Death by a thousand cuts in basketball terms must be defeat by a thousand German possessions. 

There’s not much flash with Germany’s game as compared to the likes of the USA and Australia, but they make the right plays by any means necessary. The Germans will get the crucial stops needed to end their opponents’ run. They will stay patient and find the open man for a shot. Of course, they’ll make a statement whenever they get the chance. 

And in the quarterfinals, Greece just became their latest victim. 

The Greeks initially looked like they were about to run away with this one, as they took a 21-9 lead with 47 seconds in the first quarter. Germany remained unfazed and slowly but surely erased the deficit by halftime. The Germans made key stops and Franz Wagner, Dennis Schroder, and Johannes Thiemann made timely baskets in the paint by breaking down Greece’s defense. 

The play to highlight, though, was one that flew over everyone’s heads. 

Momentum was shifting into the Greeks’ favor, but Schroder drew a charge on Giannis Antetokounmpo, preventing Greece from pulling away. Antetokounmpo got his third foul because of that and he had to tone down his aggression lest he wanted to leave the game early. Naturally, Germany pounced on this. 

Through four games, the Germans have yet to score 100 points, but they have won all of their games by at least 13 points and have the second-highest point differential (+47) behind Team USA (+64) during the preliminaries. On defense, the 71 points Germany allowed their opponents to score per game is easily the lowest among the 12 teams. 

The numbers easily point to how the Germans should be a gold medal contender and the eye test supports it. Chemistry within the squad is evident and that comes largely as Germany head coach Gordie Herbert has kept his 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup winning roster largely intact for the Paris Olympics. The familiarity has also allowed Herbert to go deep into his bench as nine of his 12 players have played in all four games. 

Intangibles can prove to be critical against either France or Canada, both of whom have talented lineups. With their versatile frontcourt, the Germans can easily switch almost any matchup. Their depth allows almost anyone to step up when needed and helps them avert any crisis if the injury bug strikes *knocks on wood*. 

Germany enters the medal rounds of the 2024 Paris Olympics with a chance to complete a golden double nearly a year after winning the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup. It’s unfortunate that this is Gordie Herbert’s last dance with Germany, but all signs are pointing towards a golden sendoff unless Team USA plays spoiler.