Disrupted Series: Initial Made-to-Measure Dampers for Germany's Basketball Players
In the lead-up to EuroBasket 2025, Germany's basketball team has shown promising signs, having won their first three warm-up games against Slovenia (twice) and Türkiye. However, the road to the tournament hasn't been entirely smooth.
The Supercup final against Serbia, held at Munich's SAP Garden, saw Germany suffer a defeat with a score of 81:91. Despite the loss, the game provided an opportunity to test themselves against tougher competition, a year after the World Cup bronze medal game and two years after the World Cup final.
Germany's roster is a blend of NBA talent, such as captain Dennis Schröder, Franz Wagner, and Tristan da Silva, and strong EuroLeague players. Schröder scored 12 points in the Supercup final, while Wagner and da Silva contributed 14 and 11 points, respectively.
However, the team has faced some setbacks. Key players like Isaiah Hartenstein (Achilles injury) and Moritz Wagner (ACL recovery) are out due to injuries, affecting the team's depth in the frontcourt. Moreover, the national coach Alex Mumbru has yet to field his full squad in any of the four test games so far.
Mumbru will need to pay close attention to the fitness and health of his professionals when reducing the squad from 15 to 12 players before the tournament starts. This is especially true for players like NBA youngster Franz Wagner, who is still struggling with his shot, and Maodo Lo and Johannes Voigtmann, who haven't found their rhythm after injuries and virus infections.
Germany is placed in Group B in Tampere and will face Montenegro, Sweden, Lithuania, Great Britain, and host Finland as part of their EuroBasket 2025 group stage. The upcoming test matches against European champions Spain are on the schedule, with the first game to be played in Madrid on Thursday and the return match in Cologne on Saturday.
Despite the challenges, Germany's progress in preparation for EuroBasket 2025 has been impressive. Franz Wagner, the MVP of the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup, has been notably impactful, leading the victory against a Doncic-led Slovenia with 18 points on 7-for-10 shooting in 17 minutes. Dennis Schröder, despite some unavailable games early in prep, remains the team's captain and central figure.
As the tournament approaches, Germany will aim to overcome the challenges and build on their progress, with the ultimate goal of making a strong showing at EuroBasket 2025.
[1] EuroBasket 2025: Germany's Group Stage Draw and Schedule [2] Germany's EuroBasket 2025 Preparation Affected by Coach's Hospitalization [3] Germany's EuroBasket 2025 Roster: Strengths and Weaknesses [4] Germany vs Serbia: Supercup Final Recap [5] Germany's Impressive Warm-up Wins: A Look at Individual Performances
