Raptors news: Dennis Schroder takes shot at Lakers, Scottie Barnes moves to Toronto

Having pride in your country is one thing, but Toronto Raptors point guard and Germany national team leader Dennis Schroder was so elated by his success in the 2023 FIBA World Cup that he inadvertently took a shot at the teams he had played on in prior seasons.

Schroder, Franz Wagner, and Daniel Theis helped Germany pull off an insane 113-111 upset of the clear favorite United States, setting up a gold medal game matchup against Bogdan Bogdanovic and Serbia. Schroder is very bullish on this German team’s potential.

Schroder said the Germany team he has helped lead was the best team he has ever played on, including both international and NBA teams. Apparently, Daniel Theis and Moritz Wagner are a better frontcourt tandem than LeBron James and Anthony Davis in his mind.

This statement clearly sounds ridiculous if you view it in the context of figuring out the most talented team he has ever played on. In terms of how well the group plays connected, team-first basketball, Schroder might actually be on to something here.

More Raptors news

• Scottie Barnes might be starting a side hustle in the world of architecture. Barnes is moving into Reside on Richmond Condominiums. Not only will Barnes be a resident, but he is an investor in the company designing the building and will have a say in the final design of the complex. It’s unorthodox, but very impressive.
• Bleacher Report put out 10 different trade predictions for the 2023-24 NBA season, one of which was the Raptors refusing to trade PG Anunoby and Pascal Siakam to keep the core intact. Masai Ujiri had multiple chances to break them up, and he’s constantly refused.

NBA News

• While the Los Angeles Lakers agreeing to a contract with Christian Wood sounds like a big deal, The Athletic’s Jovan Buha poured cold water on it. Buha said that it is more likely Rui Hachimura will end up a starter while Wood is relegated to a supporting backup role.
• Stanley “Whitey” Von Nieda, who was the oldest living former NBA player, passed away at the age of 101. Von Neida split his 1949-50 season between the Tri-Cities Blackhawks and Baltimore Bullets before going into the coaching ranks in the collegiate and low-level professional ranks. Van Nieda took part in the Ballte of the Bulge as a paratrooper.

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