Maxime Raynaud will have the opportunity to help the France national team in the World Cup qualifiers on Thursday against Slovenia and Sunday against Sweden.
Superstar Luka Dončic will not play for Slovenia in the World Cup qualifiers, as he wanted to focus on recovering from a Grade 2 hamstring injury before the playoffs. Ziga Samar has stepped up, averaging 13.7 points and 5.2 assists.
Pelle Larsson is leading Sweden, averaging 25 points per game, ranked fourth in the World Cup qualifiers. Larsson had a breakout season with the Miami Heat in his second season, starting 54 out of his 70 games and averaging 11.4 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.4 assists.
Raynaud got early action in France's loss to Nikola Jokić and Serbia on Aug. 20. He posted four points and three rebounds in 12 minutes off the bench.
The 7-foot-1 Frenchman is part of a towering big man rotation featuring Victor Wembanyama and Rudy Gobert. He has a courtside seat watching those two protect the rim, which is an aspect of his game that needs improvement.
There were some encouraging signs in his rookie season, as he finished tied for eighth in blocks (39) with VJ Edgecombe. Sharpening his instincts and timing is the key to becoming a solid shot blocker, and he gets to learn from Wembanyama and Gobert during the World Cup qualifiers.
The Sacramento Kings played drop coverage when he was on the court. Raynaud saw guards attack him downhill, and sometimes blocked shots after absorbing the initial contact. In those scenarios, the second-round pick needs to keep his hands up and eyes on the ball to time his blocks.
Raynaud also needs to show shooting improvement. He shot 32.4% from beyond the arc on one attempt per game.
The second-year center's shooting stroke looked better in the Las Vegas Summer League. Raynaud nailed two threes in his 20-point, 12-rebound double-double performance in Sacramento's blowout loss against the Washington Wizards.
Raynaud gets to experience high-level games for a bigger purpose. France did not advance past Group H, but has a better chance now with a stronger roster full of NBA players.
Group H featured Canada, Latvia and Lebanon. It finished third in the group with a 1-2 record.
Raynaud has an extra opportunity to continue sharpening his skill set at the World Cup qualifying stage. He's a crucial part of the Kings' success next season during a rebuilding era.
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