Rudy Gobert’s starting status uncertain for France, Draymond Green takes shot at four-time DPOY

Rudy Gobert didn’t start and played only three minutes in France’s quarterfinal win over Canada at the 2024 Paris Olympics, as the reason why the NBA four-time Defensive Player of the Year had such diminished minutes has been up for debate. Gobert blamed a finger injury. French coach Vincent Collet said it was a matchup decision.

Now, as the team prepares for its semifinal matchup with Germany on Thursday, Gobert’s starting status for France is up in the air, and even Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green has chimed in on the debate.

While talking on his podcast, Green said that Gobert’s removal from the starting lineup was “crazy.”

“Rudy Gobert said he had surgery on his finger or something, France’s coach said he thought the matchups was an issue, so Rudy didn’t start because of the matchups,” Green said. “We don’t know what’s true, I don’t think we have any reason to believe Rudy’s lying, except for the coach saying it was for matchups…To be taken out of the lineup on any other team in the Olympics as an NBA player not named Team USA is kind of crazy.”

France advanced to the semifinals by pulling off an upset against a previously unbeaten Canadian team. The host country got out to a hot start and never looked back, even as Canada tried to mount a comeback. Guerschon Yabusele and Isaia Cordinier combined for 42 points to lead France to the win and set up a semifinal matchup against Germany.

The two stars of France’s team, Gobert and Victor Wembanyama, both had off nights. Wemby finished with just seven points and Gobert’s exclusion for most of the game was a head-scratcher at the moment. But after the game, Collet said he opted to bring Gobert off the bench due to matchups against the more athletic, smaller Canadian team. However, Gobert said that he sustained a finger injury in practice, and that played a part in him being limited in minutes.

“I have confidence in my teammates, the coaches,” Gobert said via  L’Equipe. “The plan worked, given how we started the match. There were several reasons why I didn’t play, between the matchups but also what can happen in training, with the injuries. It was a good decision in any case. It’s a great adjustment from the coach. I’m grateful to be here today. I was on the operating table last night. To be able to play in an Olympic quarterfinal, it was incredible.”

When asked about the severity of the finger injury, Gobert didn’t seem too concerned about it.

“It’s nothing serious, that’s all I can say,” he said.

Collet later said the injury wasn’t the reason Gobert was pulled from the starting lineup and played just three minutes.

“They play small ball. I wanted Wemby to start at five, that’s why I put Yabusele at four,” Collet said. “The other change was Isaia Cordinier for Evan Fournier because I wanted a defensive starting five.”

While Collet viewed it from a matchup perspective, he did factor the injury into how he used Gobert against Canada.

“Not only. It’s the main one,” Collet said. “He’s a good player. I know he has pain in his finger despite the surgeon saying he could play. He didn’t know exactly, but finally, this morning, he said, ‘I can play.’ My idea was to protect him if I could do it. I wanted to leave him on the bench. As it was working well with the other big men, I preferred to keep him on the bench. He will be ready for the next game.”

Gobert’s status for France’s semifinal matchup against Germany is unknown, but from Collet’s comments, it appears as though he’ll be fine to play on Thursday.