It was a day for the old guard on Friday as Germany’s veterans took control in the first half to kill off Sweden’s challenge. Emmet Ryan on how Daniel Theis, Maodo Lo, and, of course, Dennis Schroder are key to their hopes at EuroBasket 2025
With Franz Wagner starring in his birthday game on the opening day of EuroBasket 2025, it seemed only right that the veterans stood tall on Friday. Germany cruised past Sweden as Maodo Lo, Daniel Theis, and Dennis Schroder took full control.
Theis, Theis, Baby
From literally the opening jump, Daniel Theis decided this was going to be a good day for Germany. In the three minutes that followed him winning the tip, Theis recorded 6 points, 1 rebound, 1 steal, and 1 block as Germany throttled Sweden early. This was DT stepping up and taking charge at EuroBasket 2025.
Theis is an oddity in how traditional his career arc has been. We don’t get too many like him anymore. Theis needed time to adapt as a 5, getting used to fighting it out with grown men. Some of his early days in Bamberg showed the challenges he faced when against stronger opponents.
Still, he learned and developed. That brought him to the NBA, where he carved out a solid career, before opting to come back to Europe when he probably could have gotten another year or two stateside. He’d made his money, the offers in Euroleague were tempting enough, and now he can enjoy being in a featured role for longer in his time playing.
Maodo Lo flies under the radar but has a crucial role to play for Germany at EuroBasket 2025
Mr reliable, Maodo Lo
There was a bit of a wobble for Germany in the middle of the first quarter. This was the closest it ever got to being a real fight. Dennis Schroeder got a T for being unhappy with a call and the vibe seemed off for Deutschland in this EuroBasket 2025 battle.
Never fear, the most chill man in Tampere was here to sort everything out. Maodo Lo has never been a big name. He’s also rarely been the featured option. All he does is operate with tremendous efficiency on the floor while being a coach’s dream as culture fits go. The dude makes people want to play with him.
Out he went and quickly racked up 8 points on his first three shots to calm the nerves. That’s just what he does. Maodo Lo doesn’t need to have the ball all the time. He’s there to take it when the team needs him to solve intangible problems. The Lithuanian fans in the gym were even cheering him on against Montenegro, because he’s joining…
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