New week, new overview on the French side. Alexandre Sarr continues to pile up solid content with the Wizards and Nolan Traoré is increasingly finding his rhythm. Behind it, it takes a while, it takes rebounds, and it deals with the ailments.
Victor Wembanyama keeps control… even when things are less watery
The week of Wemby is the perfect image of the player who is already too strong for the majority of defenses, but who can also put himself in trouble when the sights go wrong. On the one hand, a huge card against Jazz with 7 three-point shots, rhythm, volume, and this feeling that as soon as it ignites, the match changes. On the other, a much more complicated evening against Houston, where he forced himself, persisted, and ended up with an ugly 0/7 from the parking lot.
But overall? Even with this roller coaster, he turns in a quiet double-double, he counters, he cleans everything that is lying around in the racket… and San Antonio still lives to the rhythm of its Alien.
Victor Wembanyama 33 PTS, 10 REB, 2 STL, 2 BLK, 10/18 FG, 7/12 3FG, 79.9% TS vs Jazz https://t.co/81cl6V2quy pic.twitter.com/fSC64yynrg
— Basketball Performances (@NBAPerformances) January 20, 2026
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Week report (4 matches): 22.3 points at 43.5% shooting, 36.1% from parking and 80% shooting, 12.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 2.8 blocks
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Best match vs Jazz: 33 pts at 10/18 shooting including 7/12 from distance, 6/6 on shots, 10 rebounds, 2 interceptions and 2 blocks in 35 minutes
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Worst match against Rockets: 14 pts at 5/21 shooting including 0/7 from distance, 4/4 on shots, 10 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 interception in 26 minutes
We will also remember an important event this week: our national Wemby became the first French player in history to be elected an All-Star Game starter. Yeah just that yeah.
Victor Wembanyama becomes the first French player in NBA history to start the All-Star Game! 🇫🇷
At 22, in his third season in the NBA. This is a majuscule feat. 👏 pic.twitter.com/PDIypM7pi7
— TrashTalk (@TrashTalk_fr) January 19, 2026
Alexandre Sarr confirms: the level is there, every evening
At the Wizards, Alexandre Sarr continues to do what is expected of him: be useful everywhere. He connects sequences where he protects the circle, where he cuts at the right time, where he gives one more pass, where he remains active without the ball.
And this week, there is some big scoring: 28 against the Clippers, then 24 in Charlotte, with an overall efficiency of its own and above all a presence that does not weaken. Even his worst game against Denver remained a serious player’s game: rebounds, creation, and impact on both ends of the court.
Alex Sarr 28/6/2/2s/1b +11 on 52/40/100 splits vs LAC pic.twitter.com/fu0ehNCFkK
— I spoke January 19, 2026
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Week report (3 matches): 22.3 points at 51% shooting, 33.3% from parking and 92.3% from shots, 6 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1 block, 1.3 steals
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Best match vs. Clippers: 28 pts at 10/19 shooting including 2/5 from distance, 6/6 on shots, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 interceptions in 31 minutes
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Worst match vs. Nuggets: 15 pts at 5/13 shooting including 0/1 from the parking lot, 5/6 on shots, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 interception and 1 block in 35 minutes
Noah Penda and Moussa Diabaté…
You don’t need 30 minutes to exist: Noah Penda understands that. Two matches, two different roles, but a real ability to bring something quickly.
It’s still irregular, but as soon as he’s on the pitch, there’s an intention: defend, run, cut, and play simple.
Noah Penda 🐼
13 POINTS (5-6 FG)
2 REB
4 AST
2 STL
1 BLK pic.twitter.com/wsuZS1T6iW
— NBA France (@NBAFRANCE) January 23, 2026
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Week report (2 matches): 8 points, 2.5 rebounds, 2 assists, 1.5 steals
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Best game vs. Hornets: 13 pts at 5/6 shooting including 2/2 from distance, 1/2 from shots, 2 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 block and 2 interceptions in 19 minutes.
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Worst match against Cavaliers: 3 pts to 1/4 on shooting including 0/2 from the parking lot, 1/2 on shots, 3 rebounds and 1 interception in 16 minutes.
The Frenchman who put the biggest stamp on the racket this week is still Moussa Diabaté. His double-double against Washington (11 points, 14 rebounds) says it all: activity, presence, scratching, and this ability to exist without a system for him. It’s not always pretty, but it’s often effective.
- Week report (3 matches): 8.3 points at 87.5% shooting, and 64.7% shooting, 7.7 rebounds, 0.3 assists, 1.3 blocks.
- Best match vs Wizards: 11 pts at 2/3 shooting, 7/8 shooting, 14 rebounds, 1 interception in 32 minutes.
- Worst match against Cavaliers: 4 pts at 1/1 shooting, 2/6 shooting, 5 rebounds and 3 blocks in 29 minutes.
Rudy Gobert
We’re not in a 20-point week, but Rudy Gobert still left his mark where he matters most: in deterrence. His reference match was at Utah: 11 points at 5/5 shooting, 10 rebounds, 2 interceptions and 4 blocks, the “you can try, but you’ll feel it” version. He also had a clean double-double against the Bulls (10 points, 11 rebounds, 2 blocks) before experiencing a much more complicated weekend in the collective slap against Golden State (4 points, 5 rebounds), not helped by a very difficult context. In short: the defensive impact is still there, but when Minnesota goes into a tailspin, it also shows on its line.
- Week report (3 matches): 8.3 points at 76.9% shooting and 50.0% shooting, 8.7 rebounds, 0.7 assists, 1 interception, 2 blocks.
- Best match @ Jazz: 11 pts at 5/5 shooting, 1/5 shooting, 10 rebounds, 2 interceptions and 4 blocks in 29 minutes.
- Worst match vs Warriors: 4 pts at 2/3 shooting, 5 rebounds in 24 minutes.
Update on rookies Maxime Raynaud and Nolan Traoré
Maxime Raynaud is going through a well-known period among young thumbs: the Rookie Wall. It’s that time of the season where organizations start to take the NBA mileage, and for young players it’s sometimes difficult to take. This is not alarming though, as said previously, it is an almost ritual step among rookies and there is no doubt that Mad Max will bounce back, but the decline is there, it is felt, and we must talk about it. Add to this that Domantas Sabonis also returned to the rotation, first off the bench then as a starter (in his place). Courage Maxime, it will do it!
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Week report (4 matches): 4.3 points, 5 rebounds and 0.5 assists
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Best game vs Raptors: 8 pts at 3/7 shooting, 2/2 shooting, 7 rebounds and 2 assists in 22 minutes.
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Worst match @ Pistons: 2 pts at 1/6 shooting including 0/3 from the parking lot, 4 rebounds and 1 block in 22 minutes.
Nolan Traorehe experienced the opposite effect. In a complicated start to the season, the young leader of the Nets is gradually starting to find his rhythm. The consistency is not there yet but this kind of performance (21 points against the Celtics) counts in a rookie season: you set a benchmark, you show that you can do it. Having been ill since then, the former Saint-Quentin leader will want to confirm in the next matches.
Nolan Traoré 21 PTS, 3 REB, 2 AST, 2 STL, 7/13 FG, 2/4 3FG, 67.1% TS vs Celtics https://t.co/r9c4zdubxQ pic.twitter.com/OPhj4qY25r
— Basketball Performances (@NBAPerformances) January 24, 2026
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Nolan Traoré (3 matches): 10,3 points et 2,3 passes
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Best game vs Celtics: 21 pts at 7/16 shooting including 2/5 from distance, 5/7 on shots, 3 rebounds and 2 assists in 46 minutes
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Worst match against Knicks: 0 pt to 0/1 shooting, 2 rebounds and 3 assists in 10 minutes
Tidjane Salaün a forme, Portland a fashion discreet
At the same time, Tidjane Salaün had a little evening which felt good: 13 points and a 3/3 behind the arc against Orlando, in 18 minutes, just to remind us that he can light up when we let him breathe.
And on the Portland side, it’s calmer: Rayan Rupert is in difficulty during the week and Sidy Cissoko alternates but keeps minutes.
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Tidjane Salün (1 match) : 13 points at 4/7 shooting including 3/3 from distance, 5 rebounds
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Rayan Rupert (2 matches): 0,0 point, 1,0 rebond, 1,5 interception
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Sidy Cissoko (2 matchs) : 4.5 points, 3.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists
Meanwhile, on the Knicks side, it’s still life in the gaps: Guerschon Yabusele – in the transfer rumors – had a mini stint against Brooklyn (11 minutes, 2 points), Dadiet almost doesn’t exist, and Mohamed Diawara is out of the rotation again now that the injured have returned…
Infirmary and incomplete week
Because the results are also this: some French people are living another week in slow motion, or completely at a standstill.
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Bilal Coulibaly continues to treat his back injury.
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Zaccharie Risacher remains absent, with prolonged unavailability linked to a bone contusion in the knee. Some positive signs however, which could lead to a potential return more quickly than its colleague.
