2014 Slovenian NT

[Alyosha12]

Ah, sometimes I hate myself being right.

It's time for changing the rest of the generation, meaning Lakovič, Balažič, Joksimovič and Nachbar will be likely out of NT.
Candidates for a refreshment will sooner or later be Prepelič, Omić, Bolčina, Dimec, D. Murič, Rebec, Hrovat, Lapornik, Pajič which still have some time to proove their worth and improve, while I've already given up on Rupnik and Rojc. Hopefully some new Blažič could pop up from nowhere again.

It's unbelievable how many PF's we've had 10 years ago and how few there are right now, even more for PG's. After Dragič... we don't have any single PG with a perspective to do something big. They all get screwed up in the process even if they are the most numerous around the age of 16, 17...

I think our guys did well. They are still heroes in my book TBH. And i don't know if you should kick out Nachbar just yet. Every team needs some veteran leadership. And depending of the season Joksimovic has, i would not be automatically against him returning for the WC - if we qualify. And i seriously don't want the pussy Slokar in our team anymore. I would much much rather have Zupan then him.

So for the future our team seems to be:

G. Dragic/Prepelic
J. Blazic/Z. Dragic
Z. Dragic/D. Lorbek/E. Muric
E. Lorbek/Morina(??)
G. Vidmar/M. Begic

So lets all pray that Prepelic takes one or two huge leaps forward next year and learns how to play the PG position. That may be Sagadin works some magic with Morina, though seeing him play i am not so impressed as many seem to be. Bolcina i do like. He is huge and strong, but he is still a bit rough, don't think he will get enough playing time in Krka though, he should be given on loan to some other team, may be Elektra or something like that for half a season. Lets hope he can smooth out the edges, same goes for Dimec, who will have to leave Lasko by the end of next season or else he is done. As for the rest, i don't see a lot of potential. But who knows, i didn't even notice Blažic and look at his growth. Also i really like Pajic.

There is some potential but i don't know how many of these players can be EL players, and how many could be genuine starters in a EL team. I don't watch enough of them to be the judge.

[Joško Poljak Fan]

I would've keep Nachbar as well, but looks like that in the saturday it'll be the last NT game for him and Lakovič.
Even if some people make fun of Lakovič, he is like a hero to me. He was never talented, basicaly his talent was on the level of many as tall members of this forum, but he literaly worked his ass off getting to few of the most reknown european clubs. That's something really rare people are capable of.

As far as I hear Zupan was quite tough to coach in his younger age and that fame obviously is still chasing him.

I'm not in particular fammiliar with all those youngsters as I once would be as well, but hopefully some of them would develope within years. Afterall we don't have any outstanding talents as once Sani, Boki, Rašo, Udrih were... apart from Luka Dončič that will take quite some years before being able to contribute to NT.

Olimpija is somehow getting back on track with throwing out young names (I'm hoping for Brodnik to impress within the next two years as well as Dino Murič becoming more consistant), Helios is questionable due to their sponsor being sold and Sagadin retireing after this season, while Krka has some good names that are being kept on bench due to some AVERAGE foreigners. Imo Domen Bratož could as well develope into a nice PG with playing time there.

We especialy are in need of PF/C fast.
Dino Murič is an energiser, which kind of fits into this team, but is too small with 2.00
Dimec lacks strenght for serious basketball and with Laško i doubt he'd gain those muscles
Bolčina is talented, but pretty much isn't getting the minutes needed
Pajič is too perimeter oriented for my taste so far, while being a class of 92' he will have to show something sooner or later, just as Bolčina he'll depend on good will of Džikić
Morina seems build well enough, just needs the chance imo. He looked good in the NT preparation games.

THe only solution for Prepelič imo is switching to PG, it takes patience for that and I am not exactly sure he will get that in Turkey. He seems as he'll stay a defensive liability nevertheless though.

[MirkoD]

Well, if we talk about the Slo future...who is the right coach for the new period ?
Hot topic already

[Joško Poljak Fan]

Jure Zdovc, easily.

[Alyosha12]

Tomo Mahorič for me. Its gonna be a young team, and we need a coach who knows how to coach young players, and is an excellent coach in his own right.

[Joško Poljak Fan]

Tomo Mahorič has always made things done, while surprisingly never impressing the people he worked with, he is still an enigma to me. At his Olimpija days people gave all the credit to Filipovski (which imo is actually a great assistant and average main coach), while in Rytas he was fired nevermind getting an eurocup trophy. Can't really make up my mind about him to be honest.

From the Slovenian coaches imo vast majority is doomed to be mediocre, some lack experience as a player, some lack inteligence, majority lacks personality and authority that comes along. I believe Luka Bassin will come far now that he has got assistant coaching job with Olimpija, other than that I believe Zdovc at this moment seems the only one to me, out of our pool, that could once reach the status of those top coaches, Messina, Obradović, Ivković, Perasović, Pianigiani, Vujošević etc. ...

The world championship will come too soon for majority of younger players as Rebec, Hrovat, Dimec, Bolčina to shine, so basicaly I agree with your upmentioned roster, while I'd add Dino Murič to it, he might be small but definately fits the energetic profile of our game. Otherwise untill some youngsters make some progress we don't really have anyone to add there.

[Alyosha12]

I don't really get Mahoric too. I mean he has achieved so much with so little, and always gotten to boot after. I don't know it there is something wrong with, him his agent or something, but he just can't get a steady job if he is winning lol. I do like him as a coach though, and i think he was a big part of the run by Slovenia in 2009, so he and Zdovc should get 50% of the credit both IMO. I was very critical of Zdovc as a coach at first, but now i see he is a good coach. I still don't like how he simply just doesn't trust certain players. I remember when he was asked in Olimpija why he didn't play Aleksandrov more, and his answer was "i just don't trust him, i don't know why, he is good, but i don't trust him". The same stroy happened with Shermadini. While Pinkney was on the team Sherma wasn't getting any minutes at all, and Zdovc said he just wasn't ready yet, but after Pinkney left, all of a sudden Sherma was great and was playing great.

Stunts like that are the reason i think Zdovc could never coach a young team, he simply wouldn't play young players enough, and would drive the veterans in the ground. He needs an established team to do well IMO. But as things stand he is developing into a world class coach, which is great for Slovenia, as most coaches bring talented players from their domestic countries into their clubs. Serbian coaches bring Serbs, Italians bring Italian player, Croatian coaches bring Croats etc. Lets hope Zdovc will bring some youngsters to the teams he coaches (apart from Zupan he hasn't done this yet though).

Concerning the young players you mentioned i can see only Hrovat getting an important role on a team and playing a lot of minutes. The rest will most likely play too little to develop into anything by next year. I will try to catch a game or two of his this year, just to see him play a bit. From what i can tell he is a good shooter, which is exactly what our NT needs, so lets hope he doesn't break under Sagadin and develops even further.

[lafa]

Tomo Mahorič has always made things done, while surprisingly never impressing the people he worked with, he is still an enigma to me. At his Olimpija days people gave all the credit to Filipovski (which imo is actually a great assistant and average main coach), while in Rytas he was fired nevermind getting an eurocup trophy.

Story with Mahoric and Rytas is quite simple, since GM of Rytas at that time was Jonas Vainauskas, arguably one of the best Lithuanian manager there ever was, but his main priority (Vainauskas' that is, not Mahoric's) was winning LKL, or rather defeating Zalgiris. Mahoric failed to do that with ULEB cup winner - therefore he got to go. Even though I'm Zalgiris fan, but I admit Mahoric's style of coaching I liked very much..

[Joško Poljak Fan]

Zoran Dragič is questionable for the WC since he'll have to take an operation of hernia at the end of the season.

Weather his brother will be playing this summer or not will be known in monday, after he talked it out with Zdovc today. He said though that Beno Udrih was conviencing him to come so they could play together, which is obviously a neverending saga with our NT. Needless to say with both Dragič and Udrih the ambitions of our NT would be much higher than otherwise, since in the case they won't be there I guess WC will mostly serve as a preparation tournament for 2015 eurobasket.

Vidmar is slowely joining Fenerbahce at practices, but his participation with NT remains a questionmark, Begić unnoficialy said he won't be playing anymore, but since he isn't getting much playing time with Olympiakos he might change his mind. Not sure if Omić is ready for this level, but supposedly he will focus on NBA summer leagues and will skip the WC.

I have a lot of faith in Zdovc though as in my opinion he must be one of the most underated coaches in europe but with Blažič, both Murič's and Lorbek's, Joksimovič, Balažič, Zupan, Prepelič, Klobučar as leaders of this team he wouldn't really have much to work with.

[Straight forward]

Goran Dragič will play in WC! Great news for Slovenia. With him it will be a tough team to beat.

[Joško Poljak Fan]

Yup He said he got enough rest and his ankles are getting better. That turns the whole story around quite a lot since he is getting better with every summer for the past 10 years. I actually wonder if he could keep up with that, that would be sur-real.

Udrih lost the biggest obstacle for playing in the summer, so as far as I've been told, he'll surprise many and actualy show up unless Zdovc resented him previous excuses.
We'd have a deadly perimeter in that case, with Z.Dragič, Blažič, E. Murič, Klobučar/Lapornik defensively as well, yet it shows our production of PF/C's has been extremely poor in the last decade. This team would be killing for a player as Nesterovič, Smodiš, Alibegović, Brezec or Kotnik etc. ...

[Joško Poljak Fan]

Jure Zdovc announced 12 players for A team, 5 best players out of the second (B) NT team will join them at some point and than a standard selection of 12 will be made.

Goran Dragič (PG, 191cm, 1986, Phoenix)
Jaka Klobučar (PG/SG, 198cm, 1987, Krka)
Klemen Prepelič (PG/SG, 190cm, 1992, Banvit)
Jaka Blažič (SG, 196cm, 1990, Crvena Zvezda)
Zoran Dragič (SG/SF, 197cm, 1989, Unicaja)
Edo Murič (SF, 202cm, 1991, Krka)
Domen Lorbek (SF, 198cm, 1995, Gazientep)
Jure Balažic (PF, 204cm, 1980, Tofas)
Miha Zupan (PF, 205cm, 1982, Usak Sportif)
Erazem Lorbek (PF, 210cm, 1984, Barcelona)
Uroš Slokar (PF/C, 210cm, 1983, Estudiantes)
Alen Omić (C, 215cm, 1992, Olimpija)

As predicted Vujačič is out, to my surprise Udrih once again isn't on the list, Zdovc already made a good result in Poland without any significant centers, although this time this is a tough job for him. I do love our perimeter players though, this will be some really annoying defense for some opponents.

Out of B NT I would hope Dino Murič (SF/PF, 201cm, 1990, Olimpija) would somehow squeeze in as he'd fit in the intense fast pace game with his brother and both Dragič's/Blažič perfectly, while I also expect Luka Lapornik (SG, 195cm, 1988, Krka) to make it instead of Prepelič for the same reason. It's pretty obvious with a static game this team's chances drop significantly.
Others in Slovenia B NT are there mostly to give them some quality games in the summer, as they're past the U20 selection but those few games should be good for their development.

[Straight forward]

Obviously the most competitive team along with Lithuania in group D. Unless Australia will surprise as some predicts - including Austalia's players. The guards are really sharp. Goran will be doubled off course, but that will open the doors for other shooters. As for the fast pace it's surely a weapon and the right choice, but had an impression that was the reason why Slovenia couldn't go further in Eurobasket 2013. Goran pushed things a little too hard, instead of waiting for the game coming to him and the team. Too many too fast decisions, too many rashed shots. Anyways, easier said than done. Only few teams in the world is able to play disciplant basketball for 40 minutes and that usually it's the matter of one coherent gerneration.

[Joško Poljak Fan]

I am pretty convienced Aussies will be a really tough team imho! I personaly would give you Lith's the edge, putting Aussies and Slovenia a bit behind roster wise.

Some good observations you've got there. I am not really sure if it was the pressure that prevented them from running, slightly worse first pass than needed, defensive rebounding or some unoptimal rotations, but yeah Goran did seem as overpushing it (especialy vs. France) and Slovenia lost their running game, which i put so much hope into. At this point there are quite some unanswered questions, but I have confidence Zdovc knows what he is doing.

[jesquique]

does anybody know something about Beno Udrih absence again?
The neverending question. From Spain it seems...strange...don´t know the details.
I realised that i could never watch Goran Dragic and Beno Udrih in Slovenian team, and Tony Parker and Rodrigue Beaubois, either.
I am not neither slovenian nor french, i only love basket.