By Eurohoops team / info@eurohoops.net
The Serbian national team will march to the 2019 World Cup at full strength. Players like All-Star center Nikola Jokic, captain Milos Teodosic, Sacramento Kings guard Bogdan Bogdanovic and Philadelphia 76ers big guy Boban Marjanovic are just some of the names that team head coach Sasha Djordjevic will have at his disposal.
Quality matters, but Serbia has learned to also be a contender in the absence of its big stars. EuroBasket 2017 anyone?
“Our team is the best example that ‘names’ do not play,” Djordjevic said per FIBA. “We won medals even when we were missing some big names. The names that are completely ready will win, and that’s how ‘names’ become legends!”
Serbia won the silver medal in the 2014 World Cup and will once again aim at a spot in the podium. They will face heavy competition, Djordjevic believes.
“We have an extremely hard and demanding championship in front of us. A lot of national teams have grown, starting with Greece and Giannis Antetokounmpo, the most dominant player in the NBA, absolutely. France and Lithuania will be dangerous for every opponent, and those are the countries that should be an example for everyone because of the way they work. Russia and Turkey will be ready to seize the opportunity as well.”
You can read Djordjevic talking about Team USA, Spain, Australia and more World Cup-related topics at FIBA’s website.