The World Cup Semi-Final: Germany vs. USA – Can Germany’s Basketball Team Pull Off an Upset?

The World Cup semi-final against Olympic champions USA is the most important international match for Germany’s basketball team in 18 years. But do Gordon Herbert’s protégés have a serious chance against the star ensemble with twelve NBA stars on Friday (2.40 p.m. / Magentasport)?

What speaks for Germany?

surprise factor

The USA completed the entire World Cup tournament with the whole squad, so Germany was able to prepare in a targeted manner. In the German team, key player Franz Wagner was missing in four of six games, which makes it difficult for the opponent. “We have a lot of video material from the last two years, so we know how good, how versatile Franz is. He played very well against Latvia, but we know him well and so do our players,” said US head coach Steve Kerr. Wagner should return to the starting lineup.

Presence among the baskets

The Olympic champion has his greatest weakness under the basket. Jaren Jackson Jr. is the only real center who keeps getting into foul problems. The USA clearly lost the rebound duel against both Lithuania (minus 16) and Montenegro (minus 18). Good for Germany: The Herbert team with Daniel Theis, Johannes Voigtmann, Moritz Wagner and Johannes Thiemann is particularly well positioned in the big positions.

Abu-Dhabi-Test

In the state-of-the-art Etihad Arena, the USA left the field as the winner with a score of 99:91, but Dennis Schröder and Co. were the toughest test for the star squad. The interaction between Schröder and Theis caused problems for the USA as well as the flexible Franz Wagner. The 16-point lead in the meantime indicates that the EM third place can pose huge problems for the USA.

What speaks for the USA?

Talentlevel

When it comes to talent, no one can fool the USA at this World Cup. Superstars like Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry or Jayson Tatum are not there, but the team of successful coach Kerr includes twelve NBA professionals and is put together harmoniously. Wingers Anthony Edwards and Mikal Bridges are the top scorers, with talent Paolo Banchero bringing energy and versatility off the bench. Three-point specialist Austin Reaves, who almost played for Germany because of his roots, is another guarantee.

Momentum

The 104:110 against Lithuania has long been over for the USA. Just two days later, Italy were beaten 100-63 in the quarterfinals, and the 40 minutes turned into a basketball show. “What helped them a lot was the loss to Lithuania. That was a wake-up call,” said national coach Herbert. Germany is still undefeated at the World Cup, but came from the weakest performance in the 81:79 against Latvia in the semifinals.

Dynamism and athleticism

Capture the ball and then move forward quickly: Fast attacking is the great strength of the US team. Coach Herbert said keeping the United States in the half-field and allowing as few rapid attacks as possible was a major key to success. For this, Schröder and Co. have to control the ball well. Too many German ball losses could quickly make the game one-sided.

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2023-09-08 02:58:00
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