"German engineering" surprises competition
The start of Germany's basketball team in the Olympic tournament in Lille against Japan was a bit rocky, perhaps also due to the long opening ceremony in Paris the night before. Nevertheless, the team showed good approaches, but also still had weaknesses.
"Your team is very good. It's hard to stop them. That German engineering, man! They're very methodical. We know exactly what they're running, and we still can't stop it." Japan's national coach Tom Hovasse was left shaking his head after his team's opening match against the reigning basketball world champions.
Thanks to a very dominant 97:77 victory in the end, the DBB team successfully started its mission "first Olympic medal for basketball Germany". Although the class difference against the 26th ranked team in the world only became apparent gradually, the team of national coach Gordon Herbert established a dominance that ultimately led to the second blowout victory within eight days. The Germans had already defeated Japan by 21 points (104:83) in Berlin on July 19 during their preparation.
"We had a few good weeks of preparation," says NBA pro Daniel Theis. "We knew it would be a tough game. Japan never gave up, even when they were down by 15. We knew we couldn't relax and save energy because they play 40 minutes." It was the ninth consecutive tournament victory for Herbert's team, and the 16th out of the last 18 games in an international competition. Japan was also the opening opponent at the sensational World Cup triumph last year. A good omen on the way to another podium place?
Slowly finding the groove, immediately routine in attack
Germany took an early lead thanks to flag bearer Dennis Schröder in the very first attack and maintained it for the full 40 minutes. This was of course due to the quality of the opponent, but it also speaks for the mental strength and concentration of the German team, which did not make any mistakes. Japan did find its shooting rhythm after a few initial missteps and made five three-pointers in the opening quarter - also because the Germans were still lacking coordination and intensity in defense. But a good horse only jumps as high as it has to.
"It's so cool to play in the Olympics," summarized Moritz Wagner after his first appearance. "You understand what it means to people. It's just one of the highlights of your career, an honor to be part of it. Today wasn't always easy, the first game of a tournament is always hard. I'm happy we won, and we took something away from today again."
The German team's routine and individual quality came to the fore in attack. A healthy mix of isolations, spot-ups, transition opportunities, and pick and rolls kept the offensive engine running. As long as Schröder (13 points, 12 assists) or the unstoppable Franz Wagner (22 points) initiated the attacks, good things happened. The duo attacked 16 times from isolation or as the ball handler in pick and roll situations, and scored an incredible 1.25 points per possession - a total of 20 points.
Big, deep, precise: Class difference clear
The longer the game went on, the more the versatility, depth, and precision of the world champions asserted themselves. Japan ran out of answers - even though Germany's defense was still far from the quality it can produce and had demonstrated impressively during preparation. "Their bench is deep. Daniel Theis goes out, and Mo Wagner comes in. That's tough as an opponent. And Franz, you can't stop him, neither in the NBA nor here," Hovasse said after the game, asking for understanding.
That the DBB, thanks to the Wagner brothers Franz and Moritz, thanks to Daniel Theis, and the two Johannes' (Voigtmann and Thiemann), is fielding one of the best frontcourts in the world is well-known. The Germans dominated both points in the paint (46:20) and bench points (38:7) clearly.
Daniel Theis scored 18 points and 7 rebounds, with perfect 7/7 from the field and 2/2 from the free-throw line. The last time a player achieved at least 18 points with perfect shooting was in 2008 (NBA star Dwyane Wade). Kevin Durant from Team USA narrowly missed a perfect game, missing his ninth and final shot (23 points, 8/9 FG). Moritz Wagner contributed in typical Dynamo fashion with 15 points and 5 rebounds in 18 minutes off the bench.
Even without much production from the backcourt, the Germans sliced through their opponents for a hefty 1.20 points per possession. It was Germany's second-highest scoring game in Olympic history. In Tokyo three years ago, the DBB team scored 99 points against Nigeria. One of the main reasons was the nearly flawless execution on offense. Directed by a brutally efficient playmaker Schröder (12 assists with only one turnover), Herbert's team committed only five turnovers with 24 assists. In comparison, none of the other 11 nations had fewer than 12 turnovers on the first day.
Playing like a top team - with room for improvement
However, it wasn't all gold that glistened last year. There's still plenty of room for improvement, especially on defense. Everyone knows the quality is absolute world-class on both ends, which brings extra motivation - especially for the opponents. "After the World Cup, it feels like we have a target on our backs," says Theis. "Everyone wants to beat the world champions. But I think one of our great strengths is that we never underestimate an opponent. We don't take anyone lightly."
The team plays again in Lille the same evening. The second group game is against Brazil (9 pm). In the final game of Group B, it could be against hosts France for the group win on Friday (also 9 pm). The French also had initial problems in defense in their 78:66 win against Brazil. The South Americans started with an offensive barrage and led 23:15 after the first quarter, before the French, led by wonderkid Victor Wembanyama, gradually took control and secured a comfortable win.
"This is the biggest tournament in the world. So many good players, so much incredible talent here," explains captain Schröder, who also emphasizes: "But we know exactly what we can do. So we take one game at a time, stay together as a team, enjoy it, and try to get the win. We think game by game. I'm so grateful for these teammates."
The most star-studded tournament ever
This Olympic field is more star-studded than any before. The top teams are very close together and showed up in great shape on the first day. Canada beat Greece, Australia won against Spain, Germany and France won convincingly. Leading the way are the heavily favored Americans, who brutally dominated the highly-rated Serbs. The eight quarterfinalists will move to Paris after the group stage in Lille to determine the winner.
"It's a new summer, a new challenge for us," says Franz Wagner. "Of course, we dream of a medal. That's also realistic, but not a topic right now. Until then, we still have a lot to do. And we start with that against Brazil."
- Despite the success of Germany's basketball team in their Olympic tournament match against Japan, NBA player Daniel Theis acknowledges that they can't underestimate any opponent, even as the reigning world champions.
- The strength and talent in this year's Olympic basketball tournament are unmatched, as evidenced by the dominant performances of top teams like Germany, France, and the heavily favored Americans.
