FRA – Beaubois, the new star of France
OAKLAND (2010 FIBA World Championship) – There is a new buzz in French basketball and it’s all about Rodrigue Beaubois.
The 22-year-old rookie of the Dallas Mavericks hit a jaw-dropping nine of 11 shots from three-point range on Saturday night en route to a career-high 40 points in a 111-90 victory at Golden State.
Beaubois, who is shooting 52.5% from the field and a scintillating 43.3% from behind the arc, is turning into one of the most explosive scorers in the NBA.
He looks a certainty to make the France squad for the FIBA World Championship in Turkey.
"We see it a lot in practice," Germany superstar Dirk Nowitzki said of his Dallas teammate.
"He's a very, very explosive scorer.
"If he makes his shot, he's tough to guard because he's so good at penetrating and has a great floater and finishes in the paint. When he's on like that, he's a tough matchup for anyone."
Beaubois has had one scoring eruption after another this month but no one expected him to bust loose the way did on Saturday.
"What a performance by Beaubois," Nelson said.
"Unbelievable. We left him open a couple of times but it didn't matter.
“He made shots when we covered him, when he was open. Nine threes, what a performance. I didn't expect that."
Beaubois has shown on numerous occasions in March that he is a bona fide star in the making.
On March 3, he had 17 points in a 112-109 win over Minnesota. Two days later, the 6ft guard scored 22 in a 108-100 triumph over Sacramento and then on March 6, Beaubois took the Windy City by storm with 25 points in a 122-116 victory over Chicago.
Nevertheless Mavs coach Rick Carlisle, perhaps because he wants to keep Beaubois hungry and humble, has in several games not called his youngster’s number.
After scoring 11 points in just eight minutes in a 113-106 victory over Chicago on March 17, Beaubois didn't get off the bench three days later in a 102-93 home defeat to Boston.
On Thursday in a 101-89 defeat to Portland - 48 hours before his 40-point eruption in Oakland against Golden State - Beaubois logged just one minute.
"The great thing about Roddy is he's been ready when called upon," Carlisle said. "I'm the one who's going to have to make the decision on who plays, and I'll live with those decisions.”
Beaubois said: "I don't think about anything else. I just try to play my game and help the team win."
It's the basketball fans of France who should be most excited.
Remembering that their team struggled in every department last summer in their Quarter-Final defeat to eventual champions Spain at the EuroBasket, including long-range shooting, one has to think that Beaubois is ready to contribute immediately to Les Bleus.
Last year with Cholet, while providing a constant spark for his team’s offense in the EuroChallenge and in the French league, Beaubois spoke to FIBA.com about putting on the French shirt one day.
"It is a goal that is close to my heart and if one day I am selected, I will do my best to help the French national team," he said.
France national team 2010
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Originally Posted by FIBA Europe Basket
