3 Raptors who could follow Dennis Schroder, dominate 2027 World Cup
By Mike Luciano
Toronto Raptors point guard Dennis Schroder exceeded all expectations in his performances with the German national team in the 2023 FIBA World Cup. Not only did he lead his team to the gold medal, but he did so while winning tournament MVP in convincing fashion.
Schroder and Germany will have to wait four more years until he gets a chance to defend his championship, as the 2027 World Cup in Qatar will be the next chance for him to take home a gold medal in this competition. He may face more of his Raptors teammates in that tournament.
While Schroder was the lone Raptor in the 2023 competition, things could change once some of the young players start reaching the end of their developmental curves and begin to establish themselves as key international players. Schroder might need to beat a teammate to retain his title.
These three Raptors players, all of whom could have pathways to becoming stars for their international teams, could easily follow in Schroder’s footsteps, potentially knock their teammate out of the 2027 competition, and take home medals in the next tournament.
3 Toronto Raptors to watch in 2027 World Cup
3. Christian Koloko (Cameroon)
Pascal Siakam will be 33 years old when the 2027 competition gets underway, which means that he might be more of a role player if he is selected for this squad. With Joel Embiid deciding between playing for the United States or France in the Olympics, Koloko has a clear path to a starting role.
Koloko has already shown to be a high-end defensive prospect who could be dominant on the international stage due to the relaxed rule on defense in the paint. He will need to work on his overall offensive game to make sure Cameroon can overcome the challenge of an ever-growing collection of quality African teams.
Will Toronto Raptors C Christian Koloko play for Cameroon?
Koloko will start the season as a backup to Jakob Poeltl this season, and there is a good chance he will end up as a pick-and-roll partner for Schroder in bench units. If some of Poeltl’s finishing ability starts to rub off on him, Koloko could thrive for Cameroon.
Cameroon couldn’t make it to the 2023 competition, but they might be able to field a stronger team when Koloko is fully developed. The Raptors need to work with him to help achieve this goal, as he needs some extra bells and whistles added to his game.