I followed both Germany and Serbia. Somehow, Serbia seems more relaxed to me, as if they were playing at 40% of their capabilities. They have a lot of big names, and as you said, it would be a surprise not to win a medal...
Well, it sounds logical not to put all of their strength in an exhibition/ friendly game. What matters most is to be focused, strong, and healthy in the tournament. Spanoulis and Greece staff "choose" not to use Giannis for the risk of any injury. However, since he will need some playing time, it seems that he will play in the Akropolis friendly tournament...
Well Germany has the same problem as France, they are lacking a real force inside the paint. Sure we have some guys but missing Mo Wagner (injury), Hartenstein (injury and not really playing national team anyway) and also Maxi Kleber (also injury but not playing for the team anymore after his dispute with Schröder over commitment)..
I agree, a lot of injured players, while in Serbia everyone is playing just like they did at the olympic games. Germany and Serbia are close when it comes to individual talent. I checked the odds today, for Serbia to win a medal it’s 2.70, while for Germany it’s 5.50. As you mentioned, with Giannis, Doncic, and the others, it’s going to be very interesting this will really be a strong European Championship.
This EuroBasket is shaping up to be one of the most stacked tournaments we’ve seen in years. Doncic back in action, Giannis getting fit, and Lauri looking unstoppable… it’s basically NBA-level talent clashing on a national stage. Serbia having their full roster again is also huge, they always look more dangerous when everyone shows up like in the Olympics.
The odds you mentioned are interesting — Serbia at 2.70 for a medal feels fair, they’ve got depth and chemistry. Germany at 5.50 looks like good value too considering how well they played at the World Cup. Honestly, it’s going to come down to who’s healthiest and most consistent during the knockout stages.
With so much star power in one tournament, I wouldn’t be surprised if we see some crazy upsets too. EuroBasket always delivers drama.