By Stefan Djordjevic/ info@eurohoops.net
Aleksandar ‘Sasha’ Djordjevic took over the Serbian national team as the head coach back in 2013 and has since led them to three silver medals – 2014 FIBA World Cup, 2016 Summer Olympics, and 2017 EuroBasket.
With the third silver medal, Djordjevic became the first person to win a medal at all three major competitions as both a player and a coach. As a Yugoslavia player, he won three Eurobasket golds (’91, ’95, ’97) and a bronze (’87); one World Cup gold (’98); and one Summer Olympics silver (’96).
Djordjevic already made history, but he might not be done yet. At the upcoming World Cup in China, he will have the chance to become the second person to win the tournament as both a player and a coach. Current Fenerbahce coach Zeljko Obradovic has been the only person so far to do it. Obradovic won the 1990 World Cup with Yugoslavia as a player and then led them as a coach to the gold medal in 1998. And yes, Sasha Djordjevic was a part of that team.
It will also be a chance for Serbia to win its first gold under that name. They’ve had much success as a part of Yugoslavia but are still waiting for the shiniest trophy with Serbia’s name on it. They assembled one of if not the best team they ever had with the following 12 players: Stefan Jovic, Vasilije Micic, Marko Guduric, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Marko Simonovic, Vladimir Lucic, Stefan Bircevic, Nemanja Bjelica, Nikola Jokic, Nikola Milutinov, Miroslav Raduljica, and Boban Marjanovic.
They started with 11 wins out of 11 prep games, but it’s not how you start, it’s how you finish.
Injured but still complete
As did many national teams competing at this year’s World Cup, Serbia suffered some injuries. Milos Teodosic and Dragan Milosavljevic were hurt during the prep games with the national team and had to withdraw. Lucic also had issues with his thigh. He is recovering for the past two weeks to be ready at the tip-off.
However, despite all that, Serbia has everything covered with a roster made of six small and six big guys who bring vast NBA and EuroLeague experience. In some past competitions, maybe it would’ve been a devastating loss to not have Teodosic lead the point but with Jovic – who holds the EuroLeague record in assists (19 vs. Bayern in 2015) – and Micic who had a fantastic All-EuroLeague Team breakout season with Anadolu Efes, they’ve got the PG spot covered.
And let’s not forget that Jokic can do it all as he has shown his creativity over and over again. Djordjevic utilized him as a center, power forward and point forward during the preparations and the ‘Joker’ didn’t have any issue with that. He has had some excellent combos with center Nikola Milutinov around the paint as well as with Jovic in the pick ‘n’ roll.
Big or small ball? How about both
The trend is without a doubt to go small ball, but Djordjevic hasn’t been the one to pass on the opportunity to go big. He decided to bring along four centers – Jokic, Milutinov, Raduljica, Marjanovic – and in any combination, if Serbia manages to slow down the pace and make it a half-court game, it’s highly unlikely that any team will be able to stop their frontcourt from dominating the paint on both ends of the floor.
However, don’t think even for a second that Serbia can’t do it the other way around as well. Jovic and Micic have been among the fastest EuroLeague guards and enjoy a fast-pace transition style of play. Add, for example, Bogdanovic, Lucic, and Bjelica to the mix, and you’ve got yourself a well-oiled machine that can perform in any tempo.
3-and-D
Serbia can also be considered one of the best three-point shooting squads at the World Cup. Bogdanovic has shown in the prep games that he won’t shy away from using the slightest of openings to nail a triple. And he’s not the only one. Guduric, Micic, Bjelica, Simonovic, and Jokic can all shoot from behind the arc with a high percentage while Jovic, Bircevic and Lucic have had a habit of catching fire from deep on occasions, indeed not a smart idea to leave them wide open.
Does defense win titles? If you look at Serbia’s players individually, you might think for a moment their flaw is defense, but once they are put together, their team effort ‘patches the holes’. With a variety of size and speed, they can cover every team profile. Jovic and Micic have been known for putting high pressure on guards at the points as well as excellent ball stealers while Jokic, Marjanovic, and Milutinov won’t allow any easy baskets down low.
Serbia even faired pretty well against the NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo when playing the prep game vs. Greece. Bjelica took on himself to guard Giannis and take him straight on, while the big guys would fill the paint from the sides. It, without a doubt, made things a lot harder for the ‘Greek Freak.’
P.S. The last time Serbia (Yugoslavia) played against Angola in the opening game of the World Cup was back in 2002, and well, they won the gold.