By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Experienced forward Nemanja Bjelica is not available to play in this week’s 2023 FIBA World Cup Qualifiers.
Bjelica, 34, was listed as questionable to play against Greece in Belgrade Thursday and against Turkey in Istanbul Sunday. Apart from missing action at the top of Group I of the World Cup European Qualifiers, he is considered questionable for the 2022 EuroBasket.
Serbia senior national team head coach Svetislav Pesic confirmed Bjelica is not available for this week’s fixtures. In addition, updating the status of Nemanja Nedovic and Marko Guduric, he slated both injured players as questionable to play tomorrow versus Greece and Giannis Antetokounmpo.
As a reminder, Aleksa Avramovic, Nikola Jovic, Aleksej Pokusevski, Alen Smailagic, and former captain Milos Teodosic were all ruled out during the training camp for various reasons. Bogdan Bogdanovic of the Atlanta Hawks undergoing right knee surgery was not called up for the World Cup Qualifiers and EuroBasket.
Serbia’s remaining selections:
Nemanja Bjelica (Fenerbahce Beko)
Dejan Davidovac (CSKA)
Ognjen Dobric (Crvena Zvezda mts)
Marko Guduric (Fenerbahce Beko)
Marko Jagodic-Kuriza (Buducnost VOLI)
Ognjen Jaramaz (FC Bayern Munich)
Nikola Jokic (Denver Nuggets)
Nikola Kalinic (FC Barcelona)
Balsa Koprivica (Partizan NIS)
Vladimir Lucic (FC Bayern Munich)
Vanja Marinkovic (Cazoo Baskonia)
Vasilije Micic (Anadolu Efes)
Nikola Milutinov (CSKA)
Nemanja Nedovic (Crvena Zvezda mts)
Filip Petrusev (Crvena Zvezda mts)
Dusan Ristic (Carplus Fuenlabrada)
Borisa Simanic (Casademont Zaragoza)
Following the Qualifiers, the focus switches to EuroBasket’s Group D in Prague. The Eagles will collide with the Netherlands, the Czech Republic, Finland, Israel, and Poland looking for a spot in the next round between 2 and 8 September.
Photo Credit: FIBA.BASKETBALL