At only 21 years old, Theo Maledon has already two NBA seasons in the legs but it is indeed his first summer in Blue, in any case, with the Bigs.
With his 11 selections, the striking leader of the Blues is not yet certain to be part of the final squad which will fly to Germany for the next EuroBasket. But, as in Oklahoma, he accumulates a maximum of experience…
How would you define your role in the France team?
“I have to find a happy medium [entre l’agressivité et la passivité], while bringing my own game and my qualities. After that, you have to do it on both sides of the field. But basically, I want to bring everything that can help the team go in the right direction. »
You will face the Czech Republic tomorrow, what is your state of mind knowing that this match no longer counts for butter but for qualifying for the next World Cup?
“Friendly matches are good but it’s still friendly matches. These games at stake and the Euro behind, it is necessarily an exciting challenge. It brings up a real issue. Each match is a particular challenge. In the NBA, this is already the case. We will find it [à l’Euro] but there is also the challenge of qualifying in a group that is not easy. We already have these two games to continue to progress and to ease the road to qualifying for the World Cup. »
“There is a lot of communication in the franchise. They make sure you keep your spirits up and stay positive”
You made the elevator between the NBA and the G-League this season in Oklahoma City, and you now have another role in Blue, isn’t it difficult to juggle like that?
“Of course it is very different. In the G-League, for example, I always have the ball in my hands. In the NBA, especially at the start of the season, I didn’t have it much. It changed in the end [de saison]. In the France team, I come off the bench. They are full of different roles but it allows you to accumulate experience. And then, basically, it is above all a question of knowing how you can bring to the team as soon as you have the opportunity to be on the field. »
What is your level of communication on this unequal playing time which has been your lot this season? Have you been able to talk about it with Coach Mark Daigneault, or his staff?
“Generally, they explain to me [leur choix]. There’s a lot of communication in the franchise. They make sure you keep your spirits up and stay positive so that when the opportunity [de jouer] happens, you can make the best of it. »
What is the long-term plan for the Thunder from the inside? We feel that it is progressing but it still seems too short to go to the playoffs…
“The franchise does not necessarily tell us about it. Decisions are made by the front office and we, the players, seek to assert ourselves and progress from match to match. Each franchise has its own way of doing things. The Thunder are on the right track to rebuild. They tell us all the time: we want to progress but not just anyhow, we have to do it the right way. »
Can you explain to us how it was decided for you to spend a summer without the French team last summer, then a summer in Blue this year: who decides in the end?
“Basically, after my rookie season, they made me understand that it was important that I stay there, because it was the Covid season and we hadn’t had time to prepare after the Draft and work. Since the Thunder put a lot of emphasis on good habits and progression, [je suis resté aux Etats-Unis]. But this year, we discussed again and the front office gave me the green light directly, since I was there the previous summer to show how I work. They could trust me on my working methods. They know that I work well and that I continue to progress. »
“In the end, it was like I was doing another rookie year”
After a great rookie season, we felt you had more difficulty confirming this year. With less playing time, and an ever-changing rotation, have you managed to find your balance?
“It was a different year, I spoke about it with the coach. He told me that in the end, it was as if I was doing another rookie year, that there were going to be new things to learn and discover. At first, I had a little trouble adapting and it made my situation worse, let’s say. But, after my time in the G-League where I performed well, the second half of the season was better. Even if I came off the bench, I was able to be productive and at the end of the season, I had more playing time and I managed to prove my level. It was encouraging and it allowed me to discover a lot of different game situations, to gain experience and above all to understand well what I can do to bring to the team as soon as I come into play. the role, no matter the minutes, you have to know how to bring to the team and I learned those little details that can keep you on the pitch. And so on… “
We know that the competition is fierce for your position, with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as an unstoppable starter then Josh Giddey, Tre Mann and even Aaron Wiggins, how do you think you will find your place?
“Even in previous years, there have been injuries which have meant that some important players have not been able to be available. But despite that, they instilled this work ethic in us. No matter what happens, as a player you have to be ready to play, you have to be professional, you have to be able to seize those opportunities. This mentality is present in all the players, from the first to the fifteenth, even 17th if you count all the players in the squad. Often, when we lost 20 or 30 points at halftime, the coaches told us that it would be like that in the playoffs. They try to prepare us for these situations [à fort enjeu], to these scenarios. We have these values since the beginning that I am [à OKC] and I think it will help us in the future. »
Can we talk about a click this season for the Thunder: with Chet Holmgren’s Draft and a workforce that is resolutely starting to take shape around SGA, Giddey and Holmgren?
“Uh [longue hésitation]…I would say yes. Building the team and not skipping steps is something decision makers really care about. We are still in the right direction, we keep moving forward. There are even more ambitions this year and in the years to come. »
Interview in Paris
| Theo Maledon | Percentage | Bounces | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saison | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | LF | Off | Def | Until | Pd | Fte | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2020-21 | OKC | 65 | 27 | 36.8 | 33.5 | 74.8 | 0.4 | 2.9 | 3.3 | 3.5 | 1.9 | 0.9 | 2.2 | 0.2 | 10.1 |
| 2021-22 | OKC | 51 | 18 | 37.5 | 29.3 | 79.0 | 0.4 | 2.2 | 2.6 | 2.2 | 1.3 | 0.6 | 1.3 | 0.2 | 7.1 |
| Total | 116 | 23 | 37.1 | 32.2 | 76.6 | 0.4 | 2.6 | 3.0 | 2.9 | 1.7 | 0.8 | 1.8 | 0.2 | 8.8 | |
