For the third time in four years, Serbia is in the final of a major tournament.The surprise team from Slovenia is waiting for you there (from 20.30 o’ clock in the LIVETICKER).The Serbs are missing numerous key players in this EuroBasket, not least star playmaker Milos Teodosic.The Balkan state is now relying on Bogdan Bogdanovic and the concentrated expertise of FC Bayern Munich.
Milos Teodosic, Nemanja Nedovic, Nikola Kalinic, Nemanja Bjelica, Nikola Jokic, Miroslav Raduljica.The list of Serbian defaults for the European Championship was probably as long and prominent as with no other team.And yet the men from the Balkans are still in the final – the third in four years (silver at the 2016 Olympics and the 2014 World Cup).
“These are big losses for our team,”admitted head coach Aleksandar Djordjevic before the tournament,”but we will continue to work with the same high standards,” in fact, they did.With a hungry second guard, the Serbs won for victory.Only against Russia in the group stage was there a narrow defeat, and the revenge was in the semi-finals.
Just at the beginning there was still a lot of sand in the gear.Victories over Latvia and Turkey were also fought hard.The newly assembled team had yet to find each other.Bogdan Bogdan Bogdanovic was the first time the keys were pressed in his hand and he made it very neat.His scoring helped at the beginning, only his litter from outside did not fall over the tournament as he wanted (31.1 percent).
But this was not only a problem for the future NBA player.The Serbs only hit 33.1 percent of the entire team, and in the quarter-finals it was only 18 percent (3/17).Instead, the team relies on the dunes under the basket, mainly Ogjnen Kuzmic and 2.22-metre giant Boban Marjanovic.The “Molten” regularly wanders under the basket, where the Bigs look for the cutters, finish themselves or find the free man at the perimeter.
Due to the traditionally strong Serbian school, this is always an excellent tool.The failure of the new point guard of the Los Angeles Clippers, Teodosic, is less important.Stefan Jovic, a playmaker of the old school, represents him, who can read the game excellently, but is hardly looking for his own qualification.In this tournament, the 26-year-old takes only 5.2 throws per game, but distributes almost 6 assists.
In the semi-final, however, the clock injured his ankle in the third quarter and had to leave.Serbia once again faltered against the Russians, but did not fall.All the more important for the Orlovi (Adler) that coach Djordjevic gave the all-clear at the press conference before the final:”We have examined him and the results are good.It’s nothing serious.He told me after the game that he wanted to run up.”
Jovic will continue to work with Djordjevic after the season.After successful years with Crvena Zvezda (three ABA titles, a quarter-finals participation in the Euroleague), I’m off to FC Bayern,”I know what’s going to happen in Munich.Of course, I also know the coach of the national team, our team basketball philosophies are identical.In this respect, it’s a perfect fit,”said Jovic, enthusiastic about his new employer when he presented himself in July.
He will not only be familiar with the coach in the Bavarian capital.Vladimir Lucic, who made life hell against Italy Marco Belinelli (5/18 FG), also wears the red jersey for another year.In addition, Milan Macvan (Emporio Armani Milano) won another coup on the transfer market.The 27-year-old Power Forward is the extended arm of Djordjevic on the court, along with Bogdanovic.
It was not without reason that the coach of the Bavarian team made the variable, but angular wing player his captain:”In the preparation he wanted to play, although he had a bad fever.At some point he came and said that it was no longer possible.Two days later he called in fit again.He’s a real role model for everyone.”
nearby
Djordjevic will also use his Bayern axis against the Slovenes.The circles of Goran Dragic and Luka Doncic have to be limited.In the semi-finals, this duo played almost the entire offense, the experienced Spaniards had no means against the congenial partners and finally went down.
Djordjevic said,”They played great and were driven by the euphoria,” but what followed was a little challenge to the final opponent,”they looked impressive against Spain because the Spaniards admitted it.We’re a different kind of adversary, and we’re coming with our weapons.We must not allow them to look impressive again.We must play our game, show courage and gain security.”
The Serbian key player will be Bogdan Bogdanovic.It is he who relieves Jovic in the body when he sits on the bench and takes over the lion’s share of the scoring (20.3 points per game).The same was already seen against Russia when the future guard of the Sacramento King’s top Russian scorer Alexey Shved chased across the field.At first with success, only in the final phase the Khimki-Guard turned up (at the end 33 points), but Bogdanovic responded in his way and hit two important throws in the crunchtime.
But despite all the good spirits around the team: The Serbian team remains a little mystery.The appearances against Italy and Hungary in the last sixteen were sovereign, but not terrifying, too many gaps were still in the team.Even against Russia, a comfortable lead was almost wasted.Ex-Bayern-Guard and Jovic-Backup Vasilije Micic (2.3 points, 1.1 assists, 28.6 per cent from the field) have been particularly disappointing so far.
The team could rely on their bigs alongside Bogdanovic and Jovic.Kuzmic (7.3 points, 5.6 rebounds) and Marjanovic (13.3 points, 5.0 boards) were unstoppable throughout the tournament, and Djordjevic can put in over 40 minutes of top quality on the five.Vladimir Stimac is another solid big man in the squad, ex-Bavaria center Vladimir Stimac, who can make a few fouls.
But: Slovenia’s ability to defend big players was impressively demonstrated against Spain.Gasper Vidmar and Anthony Randolph annoyed the Gasols with fast hands and extremely physical defense.The Slovenians also benefited from the Spaniards’ weak shooting – the Achilles’ heel of the Serbian team.
After the performances over the three weeks, the Slovenians are going into the game as favourites, even though nobody on the Serbian side would like to admit it.But who would have expected Serbia to win the EuroBasket?Even in their own country, very few would have expected their eagles to march back into the final.But last but not least, this tournament has shown that Serbia can be expected to win every title fight – regardless of the personnel.