GER – Kaman due Wednesday; Grünheid, Roessler cut

HAMBURG (FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament for Men) – Germany coach Dirk Bauermann will finally have Chris Kaman with the national team this week when the naturalized big man arrives from the United States.

The Los Angeles Clippers center, whose great grandparents were German, received his passport last week and is now set to bolster Bauermann’s frontcourt significantly at the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Athens (July 14-20).

Shortly after the American-born center arrives, the Germans have a friendly against Canada in Hamburg on Wednesday.

Two days later, they will face the same team in Mannheim (Canada are also warming up for the qualifying event).

"We will have to see how his condition is and decide whether he can play a few minutes in Hamburg,” Bauermann said.

“Everyone reacts differently to jet lag, so you can’t say yet (if he will play).”

One thing is certain. Kaman’s forthcoming arrival has been a huge psychological boost for the Germans, and not just for the short term.

"One of the best centers in the world would like to play for Germany, and not only this year, but also in the future,” Bauermann said.

“It's a great thing and certainly does us good in many areas.”

The addition of Kaman means less space on the roster so after the Supercup, Bauermann decided to cut Guido Grünheid – a member of last year’s EuroBasket squad – and Rouven Roessler.

Both players are important members of the German squad and Bauermann admitted: “Both decisions are very difficult for me.

The coach called Roessler “the surprise of the summer”, which bodes well for his national team future.

For now, Bauermann knows he and Germany face one of the hardest tasks they have encountered since he took the helm after EuroBasket 2003.

The FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament is loaded with quality teams, with Germany in Group B against New Zealand and Cape Verde.

Should they finish in the top two of that pool, a quarter-final against hosts Greece, Brazil or Lebanon would be next.

“I can only stress that it is an enormously difficult hurdle for us,” Bauermann said.

“I see seven teams with realistic chances of reaching the Olympics and only three of them are going to Beijing."

FIBA