Dennis Schroder shares moment with son after carrying Germany to upset vs. Australia

Toronto Raptors point guard Dennis Schroder had been thriving on the international stage with Germany, as he was one of the main cogs in their FIBA World Cup machine. While he played a complementary role in a decisive win against Japan, he needed to step up against Australia.

Not only was he playing the favorites to win the four-team group, but he needed to lead the team offensively after Orlando Magic rising star Franz Wagner was ruled out with an ankle injury suffered in the Japan victory. Schroder had a lot on his plate, and he delivered.

Not only did Schroder stuff the stat sheet by scoring 30 points on 10-19 shooting while dishing out eight assists, but he helped Germany pull off a surprising 85-83 upset victory against an Australian team that is comprised almost entirely of players with NBA experience.

Schroder celebrated this win with his son, Dennis Jr. The two showed off a special handshake while also going into Schroder’s signature celebration. It’s hard to have a better World Cup than Schroder has had, as Germany has far exceeded what was expected of their team.

Toronto Raptors PG Dennis Schroder helps Germany upset Australia.

Schroder averaged 17.6 points per game in six friendly tune-up games before the World Cup, as he and the Wagner brothers have established themselves as the main offensive forces for the German team. While he’s been a distributor first and foremost, Schroder can still take over as a scorer when the team requires it.

Now that Germany has slayed the Australian dragon without their best player in Wagner, they should feel like they are the top dogs in their group. Japan likely won’t have the star power to compete with them, and Finland might be too dependent on Lauri Markkanen.

Raptors fans who are still a little unsure about Schroder and his quality as a point guard might have their opinions changed if they start looking at his FIBA competition with a greater degree of scrutiny. Schroder has been getting to the rim with ease while shooting better than he usually does in the NBA.

Schroder won’t score 30 points a night in the pros, but he’s more than capable of doing that one or twice a season when his team needs it. Perhaps we’ll see more secret handshakes with Dennis Jr. if Dad comes to Toronto and starts ripping it up in a Raptors jersey.