It has been the outstanding feature of Germany’s performance of EuroBasket 2025. They always have another option. For all of the star power of Franz Wagner and Dennis Schroder, Germany have so many more weapons besides them. Ahead of Sunday’s final with Türkiye, Emmet Ryan on how Germany have maximised the impact of their deep roster.
There’s always another option. That has been the key aspect to Germany’s phenomenal performance at EuroBasket 2025 to date. They enter Sunday’s final averaging 101.4 points per game. Only one of their 8 games to date has been decided by 10 points or less.
Even when Franz Wagner and Dennis Schroder have off days shooting, there’s always another option. This team goes 10 deep and everyone has a role to play. It wears out opponents and only Slovenia have been able to put up a real fight so far. This team is designed to devastate.
It would be 11 deep
I feel bad for Leon Kratzer. He’s a perfectly fine basketball player. Heck, he’s actually good. He’s just the one man on this Germany roster that doesn’t see the floor. The loss of Johannes Voigtmann early in the tournament reduced Germany’s rotation from 11 to 10.
Had Moe Wagner been healthy, Kratzer would likely not be here and Germany would use a legitimate 12 deep rotation. That they can do so points to just how successful and well-rounded the German development system has been. Dennis Schroder was somewhat an early piece in the project, Franz Wagner and most of his contemporaries represent the next step.
Where France has been front court heavy in its pipeline to the NBA, Germany’s focus has been on building the best possible national side. That has involved a holistic approach to player development. What that means is that while a few stars emerge, there’s a remarkably high number of players just below star level coming through.
Making it work
It begins with Dennis Schroder. His passing to Andreas Obst and Daniel Theis in particular frees up a great deal of space for the rest of the Germany side. If neither of those men like their option, it’s more than likely that Isaac Bonga will have space in the corner or on the elbow.
The expansion is through Franz Wagner. While his three point shooting remains a work in progress, his drives have been at the heart of making the system work. When Wagner drives, he draws attention. Oscar or Tristan da Silva can pop up from the bench to be well placed as an outlet in that scenario.
Then comes the energy. Justus Hollatz and Johannes Thiemann are in this rotation to wear down opponents. Germany has been able to outlast their opposition because they have two men committed to high energy off the bench play that tires out starters they are challenging. It’s a fascinating mix that nobody has been able to handle so far.
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The key is Maodo Lo
Brilliant as Dennis Schroder and Franz Wagner are and effective as the contributions of the rest of the supporting cast have proven to be, Germany simply aren’t this dominant without Maodo Lo.
When Lo spells for Dennis, he offers a different type of point guard but one that can ensure none of the intensity or creativity is dropped. Lo is very experienced and widely appreciated by aficionados but he really ought to be one of every basketball fans favourite players. The dude goes to work, gets his business done, and gets the best out of those around him.
He’s also ensured that during poor shooting spells for Schroder or Wagner, there’s someone that can carry the load. That has been vital through the knockout rounds, with Schroder having a rough run across the first two games in Riga before coming back in style in the semi-final.
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Maodo Lo has been the straw that stirs the drink for Germany at EuroBasket 2025. (Credit FIBA)
Nobody is invincible
The one obvious weakness for Germany is that they can be rattled by a team that puts it up to them. Slovenia went hero ball with Luka Doncic but the better example might well be Portugal with Neemias Queta. For three quarters, Germany looked shaken simply because of the combination of size and athleticism from Queta.
They still won that game by 27 points. That is the real story of this Germany team. Any team can match them for 10, 20, or maybe even 30 minutes. There has yet to be a team at EuroBasket that could go the full 40 and come out on top. Slovenia came close but everyone wilted in the end.
In Türkiye, they finally meet a roster where it looks like they can live with Germany’s high energy. That’s great but it still leaves the sheer brilliance of Dennis Schroder and Franz Wagner to deal with. Germany is a power in European basketball. Sunday could be the moment they become the power in European basketball.
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