By Antonis Stroggylakis / astroggylakis@eurohoops.net
Jakarta, Indonesia – The 2023 FIBA World Cup was probably one of the worst basketball experiences that center Moustapha Fall had in his career.
First, he didn’t expect that his French national team, a contender even to win the title, would be out of the competition so early, eliminated two games into the World Championship after the same number of losses to Canada and Latvia.
Then, there’s his playing time. Fall stepped on the floor for just three minutes in the blowout defeat to Canada in the World Cup opener and appeared for five minutes in the upset to Latvia that sealed and stamped the French national team’s “adieu” to the tournament.
“I didn’t [talk to the coach about the playing time],” Fall told Eurohoops right after the win of France over Ivory Coast that completed the World Cup for his team. He got to play 19 minutes in this match, as France big man Mathias Lessort was out to not take any risks with his ankle. “The coach makes his own decisions.”
Fall and France coach Vincent Collet had been seen having a couple of conversations during practices but apparently none of them was about the big man actually getting on the court and playing substantial minutes.
“We didn’t really talk about it,” Fall said. “We had some talks but nothing special. He makes his own decisions. He’s the coach, you have to respect that. He did what he has to do and that’s it.”
Fall looked bewildered while talking about the fact that he basically didn’t play at all in the games that truly mattered for France. And you can understand his confusion.
During the last two years with Olympiacos, Fall has established himself as a high-quality center in the EuroLeague stage and a very skilled big man who’s also one of the top passers in the continent in his position.
Last season, he averaged 7.2 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.1 assists over 22:02 minutes in EuroLeague as a starter for Olympiacos. He was often the primary receiver of the ball on offense and a hub of many of the team’s plays. Thanks to his ability to create for his teammates, set strong screens and distribute the ball around while also attacking the basket himself, he was an integral part of a very fluid, effective and beautiful to watch Olympiacos offense that was recognized as possibly the best in the competition even by opponents.
Of course, the French national team doesn’t run the systems of Olympiacos, doesn’t have the same type of players as Olympiacos and operates on completely different rules. The frontline of Les Bleus this season was packed too since it featured three centers: Rudy Gobert, Fall and Lessort.
Still, Fall went from a place like Olympiacos where he feels – and is – very important to another where he was barely considered.
When asked if that perhaps adds another chip on his shoulder ahead of the upcoming season with Olympiacos, Fall went on to explain why he leaves Jakarta for Piraeus, Greece with an even greater appreciation for what he’s been living with the Reds on all levels.
“All I can tell you is that… sometimes you take some stuff for granted,” Fall said to Eurohoops. “This situation I have with Olympiacos these last two years… it’s an amazing situation. Amazing coaching staff. Amazing fans. Amazing team. And I enjoy playing with them.”
“I realize these even more after this World Cup, “Fall added. I asked him if he can elaborate on why he feels that way.
“Because the situation wasn’t the best,” Fall answered. “We didn’t play good basketball. I didn’t even play. For sure when you have some bad time then you realize how lucky you can be for your situation.”
Fall simply can’t wait to rejoin Olympiacos, that has already began the training camp ahead of 2023-24.”I just want to go back to Olympiacos and start my season,” he said.
Speaking of Olympiaocs, there are two key changes on the team in comparison to last season: EuroLeague MVP Sasha Vezenkov left to sign his first NBA contract with the Sacramento Kings and star playmaker Kostas Sloukas turned down an offer to continue with the club, later joining archrival Panathinaikos Athens.
Some Olympiacos fans are worried that the team won’t be able to reach the last season’s standards – a campaign in which the team won every title there is to win in Greece and lost the EuroLeague title with a last-second shot by Real Madrid star Sergio Llull.
“Listen: I can’t read the future so I don’t know how is going to be,” Fall said on Olympiacos’ upcoming season “I know that we have for sure good players who left. And we are bringing some good new players. Everybody will have to step up because Sasha Vezenkov left and it’s a big absence. Everybody will have to do more. The fans are going to support us no matter what and give us what we need to exceed expectations.”
Fall isn’t the most expressive of players, especially when addressing the media. But his eyes gleamed and he looked excited when he began talking about two of Olympiacos’ new signings: Center Nikola Milutinov and forward Luke Sikma.
He loves both these acquisitions.
“Nikola is one of the best big men in Europe,” Fall said. “And Sikma is obviously the best passer in his position. By far. This is a guy who understands the game, who plays hard. He’s very tough. Has a high IQ. I think it’s going to be well. We’re just going to need to figure a new way of playing together because Sikma is a different player than Sasha [Vezenkov]. But we always find a way.”
In the meantime, Olympiacos’ archrival Panathinaikos Athens made a series of impressive transfers this offseason, under new coach Ergin Ataman. Apart from Sloukas, the Greens signed such players as forward Juancho Hernangomez from the NBA, guard Luca Vildoza and All-EuroLeague center Mathias Lessort, Fall’s friend and teammate with France.
Fall is intrigued by the challenge that Panathinaikos will pose next season and is expected to be far bigger than what Olympiacos faced in the previous two years he was on the team.
“[For the competition] of course it’s good because they are better,” Fall said. “This is what basketball is about. You want a high quality derby for the fans, for us, for the competition. As a competitor you want to play the best team. If they got better, that’s good. We are pretty solid from the last two years. You know, some things are not forever. Sometimes things change. But we’re going to do our best to still be the best team.”