Bosnia & Herzegovina league and NT

[BiHBasket]

Best BiH players by year born from 2000 to 2005:


2000 Kenan Kamenjas

Last season he was MVP of the Adriatic league 2, and now in his first season he is in the MVP conversations in the Adriatic league. It's crazy that you can describe him as undersized center(207,5 cm) with average athleticism who doesn't shot, and yet he is still so good that he regularly gets double teamed. He's smart, quick, deadly in pick and roll situations, skilled finisher around the rim, capable passer and outmuscled by no one. His last game in the Adriatic league: 28 min, 15 pts(6/8 FG), 9 reb, 2 ast, 2 stl. After he adjusted for the higher level of basketball those numbers became just another day at the office for him.


2001 Kosta Kondic

Combo guard just scored 20 points in 22 minutes for the Borac Banja Luka in the Adriatic league 2. He is under contract with Igokea, but on loan. Given the state of depth in the national team on the positions that he covers he isn't that far, far away from the national team, he just needs one step more. If you are a guard and there is a Adriatic league team that will let you play 15 mpg you are national team candidate.


2002 Aleksa Gataric

Couple of years ago him and Alem Huseinovic made a fun backcourt duo that led BiH 16 national team to the 2nd place in the U16 European championship of the B division. Huseinovic was a good shooter but got lost in the college basketball, last time I heard abut him it was that he is now a popular TikToker Gataric struggles with injuries, he misses too many games. He's now in Spars where he doesn't play much, and still has to prove that he can contribute on the Adriatic league 2 level.

2003 Amsal Delalic

He did play in very limited time in the Champions league and Adriatic league, but physically still seems unready to contribute on that level for the Igokea. We still don't know what kind of player he is, in youth basketball he is a 2 meters tall PG/SG/SF. Igokea invests in him, they have a plan for him, they count that he will play, that they will earn money from his transfer, so let's wait to see his status in the next season.

2004 Zinedin Mulic

He's fine, but athletic SF of his age who isn't a worst shooter should already play for the Spars first team in the Adriatic league 2, or at least in the Bosnian league, but instead he plays for their affiliate in the lower Bosnian leagues.

2005 Elmir Dzafic

He just had 25 min, 16 pts and 10 reb game in Bosnian 2nd division, and this entire season he competes successfully against adult men in that league. I really think he would absolutely dominate against his own age group for the BiH national team, he is a legit center, you can't defend him with a 6'8'' center, or with a 7 footer who is skinny, soft and moves weird, and most of the teams in the summer tournaments play with such.

[BiHBasket]

All players with 14 ppg or more in Adriatic league:

Shannon Shorter 18.57
Kyle Vinales 17.75
Rok Stipcevic 16.89
Jones Bryce 14.61
Nevels Garrett 14.4
Amar Gegic 14.18
Justin Carter 14.17
Jaka Blazic 14



It's unexpected because Gegic was known for his defense, playmaking and rebounding, but not as scorer. In this young Cibona team players like Gnjidic, Prkacin and Brankovic are even more inexperienced than him, so he had to step up, but it's still surprising how much he scores.

Go get them

[BiHBasket]

Those players attend practices for the upcoming games, I separated those who are on the practices just to be cut/DNP in the end.



PG Darko Talic 6'2'' Igokea 1998
PG/SG Muhamed Pasalic 6'3'' Mons 1987
SG Dzanan Musa 6'9'' Breogan 1999
SG/SF Edin Atic 6'7'' Buducnost 1997
SF/PG Amar Gegic 6'7'' Cibona 1998
SF Adin Vrabac 6'8'' Vienna 1994
SF/PF Aleksandar Lazic 6'8'' Mornar 1996
PF Amar Alibegovic 6'8'' Virtus 1995
PF Emir Sulejmanovic 6'9'' Tenerife 1995
C Miralem Halilovic 6'10'' Metropolitans 1991
C Kenan Kamenjas 6'10'' SC Derby 2000



PG Sani Campara 6'0'' Split 1999
SF Haris Delalic 6'8'' Sloboda Tuzla 1994
PF/C Ajdin Penava 6'11'' Mons 1997
PF/C Djordje Topolovic 6'9'' Osijek 2001
C Ismet Sejfic 6'10'' Podgorica 1993

[Katastroika]

Bosnia has stronger roster than Serbia and Croatia for upcoming window. This is a very good team.

[Straight forward]

Bosnia has stronger roster than Serbia and Croatia for upcoming window. This is a very good team.

How would you predict 2 upcoming games between Bosnia and Lithuania?

[Katastroika]

How would you predict 2 upcoming games between Bosnia and Lithuania?

Two close ones that can go either way both times. Most realistically 1-1. But same I have to predict for almost all games (including Serbia - Slovakia unfortunately).

[Straight forward]

Two close ones that can go either way both times. Most realistically 1-1. But same I have to predict for almost all games (including Serbia - Slovakia unfortunately).

I think Serbia still favorite against Slovakia Bosnia will have by far best baller in the court, but Lithuania again may be a better team. Agree that 1:1 would be the best bet.

[Katastroika]

I think Serbia still favorite against Slovakia Bosnia will have by far best baller in the court, but Lithuania again may be a better team. Agree that 1:1 would be the best bet.

I don't want to spam the topic of our Bosnian friends but you should seriously take a look at the Serbian roster for this window. Too young, too unexperienced. Wouldn't be surprised with a desaster. Anyways, I'll give my observations after the games as I'll attend both in the gym.

Cheers and good luck to you and BiH Basket.

[BiHBasket]

Tier by expected impact:

4.

Talic have zero experience in the national team. 5 minutes for him is ideal in this type of debut.

Vrabac have no business being in the national team. Vrabac minutes on the floor makes me panic, I need inhaler.

3.

Pasalic is there for the veteran presence, he will not try to be a hero.

Lazic will provide athleticism and defense, he can stay in front against various positions(2-4), and if he can provide anything in offense it's just an additional bonus. He doesn't handle the ball, but can make some open shots and finish fastbreaks with vicious dunks.

While those two are somehow important, they are not decisive, it's not their performance that will win or lose a game.

2.

Gegic, Atic, Alibegovic, Sulejmanovic, Halilovic, Kamenjas. It's crucial that couple of them have a good day in offense. It can win a game for us. Musa alone won't be enough.

1.

Musa is obvious No. 1 guy in this team. Every time our offense get stuck team will rely on this tactical solution:

[BiHBasket]

Musa celebrated his MVP award with the Breogan fans. It was also a farewell party because he earlier announced that he isn’t coming back for the next season.

His menager recalled Musa’s reaction when he first time mentioned Breogan:

“I belive that best option for you is to go to Lugo.”

Musa: “What is Lugo?”


And it turned out that club from small town in Spain with passionate fans where he would be first option in offense was exactly what he needed.

[BiHBasket]

Vedran Bosnic has resigned because of disagreements with the Federation. I don't even want to go deep about it, it is irrelevant what really happened, it's just that we are dysfunctional and corrupt state and that reflects in every element of society. Federation, coaches, players behave appropriate for the environment and make dysfunctional organisation.

New coach is Adis Beciragic, national team point guard from the nineties.

FIBA is shameless. They allow Garza to play only as naturalized player, but at same time promote him within "Five players set to break out in the European Qualifiers", and hype "anticipated partnership with Jusuf Nurkic in the long-term". That's not gonna happen, our priority for the naturalized player spot will always be backcourt player, big man as Garza may just play occasionally when simply there is no other naturalized players available.

https://www.fiba.basketball/basketballworldcup/2023/european-qualifiers/news/five-players-set-to-break-out-in-the-european-qualifiers

[BiHBasket]

GM of the Federation: "Jusuf Nurkic will join the national team at August 4, seven days after the start of the preparations."


His last game for the national team:

BiH - Czech 80 : 85, qualifers for the World Cup 2019

Nurkic 29:55 min, 19 pts(5/12 FG), 15 reb, fouled out

Vesely 17:18 min, 4 pts(2/6 FG), 4 reb, fouled out
Balvin 20:40 min, 0 points(0/1 FG), 5 reb, fouled out

[BiHBasket]

List of players for the practices before Eurobasket still isn't announced, but here are three squad decisions which would make me upset, and three changes which would make me optimistic.



1. Rijad Avdic will attend practices. Possibility to happen: 100%

Avdic plays in the third tier in Germany, but his father Samir Avdic is the former national team player, former sporting director of the Federation, and also a politician, so maybe that has something about why he was on the national team list before, and why he will probably be again.

2. Campara will make a final roster. Possibility to happen: 100%

Campara struggles to make any contribution in the Adriatic league, where he is below-average PG. His teammate from Split Nejc Baric is way better guard, everything Campara does Baric does better, and still he isn't even close to make Slovenian team for the Eurobasket. Why is Campara still in the national team is an enigma. It's not like coaches belive in him, he comes, make a team, add more DNP's to his resume, and return to his club.

Vrabac will make rotation. Possibility to happen: 100%

Our national team coaches see in Vrabac a useful 6'8'' athletic, strong forward, so I expect to see him in surprising minutes and roles, like Doncic stopper

What our opponents see is the player who is offensively raw as a guy on his first day on the basketball court, they just let him shoot the ball or try whatever he wants to do with it.

Society if coaches decide that Vrabac will not play for the national team anymore






1. Nurkic will play. Possibility to happen: 90%

We never had player like Nurkic. Delibasic is acknowledged as best Bosnian player of all time, but he played before NBA was a thing for European players, so you can't compare them. Nenad Markovic is the most popular national team player from the independence, simply because he was amazing for the national team, but he was not NBA player.

Nurkic doesn't have many games for the national team, just some qualifers game from time to time, but with some of his acts he shows that he does care about national team. Like when he with his shirt payed a homeage to Bilalovic, who was best scorer of the Eurobasket 1993, and died at age of 43.



2. Gordic will return. Possibility to happen: 10%

He will be 34 in August, and had a serious injury in February(maybe he still isn't even ready). Didn't play for the national team in years, and is bitter because he belives Federation disrespected him in the past.

But I like to imagine that coach or someone from the Federation had a secret meeting with him and convinced him to come back for the Eurobasket, because there is still huge quality gap between him and current national team point guards.


3. Kondic will join the team. Possibility to happen: 20%

Kosta Kondic, as little known Igokea combo who last season played on loan in Adriatic league 2, isn't really a player to be excited before the Eurobasket. But he is our only young point guard who shows glimpses of promise.

He never played for the national team, he was called for the last window but wasn't available because of injury, but if he shows up in the national team camp I see him as the surprise entrant in the team for the Eurobasket.

[BiHBasket]

This is the list of players for the Eurobasket, and it's without any surprises. It's absurd to put three „naturalized“ players when you can have only one, and some players are on the list because of wrong reasons, not because of their basketball qualites, but I will not rant. That's the type of country we live in.

PG John Roberson 5'10'' Manisa 1988 *
PG Sani Campara 6'0'' Split 1999
SG Dzanan Musa 6'9'' Real Madrid 1999
SG Rijad Avdic 6'6'' Muenster 1998
SG/SF Edin Atic 6'7'' Buducnost 1997

SF/PG Amar Gegic 6'7'' last team: Cibona 1998
SF Adin Vrabac 6'8'' Mons 1994
SF Haris Delalic 6'8'' Igokea 1994
SF Jure Zubac 6'8'' Inter Bratislava 1995

SF/PF Aleksandar Lazic 6'8'' Mornar 1996
PF Amar Alibegovic 6'8'' Cedevita Olimpija 1995 *
PF Emir Sulejmanovic 6'9'' last team: Tenerife 1995
PF/C Ajdin Penava 6'11'' Mons 1997

C Luka Garza 6'11'' last team: Detroit 1998 *
C Jusuf Nurkic 7'0'' Portland 1994
C Ismet Sejfic 6'10'' Golden Eagle Ylli 1993
C Miralem Halilovic 6'10'' Nanterre 1991
C Kenan Kamenjas 6'10'' Buducnost 2000



Those 11 have guaranteed spot in a team, it's not important who will be number 12(Delalic and Penava have best chances), because already 11th player in roster Campara is completely unplayable on this level and will play only in blowout.

Roberson, Campara
Musa, Atic
Gegic, Vrabac
Sulejmanovic, Lazic
Nurkic, Halilovic, Kamenjas

[BiHBasket]

Lazic signed for Buducnost, they also added Kamenjas from their affiliate team SC Derby, and Atic is already there, we will have three players in the best Montenegrin team.


Nurkic has arrived at the national team camp, and coach Beciragic already seems very relaxed with him.