In the final tune-up before the 2024 Paris Olympics begin, Team USA will take on the reigning FIBA World Cup champions in Germany Monday afternoon. Just like the other teams the Americans have faced, Germany has several NBA players on the roster, highlighted by Franz Wagner and Dennis Schroder leading the way. Wagner had a strong showing at last summer's World Cup, which laid the groundwork for a standout season with the Orlando Magic, and will once again try to use that development and experience in playing for his national team to try and challenge Team USA.
While these two teams won't face each other in the group stage, there's a chance they could meet if both squads make it to the knockout round. This exhibition will serve as a great tool for both teams to get a feel of each other if that's the case.
USA vs. Germany
Time: 3 p.m. ET | Date: Monday, July 22
TV channel: FOX | Live stream: fubo (try for free)
Odds: USA -15.5, O/U: 190.5
Storylines
USA: Of all the games on Team USA's exhibition schedule, no one could've predicted that South Sudan would give them the biggest fright before the Olympics started. Had it not been for a game-winner from LeBron James, we'd be taking a far closer look at that performance. But the U.S. staved off an upset, and now the attention turns to a Germany team that should put up a decent fight in this matchup. It will be interesting to see who the starting lineup ends up being for this game, as we've seen Steve Kerr toy around with the roster surrounding James, Stephen Curry and Joel Embiid. It will be the last game to tinker with things before the results start to count, so maybe we something different again from the Americans. Or maybe we finally see the debut of Kevin Durant, who returned to practice on Friday after missing the entirety of training camp with a calf strain.
Germany: There isn't really a specific matchup for the Americans to worry about with Germany. They have the size to match up well against the Germans, so there's no need for Joel Embiid to asset his dominance like he would against Nikola Jokic and Serbia. But this German team has been playing together for quite some time, and that familiarity and experience together is what helped them win the World Cup last summer. Perhaps it can do the same here against Team USA to catch them off guard as they focus on figuring out the best lineup to roll out there.
Prediction
Germany is good, and could contend for a medal in Paris, but I don't think they're as equipped to challenge Team USA in this meeting, or if they meet in the knockout rounds. With the possible return of Durant, the odds sway even more in USAB's favor. The Pick: Team USA
