanks to his quickness and jumping ability .
Mickael Pietrus (198-F-82) of Golden State Warriors (USA)
After a so-so season in golden state , mickael will have an occasion to continue to recover from the injury he suffered this year . He has played well in the last european champ , and will be a valuable asset , as long as he defends first and don't look too often for his own shoot , which is not the most reliable around .
Frederic Weis (217-C-77) of Lagun Aro Bilbao (ESP)
Had a great last european campaign , thanks to which he became a fan favourite after having been rather a subject of mockery for years . When he's fit , Weis is a very good rebounder and especially a good defender . really a center piece of the french edifice . His presence is absolutely necessary and his new found motivation highly expected . Let's hope that he is not too wore out after a season in Bilbao .
Head Coach: Claude Bergeaud