By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
The game against the Czech Republic didn’t hold any surprises, Serbia is gearing up for the clash against Turkey and then for the knockout phase of the EuroBasket.
With captain Bogdan Bogdanovic already leaving for the US, despite the stellar performance so far of Nikola Jokic, Serbia seems vulnerable.
However, when coach Svetislav Pesic was asked if the absence of Bogdanovic might alter the expectations of the team, he just smiled.
The Serbs are still aiming for gold, and Pesic made it quite clear: “Well, how could we possibly change our ambitions? We would be shot for that. We know where we come from. Ambitions don’t change with or without Bogdanović. Right now, we’re only focused on preparing for the game against Turkey. It’s not great, but what can we do? Big expectations are not always good. I’m not saying this to you, but to my players through this press conference. Even realistic goals are hard to achieve. The best way is not to have huge expectations. And we don’t have them.”
Speaking about parting with Bogdanovic, Pesic explained how difficult it is for an athlete to get injured in the middle of such a tournament: “Every farewell is emotional, difficult. I truly regret that he ended this championship in such a way. But what can we do, that’s sports. It’s not the first, and it won’t be the last time. We’ve had similar cases in the past, and I hear Jokubaitis also suffered a serious injury. You can’t predict that. We know Bogdan is standing behind us, supporting the team. We’d all love to see him again, but that will depend on his further rehabilitation in the club.”
After all, the Serbs are the Olympic bronze medalists; they entered the tournament as the biggest, and Pesic explained his mentality in building a team.
Despite the light mood of the presser, Pesic explained how you create team chemistry on and also off the court: “The players have connected very well. We are practicing as much as we can, but also working on personal relations. We have new players, like Tristan (ed. note: Vukcevic). We’re all happy he’s with us, and he’s happy too, but of course, things are a bit different for him compared to everything he’s been through before. We need to help the new guys, also when it comes to overall behavior. Atmosphere and creating positive energy are everyone’s responsibility. Jokić is the same as Tristan. You didn’t see Vanja (ed. note: Marinkovic) – maybe the coach forgot him or had other plans – but he immediately throws himself in, sacrifices himself, and gives extra energy to the others. Everyone must understand their role on the team. And Serbia is above all of us – we are obliged to behave that way. We just need to keep going. There will be tough games ahead. We must come out united, strong. That’s the guarantee of success. Of course, practicing shooting and certain defensive systems is important, but so are personal relations, so that the players understand each other both privately and professionally.”
Photo credit: FIBA