Elie Okobo, the point guard the French team needs? « He tries to organize everything on the court »
After a frustrating start to EuroBasket, Elie Okobo (1.91m, 27) delivered his most complete performance in French colors Tuesday evening in Katowice. As a game-managing point guard and decisive scorer, he tallied 14 points and 10 assists (with only one turnover at the very end) in France’s victory over Poland (83-76). Showing his positive impact, the JSA Bordeaux product finished with the team’s best +/- (+13), well ahead of Jaylen Hoard (+8).
A clearer role, renewed confidence
Previously confined to a more secondary role in running the offense, Elie Okobo was given the keys to France’s attack this time. Used as the sixth man but left on the court throughout the second half, he controlled the tempo, perfectly fed Guerschon Yabusele (36 points) and played tough defense against his Monaco teammate Jordan Loyd.
After the game, he explained his mindset: « I’m satisfied with the team and what we were able to show tonight. We brought much more intensity. […] I’m happy to have contributed to this victory in this way. » More comfortable in his point guard role, he appreciated being able to « take control, play with confidence » and « find Guerschon and the other big men. »
Decisive choices in crunch time
While not everything was perfect (« The last turnover was really ugly, » he admitted), Okobo took responsibility in crunch time. « I still felt confident taking those shots. That step-back, I’ve been working on it since I was very young. I took it with confidence and it went in. »
Defensively, he also held his own in the matchup against Loyd: « We trash talk each other every day in practice at Monaco. […] I tried to make things difficult for him. Even though he scored 18 points, I think they were more difficult points than his usual 28 or 32. »
The discussion with Fauthoux and repositioning
Head coach Frédéric Fauthoux, who has known him since his young years at Élan Béarnais, confirmed this more pronounced shift to the point guard position: « It was planned since Matthew’s (Strazel) injury. We have two true point guards, Sylvain (Francisco) and Théo (Maledon). »
Support from the locker room
His teammates didn’t fail to highlight his impact. Jaylen Hoard appreciated his decision-making: « He was strong in his pick-and-roll decisions, even with me on short rolls and things like that, he got me plenty of easy baskets. And he’s playing better every game. »
Captain Guerschon Yabusele also emphasized his driving role: « We saw the Elie we know today. Of course, he hit super important shots, he set the rhythm, he defended, he really tries to communicate and organize everything on the court. […] Today, he was incredible. Obviously, his performance was super important for us. »
A turning point?
During preparation, Elie Okobo said he wanted to « finally be himself » with the French team, which hadn’t been possible during previous campaigns (Euro 2022, 2023 World Cup and 2024 Olympics prep) under Vincent Collet. Against Poland, this wish materialized. More composed and calm, he showed he could be both a floor general and scorer. For France, this might be a sign that their point guard has found the right formula at the perfect moment.
From Katowice,
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