Medal the declared goal
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So are the German chances at the basketball championship
Düsseldorf National coach Gordon Herbert thinks big in relation to the upcoming European Basketball Championship. A medal is the declared goal. In fact, a lot seems possible for the DBB selection – especially with regard to the home advantage. However, the short-term absence of Moritz Wagner hit the team hard.
The anticipation of the European Championships in their own country is great. And so are the expectations of the German national basketball team. Rightly so. Because the conditions are right.
Just looking at the squad fuels hope that a lot is possible for the selection of the German Basketball Association (DBB). The willingness of the best players to take part in a major tournament was greater than it had been for a long time. The squad is led by Dennis Schröder. The point guard can now show the experience of 621 NBA games and has developed into a real leader. The 28-year-old wants to lead the way at the European Championships and “tear the team along”.
After the short-term absence of Moritz Wagner, which national coach Gordon Herbert described as a “hard blow for us and especially for himself”, Schröder now has two more NBA champions, Daniel Theis (future Indiana Pacers) and Franz Wagner (Orlando Magic). professionals to the contingent.
The bursting of Moritz Wagner’s EM dream, who after Isaac Bonga, Maximilian Kleber and Isaiah Hartenstein is the fourth NBA professional that the German team has to do without, puts even more focus on Franz Wagner.
After a strong first season, the 20-year-old is in the best league in the world. The 20-year-old is one of the great hopes of the German team. The small forward played 79 games for Orlando, averaging 15.2 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.9 assists. Wagner, who can play several positions, should now bring this versatility to the German team.
In addition, there are a number of players such as Robin Benzing (165 internationals), Maodo Lo (87 internationals) and Johannes Voigtmann (78 internationals), who are often in the second row in public, but whose sporting value for the team is beyond question .
Despite so much individual quality, which has probably never been seen before in the German team, Germany is not one of the top favourites. But you are always self-confident enough to cause a surprise or even play for the medals – and that is also the declared goal. “We don’t need to hide from any team in Europe. The goal at the European Championships is a medal, we want to be on the podium,” said national coach Herbert at the start of preparations for the European Championships in Cologne. In view of the great potential, this is a “very realistic goal.” Wagner is also thinking big with a view to the highlight of the final round in Berlin. The chance of a medal is absolutely there. “I definitely think that’s realistic,” said Wagner. In principle, of course, every athlete always wants to “get the best out of it”.
Everything you need to know about the European Basketball Championships can be found in our live blog
Schröder was a little more cautious when making a forecast. The longtime NBA professional knows from his own experience that a lot has to fit in such a tournament. At the 2019 World Cup in China, the German selection for the playmaker was badly disappointed despite the top cast. The squad is also very good in 2022, “but that has nothing to do with the fact that we play well together as a team,” said the 28-year-old in the EuroBasket special issue of the specialist magazine “BIG – Basketball in Germany”.
Schröder therefore initially wanted to “think game by game”. Of course, if a medal jumps out of it at the end, he wouldn’t resist: “If we could do it, it would be really crazy – quite crazy.”
The complete schedule and all results of the European Basketball Championship can be found here at a glance.
First, the Germans have to hold their ground in Cologne, where the selection plays their preliminary round matches, but in a difficult group with defending champions Slovenia, Lithuania and France, who will be the opponents on the opening day of the European Championship. There are also games against Bosnia and Herzegovina and Hungary, against which the DBB team cannot afford any major mistakes. The top four teams in each group advance to the knockout phase, which is played in Berlin. “We’re looking forward to the challenge,” said Franz Wagner.
In the fight for the first medal since 2005, the fans and their enthusiasm should also play a decisive role. At some point during the preliminary round games in Cologne or at the latest in the final round in Berlin, the wave that the team can carry must arise. “We expect a lot from the fans, we need them,” said Schröder. Johannes Voigtmann hopes that the team can “maneuver into a kind of euphoria with as many fans as possible behind them”. Wagner also knows that the spectators can help “extremely”, but he initially sees the team’s duty to go ahead with good performances. Here you can see the EM games
In 2015, when the last European Championship games were held in Germany, Wagner experienced for himself what it was like to sit in the stands in Berlin. “I was in the arena as a fan, the atmosphere was extremely blatant,” said Wagner. Seven years ago, the DBB selection failed in the preliminary round. This time it should go much further.
Here is the photo gallery: This is the provisional German EM squad