Svetislav Pesic, the coach of the Serbia, summarized his impressions at the press conference following the match against South Sudan.
The FIBA World Cup and its preliminary phase for the Serbian national team concluded flawlessly with three victories in as many games played. Serbia outplayed South Sudan with a score of 115:83.
“I congratulate my players on their approach from the first to the last moment, especially in transition and on defense. We played against an excellently physically prepared team that is very athletic. They have a clear game concept, and this was a very interesting match. Not more, not less, as I’ve said, every game is important, this is the World Cup.
Winning is important, but it’s also crucial to use such games to progress as individuals and as a team. Tonight, we were very focused, and now we are looking forward to important matches,” Svetislav Pešić said in the opening part of his presentation.
Italy
“We have just finished the match against South Sudan. We are not thinking about Italy. Tomorrow, we will prepare for the match and talk more about it then.”
Nikola Jovic
“What did I tell Jovic? I told him that he makes the decisions himself. Don’t hesitate, if you have space, take the shot; if you can drive to the basket, go for the penetration. He’s very young, and what’s most important is not what I say, but the support he receives from his teammates. Everyone believes in him. That’s ultimately the most important thing.”
Player’s time on the court
“We don’t allocate playing time. We always have a game plan, tactics, and defensive and offensive assignments. We try to stick to that. I don’t distribute minutes, nor have I ever done so before. We aim to execute together, me as the coach and the players alongside me, to implement what we’ve established before the match.
Of course, it doesn’t always go as we want, because the opponent also has a say. What’s important is what we would like to do in the game and attempting to place our leaders where they excel. Honestly, I don’t focus on minutes, unless a player requests rest at times, then we make substitutions accordingly.”
What is the coach most satysfied with?
“I am satisfied with everything, but we need to improve all aspects of our game. Both in offense and defense, help defense, switches. Today, for a significant portion of the match, our one-on-one defense was exceptional. Everyone took responsibility, they were aware of who we were playing against. They don’t respect anyone, and they hit some tough shots. Thanks to that approach, we managed to have team defense as well.
We need to continue that going forward. The concept of team defense is important, but it all starts with defending the playmaker and ends with the big guys. It’s crucial to set up a game where our players feel their best. Also, to create tactics where our players can excel.
I’ve already mentioned, I spoke about that defense, our two most experienced players made 22 assists. You can’t be dissatisfied with that. The team is evolving; they want to collaborate among themselves, and that’s the most important thing. Whichever way you look at it, we are a new team. We have Bogdan and Stefan Jovic who have played together before, but they haven’t had the chance to be on the court with everyone else. The crucial thing is that they cooperate between themselves. Practice is important, but what happens before practice and after the game is even more important.
What I like or not, I would love for us to play for each other. I think we’re on the right track, regardless of the fact that one should never scrutinize a victory. These are good wins; we’ve left a good impression, and victories boost self-confidence. We’re moving forward. This is just the beginning, not only for us but for all participants in the FIBA World Cup.”
What does the team do in their free time, and what about captain Bogdanovic?
“He sleeps. He sleeps and dreams. I can’t wake them up. We have excellent training conditions. Everything is at a high level. The organization is great so far, the players have good beds. I asked the players if we should change the beds. When we lie down, we sleep through the night, that’s what they told us. The best regeneration is a good sleep. For these upcoming matches, it would be best if this press conference ends as soon as possible, but no problem, if we have to stay here until morning, we’re here,” Svetislav Pešić concluded with a laugh.