Guerschon Iabusele, “Hold Me Bear” • Basketball USA

EuroBasket – The best French player in the competition, Real Madrid forward Vincent Collet compares him to Charles Barkley. He is, above all, a kind of powerful progressive in danger of disappearing.

« Gershon is the European Charles Barkley“. This is what Vincent Colle said to Canal+ after the victory against Poland and another great performance from his interior, the author of 22 points in 23 minutes. This comparison amuses me because that’s exactly what I said to Dimitri (Kučarčik) during the semi-final. At the start, I explain to him that playing with the right forward changes a lot in Blues basketball.

Dimitri answers me that recently there were Florent Pietrus and Boris Diav. It is true that both were essential elements, like Jim Bilbo or Thierry Gadou before them. but for me, Guerschon Yabusele is in the category, and that’s where I took the image of Charles Barkley. Mind you, I don’t think the Real Madrid player is European Barkley. On the other hand, through his attacking qualities and physical structure, he has, in my opinion, a unique profile in French basketball.

He, like Barkley, is a small, strong and tense striker. He is the perfect complement to Rudy Gobert because he is tough on offense. More than Flo Pietrus who, like Bilbo, was first and foremost a defender, and more than Diao who for me was first and foremost a creator. Yabusele’s strength is that he is effective near the circle as well as from distance, both on set pieces and on the counter. There is a possible technical comparison with Barkley, and the truth is that it is a rare profile in Europe.

“I told him from the beginning that I don’t want to see him just behind the 3-point line, to use all the qualities that he has, and there are many” Collet explained on Friday. “He has to move, he has to set up, he has to drive, and of course sometimes he gets behind the line.”“.

What Collett doesn’t want is for Jabusele to behave like today’s shifty strikers. For ten years we only see that. They’re 2’05-2’10, and shoot a half-dozen 3-pointers, and shoot fewer and fewer. Who else goes in the round, shoulder first?

In fact, Yabusele is a “small” invader, an endangered species. Even in the NBA, they are becoming rarer. Draymond Green falls into this category. His former teammate Eric Paschal as well. But both are not power forwards, capable of putting opponents in or regularly punishing three-pointers. In the end, Barkley’s only true heir in the NBA is Zion Williamson. Exceptional build, exceptional hands and rare tone. “Flying bear”, the nickname of our national Yabusela.