Cologne (SID) – Former national coach Dirk Bauermann does not see the absence of some NBA professionals around Dennis Schröder as a weakening for the German national team at the Olympic Games in Tokyo. “Basketball is not mathematics. It is not even said that the team would have even qualified with these players,” said the 63-year-old to Münchner Merkur and tz.
In Schröder, Maximilian Kleber, Daniel Theis and Isaiah Hartenstein, four professionals from North America are not available. Anyway, one should “only talk about the people who are there. And they do it really well,” says Bauermann: “What makes me happy for German basketball? It’s important to be there again after 13 years.”
After the opening defeat against Italy (82:92), Bauermann is optimistic before the groundbreaking second group game against Nigeria on Wednesday (3:00 a.m. CEST). “I believe that the German team, as the better team and with the better defense, is the favorite,” said the experienced coach. In the last group game against Australia, too, “a lot is possible with these qualities”.
