MIES (FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 European Qualifiers) - “Offense sells tickets, defense wins games”.

It's a mantra of coaches all over the world, something they preach to their players because in the difficult moments, teams must knuckle down and stop the opposition when it has the ball. But when you look at the European Qualifiers, and at the numbers of Germany, Lithuania and Greece - three teams that have already clinched spots in next year's World Cup with two windows still to be played - this mantra doesn't necessarily hold true.

Germany, Lithuania and Greece are the only three countries of the 32 that began playing in November 2017 that are still unbeaten. They are also the top three scoring teams, and the sides with the best 3-point shooting percentage. They are also the top three in efficiency (which does, however, take into account steals and blocks). Offense can definitely win games.

Through four windows of the European Qualifiers, statistics indicate that Germany's offense has been the best. Henrik Rodl’s team, at 88.3 points per game and a competition best 112 points scored in their overtime triumph over Israel on September 16, has been a true scoring machine.

Germany's Dennis Schroder has been the European Qualifiers' second best scorer at 23.5ppg, along with 7.5apg and 4.5rpg, yet he's played in four games. He is not the only one leading Germany in the post-Nowitzki era.

National team captain Robin Benzing is averaging 17.0ppg and is in the “50-40-90” club (shooting at least with 50% inside the arc, 40% from 3-point range and 90% at the free-throw line). The only other member of that club is Finland's Sasu Salin.

What has aided Germany's shooters is the physicality of their front-court players like Maik Zirbes and Danilo Barthel, who have drawn the attention of the defense in the paint. That has led to some wide open spots on the perimeter for marksmen like Benzing, Maxi Kleber, Niels Giffey and Ismet Akpinar.

The balanced offense has Germany at No. 4 in 2pt shooting (55.7%) and No. 3 in 3PT shooting (40.1%). Fouling Rodl's team hasn't worked because Germany rank No. 1 at the charity stripe (81.1%) and are No. 5 in free throws attempted with 201. 

With a deep roster and a couple of top players, Germany look as if they may have a chance to revive the splendor of the third place at the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2002.

Like Germany, Lithuania has not yet known the bitter taste of defeat thanks to an offense that has run like a well-oiled machine for much of the European Qualifiers. The Baltic side is second in scoring (86.3ppg), second in assists (20.6apg), first in 3-point shooting percentage (40.9%), first in total rebounds (42.3rpg) and second in offensive rebounds (13.0ppg ) and first in efficiency (105.4).

Coach Darius Adomaitis’ team was an absolute bulldozer in the First Round, winning by 38 points in the first game at Kosovo, 20 at home over Poland, 56 in the return game over Kosovo and 23 over Hungary. These results were acquired with numerous roster changes and without a true go-to-guy as only three players (Adas Juskevicius, Eimantas Bendzius, Rokas Giedraitis) have featured in all eight of Lithuania's World Cup Qualifiers. 

Lithuania have excelled despite having Toronto Raptors center Jonas Valanciunas and Indiana big Domas Sabonis for just two games. They confirmed their status as one of the best sides by prevailing in the last window at a fully-loaded Croatia, with veteran floor general Mantas Kalnietis dragging them to the finish line. The point guard is simply another player when he wears his national team’s jersey. He had 15 points - 5 in the last 35 seconds - and 5 assists in the win at Osijek, then 21 points, including 5 makes from long range, in the home win after double overtime against the Netherlands that gave Lithuania the ticket for China 2019.

Compared to Germany and Lithuania, Greece walked a different path. They played at lower pace but with similar efficiency.

The fact that the Greeks are the third highest scoring best team at 83.5ppg, the second best 3-point shooting side (40.7%) and No. 5 in assists (19.5apg) is confirmation of their excellence. They achieved those numbers despite being one of the teams with the lowest number of field goal attempts (only Belgium, Bosnia and Croatia had less shots), but with great efficiency.

The problems incurred while attaining success in the first game at in Great Britain troubled many of the exigent Greek fans. They needed yeoman's work from Ioannis Bourousis (27 points and 8 rebounds), a surprising performance by Giannoulis Larentzakis (22 points) and an incredible 3-pointer from Ioannis Athinaiou at the end of overtime in a 95-92 win in Leicester. But after that, it was a Rossini crescendo.

And the arrival of Nick Calathes in the last window led to one of the top performances in the European Qualifiers. In the last-second win at Georgia that qualified Greece, Calathes was 7 of 11 from the arc with 31 points. Among his 8 assists was one on a fast break to Kostas Papanikolaou for a lay-up and an 86-85 victory.

With the addition of Giannis Antetokounmpo to this terrific offense, the Greeks could be in the mix for a medal next summer... 

FIBA