Dennis Schroder and Franz Wagner did their part but it was undoubtedly a Daniel Theis day in Tampere. The Germany big man was in exceptional form at both ends as his side beat Lithuania at EuroBasket 2025.
Daniel Theis loves a challenge. That can go unnoticed, given the ferocious competitive natures of his colleagues Dennis Schroder and Franz Wagner. Still, much like the semi-final of the 2023 FIBA World Cup, Theis loves when the national team is counting on him. With Germany facing Lithuania and Jonas Valanciunas at EuroBasket, DT stood tall and shot the lights out.
Shut down JV
The German strategy with Jonas Valanciunas was clear from the off. Frustrate him and close him off. Daniel Theis did a fine job in that regard but he had ample help alongside him. Having been Lithuania’s dominant force through the first two games of Eurobasket 2025, he was irrelevant in the opening 20 minutes.
Valanciunas managed just 5 points on 3 shots along with 2 rebounds. He also committed 2 turnovers and 3 fouls in the process. The bullying and harrying of the Sacramento Kings big man delivered for Deutschland.
The third foul came with over 7 minutes left in the half. Valanciunas was forced to sit for the remainder. Germany weren’t able to do much to take advantage in the remainder of the half. That was thanks largely to the heroics of Tadas Sedekerskis. Still, the Germans had forced an awful lot of effort from Lithuania and that was key to the strategy.
The focal points
Of Germany’s 38 shots in the first half, 27 of them came from the trio of Franz Wagner (12), Dennis Schroder (9), and Daniel Theis (6). It was Theis who was the most impressive, with perfect shooting for the half including a pair of threes.
The big man was getting it done on both ends. Oddly he had more difficulty after Jonas Valanciunas was forced to sit. This was probably because Theis was clearly assigned as the lead defender on Valanciunas for most of the game, occasionally in help. With JV off the floor, Theis had to adapt somewhat.
Franz Wagner’s shooting wasn’t ideal but it also wasn’t terrible. His volume was at least frustrating Lithuania throughout. Then came Dennis Schroder, who was in fine shooting form but was also brilliantly selective with his passing.
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Yet another big third quarter for Germany
Stop me if you’ve heard this before. Germany were in charge at the half and then ended it in the third quarter. Daniel Theis, yet again, was to the fore on both ends. Dennis Schroder and Franz Wagner topped things up but it was more than just the core trio.
Andreas Obst, who is an absolute sniper at this level, and Johannes Thiemann upped the tempo with their scoring contributions. Germany cycled the rotations harder and faster in the third, wearing down an already tired Lithuania team.
Strategically, this team is a joy to watch. Anyone can see what Germany plan to do in every EuroBasket 2025 game. There’s a clear idea of how they want the match-ups to evolve. The problem for everyone so far is doing anything about it. Lithuania knew they’d go after Jonas Valanciunas yet they couldn’t find a way to even mildly hinder that plan.
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While Franz Wagner and Dennis Schroder normally grab the headlines for Germany, Daniel Theis stepped up big in their EuroBasket 2025 win over Lithuania.
A most important win
The big three in this EuroBasket 2025 group ahead of the tournament were Germany, Lithuania, and Finland. With the win today, Germany all but assured they finish no lower than second in the group. That means they avoid both Serbia and Turkey in the knockout rounds. They hold pole position on top spot, which will likely come down to their game with Finland on Wednesday.
Daniel Theis is going to be featured again but don’t be shocked if his role reduces over the next couple of games. Getting Franz Wagner on full form and keeping Dennis Schroder cooking are the key priorities. The next two games will give Germany a chance to try out more looks with their bigs.
As for Lithuania, Monday’s game with Finland is now enormous. Victory for Jonas Valanciunas and company, and they get a winnable game in the last 16. Defeat and they will undoubtedly be underdogs for their first outing in Riga. It’s that simple.
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