Those from Scariolo face a tough bone like Germany, which has the best attack in the tournament
Base Schroeder, along with Wagner, Theis and Voigtmann, the main dangers of the German team
The Spanish team, one of the great surprises of the Eurobasket, will face this Friday (8:30 p.m., Telecinco) in the semifinals the most difficult still in search of a pass to the final of Berlin against Germany, which exhibits the best attack of the competition with 93.6 points per game.
Without the teams led by European NBA superstars Luka Doncic (Slovenia), Nikola Jokic (Serbia) and Giannis Antentokounmpo (Greece)Spain, Germany, France and Poland will fight to win the gold in one of the most surprising editions of the Eurobasket.
IN HOSTILE TERRITORY
After the dispute in the first semifinal between Poland and France (5:15 p.m.), the team from Sergio Scariolo will look for a seat in hostile territory for Sunday’s final, something unthinkable just 15 days ago when the championship began.
Despite being immersed in a transition process, the Spanish team possesses a competitive gene that, even without differential players, has allowed it to place itself, against all odds, just two victories away from hanging the gold.
But before thinking about medals, Spain will test its maturity against a tough bone like Germany, which has become, perhaps, the best team in the Eurobasket by game and statistics.
Not only does it have the best attack with 93.6 points per game, it is also the one that scores the most triples per game (12.9, with 40% success). Her playful, fast, physical game is hard to defend. Point guard Dennis Schroeder (20.6 points and 7.7 assists) is the offensive leader of the team coached by Gordi Herbert.
Franz Wagner is another of the props. The Magic power forward rebounds, scores from the perimeter and posts. Added to this is the contribution of physical interiors such as Daniel Theis and Johannes Voigtmann.
But above the names, the German team stands out for a frenetic team play in attack and reliable back. It was precisely that spirit that allowed him to defeat superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo’s Greece (107-96) in the quarterfinals.
In the group stage they finished second in the so-called ‘group of death’ ahead of France and Lithuania, and second only to Serbia, who were eliminated in the round of 16 by Italy.
DEFENSE, THE KEY
Sergio Scariolo’s board faces another challenge after neutralizing the talent of Finn Lauri Markkanen in the quarters and annulling Valanciunas and Sabonis in the round of 16 against Lithuania. If they want to reach the final, Spain, which concedes 78.8 points per game, will have to show their best defensive version. He has already passed the first two heats when he was able to build a wall behind.
Shooting guard Rudy Fernández, who appears when he burns the ball and is a defensive strut, and center Willy Hernangómez, an offensive reference with 17.9 points and 7.1 rebounds per game, will be key. All this without forgetting Lorenzo Brown, who with his assists (7.1) and points (13.4) gives oxygen to the team.
But if Spain has excelled in anything, it has been in the spirit of solidarity of all. The twelve players have a role that they accept without question.. From Alberto Díaz, decisive in defense, to the more anarchic game of Darío Brizuela, who shone in attack against Finland, passing through the interior contribution of Juancho Hernangómez and Usman Garuba, two vital players to stop the German power.
The match between both teams will be the reissue of the Eurobasket 2005 semifinal. On that occasion, Germany printed the ticket to the final (74-73) with an imperial Dirk Nowitzki (27 points). We will see today what outcome awaits us…