By Eurohoops team / info@eurohoops.net
Head coach of Slovenia, Aleksandar Sekulić, is preparing for another EuroBasket with Slovenia, after finishing the previous one in 2022 with a quarterfinal loss to Poland.
Again, the focus is on Luka Dončić, the Los Angeles Lakers NBA star, who underwent a physical transformation over the summer.
Sekulić says Dončić is still working toward top form as EuroBasket approaches but believes the Lakers superstar’s mindset could be decisive for the national team.
“Luka has changed the way he works, but whether he’s in better shape or not, we’ll see,” Sekulić said to Meridian Sport. “He can’t be at his peak right now – he’s only just started basketball-specific training. He’s not yet the real Dončić, and we all know what that looks like on the court. The most important thing is that Luka is very motivated, that he came here to do something special with the national team, and then be ready to start the new season.”
Sekulić acknowledged that having one of the world’s best players naturally puts Slovenia in the spotlight.
“It’s true, it’s always like that – same for Serbia with Nikola Jokić. For me, Dončić and Jokić are the best in the world. We all have big ambitions, especially the fans and people around the national team. We come here to give our maximum, to try to surprise someone and play above our expectations, which is much easier when you have a player like Luka, who makes everyone around him better. That’s how it’s been in the past, and I expect the same now. I just hope the players around Dončić will take advantage of the opportunity.”
When asked about favorites for the tournament, Sekulić didn’t hesitate:
“Number one favorite is definitely Serbia! In terms of their roster – impressive, incredible. They have a coach who’s been there for years, very experienced, excellent, with results to show for it. Serbia has everything needed to win gold. That’s why they’re number one. But favorites don’t always win. Other teams are also very good – maybe not like Serbia on paper, but… The French are always there, we’ve just felt the strength of the Germans in preparation. The Greeks, the Spaniards always seem to be in some kind of trouble, and then they attack from the shadows… Italy is very, very strong, Latvia has an exceptional generation with Porziņģis, and Lithuania is always dangerous.”
Slovenia will have to contend with notable absences as well. Forward Vlatko Čančar will miss the tournament after being ruled out by his NBA team, the Denver Nuggets, and center Josh Nebo is also unavailable – both players of Olimpia Milano.
“We gathered on July 23, and Čančar told me two days earlier that he couldn’t come because his club said he didn’t pass their medical tests. A month earlier I’d spoken with him – he was very motivated, eager to play for the national team. Interestingly, a year ago he was in worse physical condition and Denver allowed him to play (in the Olympic qualifiers). Now he’s in great shape, so this is very strange to me.”
Nebo could’ve been a very important addition under the rims, but…
“I know he had a tough season because of injuries. He played little, but we had a guarantee that he was healthy and ready. Then the club said he wasn’t healthy, that he needed to recover. He himself said the club wouldn’t let him play and he didn’t want problems,” Aleksandar Sekulić concluded.