The Olympic men’s basketball tournament kicks off on July 27 with a match between Germany and Japan. This German basketball team retains the core from last year’s World Cup champions, featuring players like Dennis Schroder, Taddeus, and Wagner as their absolute leaders. In their pre-tournament matches, they have performed commendably, matching up closely against France and easily defeating the Netherlands and Japan. They notably lost to the United States by just four points.
The German team is placed in the top three by FIBA, and if Dennis Schroder can replicate his performance from the World Cup, along with the team’s relentless pursuit of rebounds and intense defense, it significantly increases their chances of advancing through the group stage.
Their opening game against the Asian team, Japan, is one that Germany needs to secure. In a recent friendly match, Germany triumphed over Japan with a score of 104-83, shooting 12 out of 24 from three-point range (50% accuracy). Franz Wagner scored the highest with 27 points, essentially settling the outcome within three quarters. Rui Hachimura, despite scoring 19 points, was unable to turn the tide for his team.
Revisiting their matchup six days later, even if Japan has made ample preparations, overcoming Germany will be a significant challenge, requiring not only peak offensive play but also a dip in form from the German team itself.
This Japanese team is billed as the strongest ever assembled, centered around Rui Hachimura and Yuta Watanabe. They pushed Australia to a draw in their warm-up games, rekindling interest in Japan’s prospects at the Olympics. However, they lost heavily to Serbia and Germany in European warm-up games. The strategy of the Japanese coach, which involves testing lineups, will undoubtedly attract attention regarding how they challenge the German team in the main tournament.
Japan shares the same group with Germany, France, and Brazil, aiming for a third-place finish in the group stage to secure a spot in the next round. For Japan, it’s crucial to minimize the gap regardless of whether they manage to achieve a comeback.
The German squad includes: Isaac Bonga, Oscar Da Silva, Niels Giffi, Mado Lo, Andreas Obst, Dennis Schroder, Daniel Theis, Johannes Timann, Johannes Vogtman, Franz Wagner, Moritz Wagner, Nick Weiler-Babb
The Japanese squad includes: Rui Hachimura, Yuta Watanabe, Yuki Gyoei, Ryuma Watanabe, Tibus Hay, Yuto Fujita, Yuki Hirose, Yutaro Yamada, Keiji Fujimoto, Shunsuke Ichijo, Jacobson Shinji, and naturalized player Hoisington.
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