By Stefan Djordjevic/ info@eurohoops.net
Although Serbia head coach Aleksandar Djordjevic counted on 25 players in the national team’s preliminary roster for FIBA World Cup Qualifiers, the new developments forced him to cut that list drastically, he revealed per Mozzartsport.
It was already known that Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic won’t be able to help the squad due to his contract situation while Sacramento Kings guard Bogdan Bogdanovic has to recover from an injury but two more NBA players are unavailable for the summer qualifying windows.
Nemanja Bjelica expressed great desire to help his national team but, much like Jokic’s situation, the contract with Minnesota Timberwolves doesn’t allow him to join the squad before 7th of July. LA Clippers point guard Milos Teodosic, besides the contract clause, has also been dealing with an injury.
As if that wasn’t enough, coach Djordjevic won’t be able to count on Fenerbahce Dogus’ Nikola Kalinic and Marko Guduric and injured Miroslav Raduljica (Jiangsu Dragons). Olympiacos’ Nikola Milutinov is questionable as he might undergo a knee surgery after the end of Greek League Finals, as Djordjevic said.
The current Serbian national team list is as follows: Nemanja Nedovic (Unicaja), Dragan Milosavljevic (Unicaja), Aleksa Avramovic (Varese), Dejan Todorovic (Bilbao), Stevan Jelovac (Nizhny Novgorod), Ilija Djokovic (Borac Cacak), Ognjen Dobric (Crvena Zvezda), Aleksa Radanov (Crvena Zvezda), Dejan Davidovac (Crvena Zvezda), Djordje Gagic (Partizan), Nikola Miskovic (Mega Bemax).
LA Clippers’ Boban Marjanovic is expected to join the squad on 24th of June, as soon as he fulfills his obligation in the upcoming John Wick movie where he took a role of an assassin while Vasilije Micic (Zalgiris), Stefan Jovic (Bayern Munchen), Vladimir Lucic (Bayern) and Stefan Peno (Alba Berlin) will be available after their respective teams finish the season.
Photo Credit: FIBA