USA's Kerr, Brunson share their thoughts on FIBA World Cup semis opponent Germany

Team USA could be looking at their toughest competition yet when they face Germany in the semifinals of the 2023 FIBA World Cup.

And that might be saying a lot, considering the fact that the US team had already beaten earlier in the tournament — but the Germans have enough personnel to challenge them.

It was proven less than a week before opening day, when the two teams engaged in a basketball showcase in Abu Dhabi, which the USA won 99-91.

It was far from a cruise, though. In fact, the Americans needed to climb back from 16 points down in the second half to eventually take the win. Led by Anthony Edwards’ 34 points, Team USA launched an 18-0 run, including 10 from “Ant” to seal the deal.

A couple of weeks later, both teams put together impressive campaigns to get to this point in the competition. Team USA has only lost once, but they quickly bounced back a few nights after in the quarterfinals. On the other side, Germany has maintained an unblemished record, compiling impressive wins and surviving scares.

Head coach Steve Kerr recognized the challenge imposed by the European squad.

“They’re connected, really well-coached. A lot of continuity. A very strong team, so we’re gonna have to play well,” he acknowledged.

Team captain Jalen Brunson also echoed his coach’s thoughts: “They’re a pretty good team. Well-coached. The things that they’ve done throughout this tournament doesn’t go unnoticed.”

Germany may not be as loaded as Team USA in terms of NBA assets, but they have several guys who can play at a high level.

“Obviously Dennis is a big part of what they do, Wagner brothers, Theis, Voigtmann, the whole team is really good,” Brunson mentioned.

Among the aforementioned names, it was the younger Wagner brother that helped Germany advance. Franz took over with 16 points, which more than made up for Schroeder’s tough shooting night.

“We know how good Franz is, how versatile he is. And he played very well last night against Latvia. So we know his game. We know we have to be prepared for him and for the whole team. He’s a really, really good player,” Kerr said.

“We can’t be relaxed. We gotta come out with energy. We have to respect them because we know what they’re capable of,” Brunson added.

Team USA and Germany will square off in the semifinals on Friday, September 8 at the Mall of Asia Arena.

—JMB, GMA Integrated News