Basketball: DBB selection starts in marathon month: clear goal medal

Before the marathon month with eleven games in 29 days, Gordon Herbert didn't hesitate for a second.

Basketball: DBB selection starts in marathon month: clear goal medal

Before the marathon month with eleven games in 29 days, Gordon Herbert didn't hesitate for a second. "The first goal is two wins in the World Cup qualifiers. The goal at the European Championships is a medal, we want to be on the podium," said the national basketball coach before his first major tournament.

In a training hall in Cologne, Dennis Schröder, who is without a club in the NBA, and the top-class ensemble are currently working on the fine-tuning for the home European Championships in Cologne and Berlin, which begin on September 1st.

Schröder: "We need the fans"

Will it be supported by the home fans and with a strong team full of NBA power for the first medal since 2005 with Dirk Nowitzki? "We expect a lot from the fans, we need them. We played in Berlin in 2015, that was a good atmosphere too. I hope it will be the same in Cologne. We will definitely need that," said Schröder, who is his currently does not want to comment on the complicated contract situation in the best basketball league in the world.

Before it goes into the big arenas, the so-called phase one is currently running, as head coach Herbert likes to say. On Wednesday (8.30 p.m.) in Hasselt against Belgium and on Friday (7 p.m.) in Almere against the Netherlands, rehearsals will take place. What Schröder, the Wagner brothers Franz and Moritz and Daniel Theis should only use to play in, means for around half of the 18-man squad: With good performance, you can recommend yourself for a European Championship ticket.

Because Herbert plans to delete at least five players this week. "We want to reduce to twelve players as soon as possible. Then we have a chance to build a real team," said the national coach on Monday at media training in Cologne. While the NBA professionals are likely to be set, things could get tight even for the recently battered captain and veteran Robin Benzing.

Nick Weiler-Babb with the family

Herbert could make an exception for Nick Weiler-Babb, who only joined the team last week. Weiler-Babb was naturalized but is not currently with the team due to urgent family matters in the United States. "He's an excellent person and a very good player," said Herbert, who is open to reducing his squad to just 13 players to give Bayern professional Weiler-Babb some time. The head coach made it clear that family comes first.

The tasks are becoming more and more difficult for the team of the German Basketball Federation (DBB). The friendly matches are followed by the Supercup in Hamburg, then the World Cup qualification with a duel with European champion Slovenia and NBA star Luka Doncic. A difficult group with the Slovenes, the Lithuanians and France, which will be the opponent on the opening day of the European Championship, is then waiting for the European Championship. "It's going to be a tough game. We're looking forward to the challenge," said Franz Wagner, who is the national team's hope after a strong season with the Orlando Magic.