By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
The Serbian basketball team arrived at the Araneta Coliseum to feel the hall floor before the opening game of the 2023 FIBA World Cup with China on Saturday.
Coach Svetislav Pesic stressed that the plans are the same for the selection with the time spent in Belgrade, while captain Bogdan Bogdanović confirmed that the team can’t wait for the games to start officially.
“We came to Manila, we are excited. We had hard preparations, we are happy to be able to start the competition. We know what we have to do,” said Bogdanovic.
In the absence of classic playmakers, it is clear that the ace of the Hawks will have more of the ball in his hands during the phase of organizing the attack. It’s something he often does in Atlanta as well.
“I play the same way here and there, now with maybe more minutes. In Atlanta, I have a similar role, my teammates look for me, and the defense is more focused and we use that. Here they are a little different and then the game adapts more”.
Coach Pesic spoke to the Serbian media.
“We are happy to be in Manila. My first impressions are that everything is great. The hall where we practiced, the hotel, the people around us… Now it’s time to think about the first game. We train a lot, and the focus is on the game. We didn’t spend many days on the court, but we used the time in Serbia to play some matches and some training matches. Now we have to present ourselves in front of the audience at the World Cup. We want to see how we will look when everything starts,” he began and continued:
“As always, nothing changes, the first game is always the most important for us, as is every next one. We played the first game with China the other day, we know that we will play against a good opponent, with a good organization in attack, and a solid defense. We expect a tough game, this is now an official game, not a preparation. Now we want to perfect the game plan and see how it will all look like.”
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Photo Credit: FIBA.BASKETBALL