New Orleans Pelicans Center Falls Short in Olympic Medal Round

New Orleans Pelicans center disappoints in Germany's final Olympic game.

Aug 10, 2024; Paris, France; Germany power forward Daniel Theis (10) passes the ball against Serbia power forward Nikola Jokic (15) in the men's basketball bronze medal game during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games at Accor Arena. / Rob Schumacher-USA TODAY Sports

New Orleans Pelicans center Daniel Theis and the German Olympic Team will not get a medal in this year's summer games. They were defeated 93-83 in the Bronze Medal Olympic Games. Theis struggled all game, scoring just 2 points in 15 minutes of play.

Serbia's Nikola Jokic proved why he is a 3-time NBA MVP. He recorded only the fifth triple-double in Olympic history, scoring 19 points, grabbing 12 rebounds, and dishing 11 assists. Jokic's triple-double comes just two days after LeBron James recorded the fourth triple-double in Olympic history against Serbia. The U.S. Team won 95-91 to advance to the Gold Medal game against France.

After a strong 4-0 start by the German Team, Theis struggled in the last two games versus France and Serbia. The opposing team's size bothered the undersized Theis, especially against Jokic. With the last two losses, Germany now leaves Paris medal-less after winning the FIBA World Cup last summer for the first time in the country's history.

Theis was a big reason for the German success last year.

The German-born forward led an upset of the Americans in the semifinals last year, scoring a team-high 21 points and was a game-high +26 from the field. Theis led the team in rebounding and his solid defense helped stabilize the German interior.

Germany's fourth-place finish is the country's best in Olympic basketball history. Now, Theis will return to prepare with the Pelicans for the upcoming NBA season. New Orleans signed him to a one-year deal in July to add depth to a depleted frontcourt.

The team traded away Jonas Valanciunas, Cody Zeller, and Larry Nance, Jr. this offseason. New Orleans spent its first-round pick on former Baylor center Yves Missi. He is considered to be a longer-term project, with just three years of organized basketball on his resume. Theis will be looked at to play a substantial role for the Pelicans this season.

He has started 151 games in his seven-year career in the league. Theis averages 7.4 points and 4.8 rebounds for his career. His most productive season came in 2019, when he started 64 regular season games for the Celtics and all 17 playoff games.

That NBA season was cut short due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Games resumed inside of a bubble for player protection. The Celtics lost to the Miami Heat 4-2 in the Eastern Conference Finals. He will now try and help the Pelicans advance past the first round of the playoffs for the first time since 2018.