Three medals in three summers? Germany's promise almost fulfilled

PARIS (France) - Don't look now but Germany's optimistic and eyebrow-raising aspirations from three summers ago of three medals in as many years is just one victory from coming true.

The Germans made history by reaching their first-ever Olympics Semi-Finals - after three previous failed attempts to get past the top eight stage.

Germany shrugged off a slow start and rallied to defeat Greece 76-63 and move into a final four showdown with the winner between Canada and France.

Germany trailed 18-6 in the first quarter but showed the will, perseverance and depth that won them the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023.

With the win over Greece, Germany head coach Gordie Herbert guided the team to even more history - just like he had called for in 2022.

Three summers ago in the build-up to the FIBA EuroBasket 2022 in Germany, the coach spoke of a new mentality within the national team that they should go into tournaments with the expectation of winning a medal.

That worked straight away at FIBA EuroBasket 2022 with the team capturing the imagination of the home fans and collecting the bronze medal.

The drive and determination sparked by captain Dennis Schroder last summer carried Germany to the sensational World Cup title.

Germany then arrived in France with the new-found confidence of world champions. But at the same time, Schroder and his teammates also came in just as hungry to prove themselves at the Olympics and that the world title was no fluke.

"(Coach Herbert) has done a great job the last three years bringing us together and making sure the roles are clear," Schroder said. "I'm giving everything to make his dream come true."

Johannes Thiemann added: "When coach came in, he asked for a commitment for three years and accept the roles that he gave us and keep the team together. And keeping the team almost completely together for three years straight now I think is huge for us. And we are really able to find our roles, play together and know everybody on the court."

The Germans also came to the Olympics knowing they can play a variety of different styles - inside or outside, fast or slow-placed. So they knew they could play an ugly game and still have the depth to win a game like the Quarter-Finals showdown against Greece.

The likes of Isaac Bonga, Nick Weiler-Babb, Moritz Wagner and Thiemann came off the German bench and changed the mentality of the game late in the first quarter and in the second quarter to get the team back into the game.

"I thought our second unit came in late in the first (quarter) and did a great job. Our intensity got better, our physicality got better and our energy got better. They set the tone and we came out after halftime and we were much better in the second half," Herbert said afterwards.

"One of our strengths is that we have 12 guys that can play. That's a big strength of ours and the other guys stepped up."

That quartet collected 32 points, 17 rebounds, 6 assists and 4 steals.

"Everybody knows that Dennis and Franz (Wagner) are the main guys and everybody accepts that. But at the same time when your number is called or you have the opportunity you have the confidence to play and that is key for us," Thiemann said.

"The first five go out there and set the tone right away and our job from the bench is to provide energy, do the dirty work, make the 50-50 plays. We gotta bring the energy off the bench," added Weiler-Babb.

That production was needed as Schroder did not have his best offensive game - 13 points and 8 assists - and sharpshooter Andi Obst went scoreless.

"I want to shout out to all my teammates for being ready and bringing that energy off the bench and we finished it," Schroder said.

Coach Herbert over the years has learned that he always has options off the bench that can give the team a spark if needed. That was true once again against Greece.

And now Germany are just one victory from three medals in three summers - just what the aspirations called for three summers ago.

FIBA