Wembanyama and the defensive equation: France beats Sweden 79-69 thanks to a fourth-quarter explosion

The opening number: 24-15. That was the fourth-quarter score between France and Sweden in the FIBA World Cup 2027 qualifiers. Not the first 30 minutes, not Pelle Larsson's performance for the visitors – it was the final 10 minutes that decided everything. When I rewatched the footage, I realized something: France didn't win with talent, they won by solving their own defensive puzzle. Match context: France entered the game as group leaders with a 7-1 record, but without Rudy Gobert in the lineup. This was a rare occasion where their defense lacked its long-term anchor. Sweden, the lower-ranked team, led 24-20 after the first quarter. Larsson – a player selected by the Miami Heat in the NBA Draft – scored 23 points, a game-high. But basketball is a 40-minute game, and France understood that better than anyone. Core analysis: Victor Wembanyama finished with 18 points, 8 rebounds, 3 blocks, shooting 6/7 from the field. An 85.7% FG for a center is not normal – it reflects near-perfect shot selection. But what interests me more is how Wembanyama exploited FIBA rules: with no defensive three-seconds rule, he can stand in the paint as long as he wants. This turns him into a moving wall in front of the rim, and Sweden had no stretch-five to punish that positioning. Wembanyama's 3 blocks don't tell the full story – the number of times Sweden had to alter their attack when he was on the court is far more valuable. Contrarian angle: Sweden's first-half fairy tale was consumed and discarded – that's how I see it. Larsson scored 23 points, but most came in the first half. When France switched to a more aggressive defensive scheme in the fourth quarter, Sweden managed only 15 points. This reveals a structural problem: a team relying on one young star will always struggle when opponents adjust. But the bigger question lies with France: are they over-reliant on Wembanyama for rim protection? My 40-page plan was once drowned by a night rain, but I learned to swim – and France also needs to learn to swim when Wembanyama is absent. Takeaway: France didn't need Gobert to win this game, but they need a Plan B for their defense. Yabusele and Lessort are viable options, but no one has proven rim-protection ability at an equivalent level. As for Sweden, Larsson is a positive signal – but one swallow doesn't make a summer. The question is: can France maintain this stability against Spain or Germany – teams with far more disciplined offenses than Sweden? Mbappé scores goals, while I study my own mistakes – and France's mistake lies in the first 30 minutes, when they allowed the opponent to lead. That's what they need to fix before thinking about the 2027 World Cup.