Germany secured its third straight Olympic win with an 85-71 victory over France on Friday. The reigning world champions displayed their offensive and defensive versatility as they overcame a French team that’s overflowing with NBA-level talent.
Here are three takeaways from Germany’s latest win.
1. Dennis Schroder is unstoppable for Germany
Every time Dennis Schroder plays for Germany, he elevates his game to another level. He ended the contest against France with 26 points, nine assists and four rebounds while shooting 10-of-17 from the field and 4-of-7 from deep. Schroder is a reliable starting guard in the NBA, but he’s a world-beater when playing under FIBA rules.
Schroder was the catalyst for Germany’s run to the FIBA World Cup championship last summer and is already showing similar flashes in the Olympics. It’s going to take a stringent perimeter defense to contain him and force Germany into making some tough adjustments.
2. Victor Wembanyama continues to flourish before our eyes
Victor Wembanyama secured a double-double against Germany. The 7-foot-4 phenom ended the contest with 14 points and 12 rebounds, along with two assists, two steals and a block. Despite being fairly new to international-level basketball, Wembanyama has begun to flourish for the French national team and appears to be going from strength to strength on a game-by-game basis.
If his current improvements continue at this rate, he will significantly impact France’s progress in the tournament and whether they can end their participation with a medal.
3. France must make better use of their size
France’s frontcourt rotation includes Wembanyama, Rudy Gobert and Guerschon Yabusele. However, they ended the game with just 26 points in the paint. FIBA rules are far more forgiving for bigs, and France has the spacing to make playing a center around the dunker spot work.
Given their size, vertical spacing and the playmaking available to them, France should dominate paint scoring. Whether that comes from having a big roll hard after setting a screen, running the floor in transition, or chilling around the dunker spot waiting for lobs or dump-off passes, France must do better at scoring near the cup.