Former Serbian national team member Vladimir Stimac analyzed the selection of China a few days before the start of the FIBA World Cup.
When it comes to those who know Chinese basketball best, one is definitely Vladimir Stimac. Serbia and China will compete in a friendly match, but also at the World Cup itself. On this occasion, the former EuroLeague center analyzed China in an interview with MozzartSport:
“I know that team well. They are very competitive and have several players who have been playing in the CBA for many years. They are leaders in their clubs. They got even stronger with Kyle Anderson. Zhou Qi was in Houston and not bad at all.
He has the height, he knows how to play basketball. I believe he could have played in Europe as well. Wang Zhelin is also a center, very good. I can say the same about Zhang Zhenlin who covers the forward position. Point guards should not be underestimated either.“
Stimac continued with his praise, pointing out that this is the strongest team they have, and that they are expected to be competitive.
“These are the best Chinese players that head coach Aleksandar Djordjevic gathered. It’s a good thing for them that he is there, because he introduced them to more modern trends. They play similar basketball to the one we played with him on the bench. I looked here, on their channels, and the training sessions. I notice that they do a lot of similar things to when we were together in the national team.
I’m sure that China will be competitive, that people should not relax and think that they are much weaker than us or something. Especially not nowadays, when everyone is progressing and playing basketball, which is not just a phrase, but a reality.“
The World Cup is scheduled from August 25 to September 10. Apart from Serbia and China, South Sudan and Puerto Rico are also in the B group.