The Toronto Raptors’ fanbase has fixed most of their FIBA World Cup attention on the performance of point guard Dennis Schroder, who was signed on a two-year contract to replace Fred VanVleet. The early results have been very promising, as the Germans have pulled off three straight wins.
Schroder and Die Mannschaft took home a 101-75 win over Lauri Markkanen and Finland to complete an unblemished group stage run and secure a spot in the next round. Schroder missed all his 3-point attempts, but he still paced the team with 15 points in this game.
Schroder has averaged 19.7 points and 5.7 assists per game in three Group Stage games, assuming a leadership role for a German team that is populating with some young players that lack tons of national team experience. His play has been so impressive that the national team has made history.
Schroder helped Germany win six games in a row at the FIBA World Cup for the first time in national team history. Schroder’s performances have helped Germany become one of the favorites to medal in this tournament, all while getting Raptors fans excited about his potential.
https://twitter.com/FIBAWC/status/1696455740108718093
Toronto Raptors PG Dennis Schroder makes history with Germany.
Schroder’s German side has had to deal with some adversity in these games, as Franz Wagner has struggled to stay healthy due to ankle problems. Wasting no time, Schroder was able to assume a leadership role and keep the German offense operating at peak efficiency.
Schroder’s style of play has been a perfect fit for FIBA competition, as his ability to weave past defenders and dominate the mid-range space has been difficult to stop for teams that are throwing waves of NBA players at him. His passing skill has been extremely impressive.
Germany advancing means they will face off against the two top teams from Group F. Luka Doncic and Slovenia are currently leading that group, while either Cape Verde or Georgia will likely win out for the second spot. Schroder could show fans how far he has come if he beats Doncic.
https://twitter.com/theScore/status/1696504220722299037
Schroder, who still may end up starting if the Raptors want an established point guard in the lineup, has taken the German team from a team that had some interesting players to contend with to arguably the best-performing European team in the competition. If he plays like this in Toronto, his deal would be a bargain.