1/8: Spain vs. Serbia Montenegro, 20:00

[chez-martin]

Calderon best Guard of WC so far.

I love this player. I love the way he plays basketball and the way he feels basketball; like Rafa Nadal in tennis
His nickname in the spanish tv is "Mr. Catering", hehe

We need Felipón Reyes, I hope that he recovers of the injury provoked by Scola

[SHARP]

I think Spain will be in semifinal

[Remy]

I saw the last five minutes of the game..

by far the most depressing view I've seen this summer. fans are just sitting and doing absolutely nothing. p a t h e t i c.
besides, Serbs suck. Marc Gasol was doing what he wanted, while Serbs palyed with a bunch of relative unknowns. they failed with their stars and now they failed with their youngsters. this team should lose it's No. 3 spot in FIBA rankings and I doubt they will regain it in the near future.. Croatians would probably have a much better performance than this.

k

To say Serbia failed with their youngsters is just pure ignorance. This team did in no way shape or form represent the future of Serbian basketball as the only 2 young guys on this team who will play for Serbia for the next decade are Milicic and new Nets player Mile Ilic. The rest like Tripkovic and Perovic are rubbish and will be replaced by a powerful new generation that include Alexandrov, Teodosic, Tepic, Raduljica, Dragicevic, Labovic, Keselj, Dragovic and Musli. You add to that mix Milicic, Krstic, Ilic and you've got a team that will complete once again for the medals.

[Genjuro]

To say Serbia failed with their youngsters is just pure ignorance. This team did in no way shape or form represent the future of Serbian basketball as the only 2 young guys on this team who will play for Serbia for the next decade are Milicic and new Nets player Mile Ilic. The rest like Tripkovic and Perovic are rubbish and will be replaced by a powerful new generation that include Alexandrov, Teodosic, Tepic, Raduljica, Dragicevic, Labovic, Keselj, Dragovic and Musli. You add to that mix Milicic, Krstic, Ilic and you've got a team that will complete once again for the medals.

Compete when? In five years?

[Remy]

Compete when? In five years?

Not in 5 years but next year. You add Milicic, Krstic, Ilic and some of the young guys I mentioned who are in the same generation as Akyol (who is already part of the Turkish team) and bring back Stojakovic, Radmanovic, Pavlovic, Milojevic, Vujanic and you have a combo veteran + young team competing for the next 5 years and when the veterans retire that young guys I mentioned will carry on so Serbia has nothing to worry about. The only thing is finding a coach who understands this.

It baffles me why Sakota chose the players he did as they do not represent the future and his main goal was to develop the next generation. Bizarre.

One player I think should be eliminated is Rakocevic. He is incredibly selfish. No wonder none of the teams he has played for have won anything.

[Joško Poljak Fan]

To say Serbia failed with their youngsters is just pure ignorance. This team did in no way shape or form represent the future of Serbian basketball as the only 2 young guys on this team who will play for Serbia for the next decade are Milicic and new Nets player Mile Ilic. The rest like Tripkovic and Perovic are rubbish and will be replaced by a powerful new generation that include Alexandrov, Teodosic, Tepic, Raduljica, Dragicevic, Labovic, Keselj, Dragovic and Musli. You add to that mix Milicic, Krstic, Ilic and you've got a team that will complete once again for the medals.

International basketball is a different thing than a draft hype, being great potential for NBA at 16-17 doesn't mean anything at all, and even being a solid NBA player doesn't mean your team will be anything special- pure examples: Slovenia, Turkey before this championship and on the other hand starless Italy and NBA-less Greece...

Tripković is having substantial troubles with his progress for the past 2 years, but he has been known as one of the top talents probably since he was 13,14 years old... he'll explode one day.
Perović is far from player he was advertised to become - most people realised that pretty fast, in his 2nd senior season when he didn't have Krstić playing along him in Partizan anymore, he might develope into a usefull center, but imho not a NT caliber, especially consider the ammount of tall centers Serbia has...

Serbia did try to bring some young players on this tournament, but because of injuries failed to do so, so this team was not filled with young talents and also wasn't the team Šakota actually could gather in the first place.

Serbia is changing generations right now. I think Darko is showing he could be one of the main players in years to come, Popovič and Marinović will stay in the NT... as far for the rest Avdalović, Aškrabić or Jorović might get in given that imo S&M should forget about most of those NBA stars and go "european way"
Vujanić should get in, wouldn't mind if Rakočević stays out- same for Radmanović, Stojaković or Pavlović...

[Joško Poljak Fan]

It baffles me why Sakota chose the players he did as they do not represent the future and his main goal was to develop the next generation. Bizarre.

that were his intentions, but could not afford to choose the players you've listed since he still wanted at least some result (comparing Akyol to others makes no sense since you've mostly listed tall NBA prospects, which are much more vulnurable at younger age than guards, because of their physique+ with having 1-2 young players in serious bball system it works out somehow, having half of a team younger than 19 years means 99% dissaster) players like Bogdanović, Cvetković and some other young players had troubles with injuries, so Šakota was left without his vision of a young team as well as without some players that could've strenghen his team if he wouldn't choose to go with youngsters...

[Remy]

Nice points Matiz,

Glad we agree about Rakocevic and Perovic. Sorry but Tripkovic just doesn't do it for me. You're probably right about Radmanovic - overrated and simply trouble for team spirit. Pavlovic will probably end up playing for Montenegro and again who needs him anyway. Avdalovic should be dumped and replaced by Teodosic. I think Popovic and Marinovic are good for now.
No need to mention Jaric. Stojakovic still has something to give.

Anyway, here's a SERBIA (white eagles, plavi are now history) team that I think can seriously compete in 2007-2008

PG - Popovic, Marinovic, Teodosic
SG - Vujanic, Tepic
C - Krstic, Ilic, Raduljica
PF - Milicic, Milojevic
SF - Stojakovic, Alexandrov

[Genjuro]

Not in 5 years but next year. You add Milicic, Krstic, Ilic and some of the young guys I mentioned who are in the same generation as Akyol (who is already part of the Turkish team) and bring back Stojakovic, Radmanovic, Pavlovic, Milojevic, Vujanic and you have a combo veteran + young team competing for the next 5 years and when the veterans retire that young guys I mentioned will carry on so Serbia has nothing to worry about. The only thing is finding a coach who understands this.

It baffles me why Sakota chose the players he did as they do not represent the future and his main goal was to develop the next generation. Bizarre.

One player I think should be eliminated is Rakocevic. He is incredibly selfish. No wonder none of the teams he has played for have won anything.

Ok, so you bring back the old guys. I though you were talking about having only Milicic, Krstic, Ilic and the youngsters. Obviously, that wouldn't make the cut.

However, if you bring back all those guys, you might bring back the troubles as well. And especially, I don't see any high quality and experienced guard among those (Vujanic hasn't played for two years and it's a mistery when and how he will play; unlikely with the National Team, as these short and intense tournaments are dangerous for a guy with his injury record). In international basketball, the backcourt is extremely important.

Ok, that roster you have posted would clearly be a serious upgrade, but hardly to get Serbia back to the very top level in international basketball.

[Akyol]

My opinion about the Serbian problems: I think the problem is not at the court, it is outside. I have two questions:

1) What's the real reason Stojakovic denies to play for Serbia in the last tournaments? Is he really injured and tired? I think he had much more difficult seasons when he played for the Kings and was part of the team who won the 2002 title. Perhaps there is a problem with the federation and their crew?

2) We all know Serbia has coaches who are one of the most famous and best in the world. Why didn't they want to take over the Nationalteam? What was the reason Maljkovic said that he won't take over this Nationalteam? Perhaps he has some problems with the federation and their crew,too?

[Picek]

Nice points Matiz,

Glad we agree about Rakocevic and Perovic. Sorry but Tripkovic just doesn't do it for me. You're probably right about Radmanovic - overrated and simply trouble for team spirit. Pavlovic will probably end up playing for Montenegro and again who needs him anyway. Avdalovic should be dumped and replaced by Teodosic. I think Popovic and Marinovic are good for now.
No need to mention Jaric. Stojakovic still has something to give.

Anyway, here's a SERBIA (white eagles, plavi are now history) team that I think can seriously compete in 2007-2008

PG - Popovic, Marinovic, Teodosic
SG - Vujanic, Tepic
C - Krstic, Ilic, Raduljica
PF - Milicic, Milojevic
SF - Stojakovic, Alexandrov

Vujanić didn't play any serious basketball for almost two years now, he is still without a club and you expect him to be ready for next years european championship. even if he does come back the question is will he ever be the old Vujanić we all know..

Teodosić is only 19 and without any experience or with very little experience..
same story with Raduljica and Alexandrov missed the entire season and that could be crucial for his development..

that could prove to be a great team one day but not for the european championship in Spain, it's simply too soon for them to do something big there..

[PHILIPeurobasket]

Spain NT is great, there are so good ... I think that they can beat USA, if they will play like today !!!

Navarro, Calderon, Gasol, Garbajosa ... they are great !!!

[Perseus]

Sorry to say but if Spain play like today they will lose .

[Srle]

Thanks good this is the last game we played as S&M. Nightmare is gone. It will be better.

[Genjuro]

Sorry to say but if Spain play like today they will lose .

So would Lithuania, Argentina and Turkey. Who is gonna win then?