SB Nation Arizona Editor's Pick
Slovenia : Spain; version 2.0
by Blaz13 on Aug 11, 2010 7:22 AM MST
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PrintWhere players have so much fun, extra time happens.
I wanted to go with Where Goran cuts his hair and looks ordinary happens. But you know me, i look at things from a positive point of view. What? Am i the only one who made notes whilst watching The Secret?
New country, new city, new arena, new haircut, same result.
Yes, Spain beat Slovenia in extra time 79:72, but i am not sad about it. Despite losing again, Slovenia looked completely different. Unfortunately that includes Goran also. Goran decided to introduce himself to the home crowd with a new haircut and a clean shave. He looked younger. He looked different. I liked him better with his long curly hair on his head and on his face. Maybe his subconscious liked it better also and decided to play tricks on him, because honestly, he didn't have a good game.
If you're not completely distraught by what I've just written, please join me, while i try to take you and your imagination thru the game like you were there. Hopefully after reading my notes, you'll feel like you don't need a TV or a Radio to satisfy your needs. I know what you're asking: "What's a Radio?"
Notes:
Pregame:
- About 30 minutes of various activities before the game to celebrate the opening of a new arena in Ljubljana. The place is packed with more than twelve thousand people and it looks great!
- This is the only game Spain has and will play outside of Spain during the preparation period. That is very kind and generous of them. I hope their generousity includes them losing this game.
- Watching the news conference from the day before, i hear that despite all his travels, Navarro only communicates in Spanish. Not sure that's completely true, but hey i'm not a real journalist, no need to check the facts.
- Sort of unusual moment where just before tipoff, mayor of Ljubljana adresses the crowd and thanks the Spanish team for coming. He then asks Lakovic (who plays for Barcelona) to translate what he just said to the Spanish team. Not only is he a team captain, he's also a translator. Hope you get seperate paychecks Jaka.
- Navarro is injured and not playing tonight. Nothing serious i think.
- During warmups, Fernandez and Dragic quickly share a hello and judging from gestures, Fernandez compliments Dragic on the haircut. Don't encourage him Rudy!
- Slovenia starting 5: Lakovic, Dragic, Nachbar (has a minor ankle injury), Slokar and Brezec.
- Spain starting 5: Fernandez, Rubio, Reyes, Mumbru and Gasol.
Game:
1st Q:
- tipoff; Brezec tips it down the court, Goran chases it down and it's Slovenia's ball.
- Lakovic passes the ball to almost completely open Goran on the wing; he misses the 3 pointer.
- good 1st defensive possesion by Slovenia; turnover for Spain, Goran with the steal.
- Lakovic&Brezec with a pick'n'roll, Brezec gets fouled. He gets one of two and first point of the new arena goes to Brezec.
- out of bounds play Spain, quick shot by Mumbru and Spain takes the lead for the first time tonight. Yes i realize the stupidity of that sentence.
- Lakovic running point, a lot of movement in the offense by Slovenia; Nachbar drives inside and goes for the slam; he misses it, i think he was suprised he had a clear path; also he looks hesitant because of the ankle
- Dragic with his 1st personal, tried to strip Gasol.
- That haircut is doing wonders, Fernandez is all over Dragic. Settle down guys, what i mean is Dragic&Fernandez are guarding eachother.
- Goran with a tough drive inside, manages to get up the shot, but that was a dificult shot with him falling down and he misses
- Rubio misses a layup
- 2 minutes gone, Spain leads 2:1; better defense by Slovenia
- sweet pass by Slokar to Brezec inside, he misses, Slokar gets the rebound and it's 3:2
- 3 minutes gone, Goran gets his 2nd personal; Fernandez faked 3 pointer, Goran left his feet and he's going to the bench. Goran, Goran. Becirovic comes in.
- Slokar passes a bullet from a 3 point line under the basket to Lakovic and he scores.
- Gasol fouled again, Brezec has 2, Vidmar comes in for him.
- Becirovic with a nice drive inside; would have scored, but Fernandez fouls him. 2 free throws, Slovenia leads 9:7
- Nice drive inside by Becirovic, who delivers a no look pass to cutting Vidmar, who scores. 11:7
- Nachbar gets called for a foul on Mumbru, who was driving inside; i love the rotations and agressiveness.
- 4 minutes left, Calderon comes in for Rubio
- again Becirovic drives inside, defense collapses, he gives up the ball to Lakovic on the wing, who scores on a 3 pointer. I get it Becirovic, you read my previous recap and now you are trying to make me look bad. What, are you like 4 years old? Little maturity please! Slovenia leads 14:8
- Vidmar gets called for a foul on Gasol. He's tough to guard i guess. Hits only one free throw.
- Garbajosa scores on a drive; despite contact, no foul called; both team in penalty. Slovenia leads 16:11
- Samo Udrih from downtown, Slovenia leads 21:13
- 30 seconds left and 1st time out of the evening
- Garbajosa from way outside at the buzzer, end of 1st, Slovenia leads 23:19
2nd Q:
- Dragic back in at the start; i wonder how his foul situation will affect his game
- first offensive possesion for Spain, but great Slovenian defense, they block the shot twice in a row, but then sweet give'n'go for Spain ends with a basket.
- some issues with boxing out and rebounding for Slovenia at the start of the 2nd
- Goran running the offense; despite his foul situation he's reaching into Spanish players when they pass him. Why?
- 2 minutes gone,time out Slovenia, Slovenia leads 23:21, Spain has a 14:6 rebound advantage
- We all know Goran is no stranger when it comes to doing the "dirty work". He borrows a "broom" from a young man cleaning the floor and cleans it with intent and intense focus. If you want something done well, you have to do it yourself.
- nice pick'n'roll Becirovic&Vidmar; Vidmar misses, gets his own rebound and slams it. 25:21 Slovenia.
- nice play by Spain under the basket, but Rizvic blocks it, fast break Slovenia, Becirovic to Udrih to Dragic on a wing, he misses a 3 pointer; he then runs back, intercepts the ball, runs after it as it goes out of bounds, throws it up in the air and Spanish team grabs it, they lose it, another fast break Slovenia and Vidmar misses under the basket as he is fouled. (Dragic was out of bounds, but no call was made there)
- Fernandez comes back in and right away goes to chat with the ref about Dragic being out of bounds. How can you do that to Goran, Rudy!? How?!
- Nachbar and Brezec back in. Nachbar clearly affected by the ankle injury
- better defense by Spain, Nachbar misses, but somehow Rizvic gets an offensive rebound and scores
- Nachbar misses a layup as teams exchange couple of missed shots
- Gasol checks back in; awesome!
- 4 minutes left and Goran gets his first basket of the game on a nice drive inside
- Lakovic stops a Spanish fast break, while the whistle goes off, Goran who was close and thinks it's on him, starts complaining. Lakovic quickly tells him, it's on him.
- Nachbar misses a 3 pointer, he's not playing well.
- sweet bullet pass by Rubio under the basket, but Slokar stops the play with a foul
- 2 minutes left, Slovenia time out, Slovenia leads 29:28. Turnovers: Spain leads 9:3. That's what i'm talking about, be generous!
- Gasol drops Dragic as he's setting a screen, an offensive foul
- zoom in on Dragic's dad in the audience, while Goran looks calm and confident amidst Spanish pressure defense
- a lot of movement in Slovenian offense, but Spain is moving just as well in defense, rotating quickly to open players, but Nachbar finally gets a basket
- turnover Spain, Brezec is holding his shoulder, goes to the bench, Vidmar back in, and 30 seconds later he is fouled under the basket
- 8 seconds left, Spain time out, Slovenia leads 31:28
- Fernandez misses a 3 pointer (he still has no points), halftime Slovenia:Spain-31:28
3rd Q:
- Dragic starts with Lakovic, Nachbar, Slokar and Vidmar
- Dragic alone at the 3 point line, he doesn't take the shot
- nice fast break Spain as it ends with a foul, free throws...guess? Gasol, of course.
- bad pass by Rubio, Dragic picks it up, runs down the court, Mumbru is next to him but it seems like he has a clear path, Mumbru fouls him and gets called for an intentional foul. Not sure if that's true, but i don't care. In the 1st game, Spanish refs had some weird calls, including two intentional fouls. Anything you can do, i can do better. Goran hits both free throws
- Dragic runs around screens, gets a pass from Lakovic, he drives inside, the defense shuts him down, passes to Nachbar who turns it over and a Spanish fast break that ends with an alley oop and an applause from a home crowd. Spain leads 34:33
- Dragic drives inside, gets fouled by Fernandez. Fernandez playing solid defense on 'Gogi'
- Gasol fouled again
- nice play Vidmar to Slokar for a dunk
- Gasol fouled again(feels like i'm repeating myself)
- for once Goran chasing Rudy around, as he delivers a pass inside to Reyes and Spain leads 39:36
- Goran almost intercepts a pass, then plays great defense on Rudy, who then scores on a fadeaway jumper outside the free throw line
- Lakovic passes to Slokar who slams it home
- Dragic drives inside, passes outside to Slokar who is alone at the 3 point line, misses, Vidmar picks it up, shoots, Gasol sends it away, Spain leads 41:40
- Rizvic passes to Dragic under Slovenia basket, while Rubio is harrasing him. When Dragic passes him by, Rubio trips him over with his foot (it looked intentional). Goran doesn't aprecciate it, chats with Rubio. Goran hits both free throws as both teams are in the penalty with 4 minutes left and Spain leading 44:42
- Fernandez with a lob to Gasol, but Dragic will have none of it, jumps high and pokes the ball away to Jagodnik
- Becirovic with a steal and a layup, Slovenia leads 46:44, time out Spain
- Becirovic blocks a shot, Dragic runs away with a ball, but he's so fast, he actually loses the ball and goes crashing on to the floor. Turnover Slovenia.
- Dragic misses a jumper
- Becirovic with a difficult runner
- Gasol fouled again (no joke),luckily he is missing free throws tonight
- Since both teams in the penalty a lot of free throws
- Becirovic with a great pass to Rizvic under the basket. Don't know how, but he manages to miss it.
- Becirovic with a very difficult layup in the crowd
- Becirovic again with a shot from outside (he has 13 points), Slovenia leads 53:51
- 40 seconds left, Lakovic comes in for Dragic
- Garbajosa again at the buzzer for two and it's tied at 53
4th Q:
- Slovenia has some problems in their offense against a great Spanish defense at the beginning of the 4th
- Becirovic with a 3 pointer from a left wing
- Calderon quickly returns the favour
- Becirovic misses a 3 pointer
- Garbajosa drops Lakovic with a moving screen, no call, then a call on Jagodnik. Lakovic and Calderon exchange some Spanish recepies, time out
- Nachbar misses again, home crowd is testing to see how the "wave" looks in a new bigger arena.
- Alley oop Spain, they lead 59:56
- Lakovic with a 3 pointer from a left wing, tied at 59
- Dragic checks back in with 6 minutes left
- nice ball movement, Dragic finds himself alone at the 3 point line, misses
- Nachbar on the bench, getting ankle treatment
- nice drive inside from Dragic, comes up short; some contact, no call, offensive rebound by Slokar as he gets fouled
- another offensive rebound by Vidmar and Slovenia leads 63:59 with 3 minutes left
- zone defense by Spain, Lakovic throws it up, misses, Vidmar with a rebound and a slam, Slovenia leads 65:60, time out Spain
- Fast break Slovenia, Becirovic goes for a layup, but he's blocked. Too bad, two minutes left
- Spain comes down and Gasol slams over Slokar, 65:62
- Fernandez called for a foul on Dragic, he scores on both free throws; 67:62
- great defense by Slovenia, Dragic playing solid defense on Rudy as he scores again, with the shot clock violation buzzer going off, with a fadeaway; 67:64, damn you Rudy!!
- turnover Slovenia, Spain scores as Rubio gets a layup; 67:66, one minute left; timeout Slovenia
- turnover again for Slovenia!, Spain has a fast break, Dragic runs back fast and stops it with his super powers as he intercepts a pass and chases down a ball, but Spain recovers and Vidmar fouls Fernandez; Vidmar fouls out (12 points, 6 rebounds)
- Spain is in penalty, Slovenia is not with 24 secons left and Slovenia leading 67:66.
- Gasol with a difficult turn around-step back shot off the backboard, Spain leads 68:67
- Becirovic drives inside, passes to Lakovic on the wing, he passes to Slokar, who has an open shot, decides to pass to Dragic who drives inside and is fouled by Gasol (maybe a weak call). Ok, in slow motion, it looks like Gasol moved his left foot and kneed Dragic in the thigh. Goran misses his first free throw, scores on a second and we're tied at 68 with 5 seconds left, time out Spain
- Fernandez drives inside, defense collapses on him (some contact), he passes outside to Mumbru on a 3 point shot that he misses at the buzzer and it's overtime with score tied at 68! To think we would have won if Goran hits both free throws
Extra Time:
- Spain playing zone, Becirovic picks it apart, passes to a cutting Rizvic who misses a layup, Spain turns it over and Rizvic gets a slam; 70:68
- Dragic sort of slips and goes into Fernandez and Goran is called for a foul. Dragic has some words for him, as Fernandez elbowed him in the head in that play. Fernandez tries to talk to Goran, gently moves away the ref ( that could be a techical), he embraces Goran and talks in his ear, probably to say he didn't do it on purpose. I'm not making this up. Rudy is really impressed with the haircut i guess. It's like faith is bringing them together. Not that there's anything wrong with that.
- Tied at 70 after Rudy hits both free throws
- Great defense by Spain, as again Lakovic had to force the shot
- Rubio misses a layup
- Dragic with a nice pass to Becirovic who is alone on a 3 point line...he misses
- Mumbru posts up while being guarded by Dragic and somehow, Dragic gets called for a foul (his 4th). Weak call. As we're in penalty, two free throws, he hits one. 71:70
- Spain still playing zone as Slovenia has another turnover
- Fernandez misses, Slovenia has fast break and another turnover. Teriffic. Time out Slovenia, Spain leads 71:70, 2.45 left
- A call on Rubio, Slokar misses both free throws ( 60 % free throw shooting for Slovenia, 64% for Spain)
- Unbelievable "unbalanced, fadeaway, on one foot" aka "The Nowitzki" shot by Gasol; Spain leads 73:70
- Slokar misses a jumper, Fernandez is fouled and Slokar goes to the bench
- Ferndandez hits one, 74:70
- Dragic misses a 3 pointer, Brezec gets a rebound and he slams it 74:72
- Dragic runs the fast break, passes to a wide open S.Udrih on a wing, he misses a 3 pointer (in and out goes the ball)
- Rubio with a tough layup with 48 seconds left, Spain leads 76:72.
- Jagodnik throws it away against Spanish zone
- Fernandez with a difficult 3 pointer, he hits it and it's 79:72 with 10 seconds left
- Dragic quickly goes and misses a 3 pointer with 4 seconds left
- Game over, Spain wins 79:72
Quotes after the game (translated and some edited for length):
Goran Dragic: "It's hard after a loss like this. We wanted to win for the fans, but we came up short. We have to move on. It's better to lose a preparation game like this, than lose a game in Turkey."
Jaka Lakovič: "The game was tough, the same as the game in Spain. As for some "in-game" conflict between various players, it's part of the game, nothing serious. There will be no secrets between teams in Turkey, so we have to play as close to perfect as possible. There is a lot of room for improvement in defense and offense. Since both teams are in preparation phase, one can't expect high quality basketball."
Coach Becirovic: "Arriving in a new arena was special. Too bad, we didn't put a stamp on it with a victory. We had some chances, but we lost concetration towards the end and our field goal percentage was low. Spain, as great and experienced as they are, took full advantage of that. Still, i am happy with the progress we've shown."
Rudy Fernandez: "We have to play every game with effort and focus, despite being a preparation game. We have to keep working hard in practice, so that we will be ready in Turkey. It's good to play a close game"
Ricky Rubio: "This is a big day for Slovenia. Slovenia has a good team and they played well. After a poor start, we were able to come back and win the game. It was unbelievable, great ambient, full arena. It was wonderfull."
Coach Scariolo: "I don't want teams to give up against us, i want teams to fight with us for a victory. We both gave it all we had, we both had an opportunity for a win, yet at the end we managed to come up with a win in overtime. Regardless of who wins, both teams should be happy, since playing a close, hard game benefits both.
I'm sure Spain didn't play with 100% intensity, but still, there are a lot of positives that one can take away from this game. Compared to previous two games, Slovenia actually played basketball that is pleasing to the eye and at the same time we almost beat the world champs.
Considering the following stats, i think we have a lot of room for improvement.
| Ekipa | 2P | 3P | FT | REB | AS | PF | TO | ST | BS | EFF | PTS | |||||||
| M/A | % | M/A | % | M/A | % | O | D | T | CM | RV | FV | AG | ||||||
| Slovenija | 18/41 | 43.9 | 4/21 | 19 | 24/40 | 60 | 15 | 24 | 39 | 8 | 27 | 31 | 9 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 64 | 72 |
| Španija | 25/40 | 62.5 | 4/17 | 23.5 | 17/27 | 63 | 8 | 31 | 39 | 12 | 31 | 26 | 15 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 78 | 79 |
Spain is a world champion, yet at the same time, i'm wondering what was the reason for drop in concetration in the end. Missed shots and a lot of turnovers and it feels like we gave this game away. Like i said, not feeling too bad about it, since it looks like this team can improve.
Now to Goran. He had 9 points and 7 of them came from a free throw line. He missed all 5 three point shots while only making one shot (layup). He had 2 steals with only one turnover. He didn't have a good game, yet i'm not worried. It's obvious he felt pressure playing in front of a home crowd. Slovenian fans expect a lot from him and i guess he felt it.
When he picked up those quick two fouls at the beginning of the game, it was obvious he had to be more carefull. That took away his agresivness, at least until later in the game, when he could afford additional fouls. He is picking up quick fouls, but i have to say, some of them are weak calls to say the least. At the end of the game, it was obvious his shooting percentage affected his confidence, but i'm not worried. I'm sure he'll bounce back this weekend, when Slovenia is hosting another tournment in Maribor.If nothing else, he could at least start growing his facial hair again. And hopefully, with that, his confidence.
That's it from me guys. Sorry for poor editing.
Take care
For your own exploration: Box Score A picture is worth a thousand words
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Comments
Thanks for the update!
Very thorough, but that’s how we like it
Very, very nice - I feel like I was courtside.
Great job, Blaz. Recc’ed. Keep it up.
Auntie Em: Hate you, hate Kansas, taking the dog.
Dorothy
Its makes sense to me that Goran
was tight in this game. He will be much better in future games, I’m sure. But I guess he felt pressure in the opening game, and wanted his team to make a good showing in front of the home crowd.
Blogging Suns Basketball at Bright Side of the Sun
great writeup, Blaz!!
I really hope we keep getting these. It’s like we were there.
Blogging Suns Basketball at Bright Side of the Sun
That was great, thanks!! Im sure he was just nervous or something.
And I say HOORAY for the haircut and clean shave!! :) He looks great with his hair and being all tan and buff but he looks his best with a nice haircut and a clean shave! (in my opinion at least!)
"If the Suns can shock the world
Goran Dragic is the name."
by Dragic_is_Magic on Aug 11, 2010 2:43 PM MST reply actions
Great Write-Up
Could we pay the out of town correspondent with a haul of beer for his commitment and through job…….
Will need your address though and I could send you TSINGTAO beers from China……
I propose an out of town correspondent beer fund. For him to know he is appreciated.
Excellent Blaz……..
Rec’d
My pleasure guys..
During the season it’s hard for me to watch a Phoenix Suns game, so this site did wonders for me with its recaps and writeups. Nice to know i can somewhat return the favour to those who are interested.
SS21 great idea :), haha. Seriously, i never had Chinese beer, so please describe the taste in great detail :)
Blaz
I could keep going on about the stuff
Chinese love reg Beer – Their most famous brand here is TsingTao and it tastes like any regular beer. A watered down Hieneken in my subjective view.
The Chinese also have something called – Cooked Beer (This is served hot during winters) – They have a Chinese Brand of Alcohol (One i cannot name) which is cooked in a WOK with Eggs. It loses alll its frothiness but it does wonders during the severe winters here in China
There is s Chinese Alcohol called “BaiJiu” – It’s fame in China is equivalent to the fame of Vodka in Russia. This stuff is potent. Almost lethal to me. I have tried it twice and both times I have been over-powered by the fumes of the drink. It just makes me go “ARRRGGGGHHH”
Drunk Neat, it literally burns my intestines to ashes.
Want more ???
I brought some baiju back from China to celebrate my wedding with my friends here.
It was interesting to say the least. But my in-laws drink bowls of it – like water.
Auntie Em: Hate you, hate Kansas, taking the dog.
Dorothy
So Dragic has straight hair now, eh? I keep thinking of Gordan Giricek…
by 8472species on Aug 12, 2010 11:23 AM MST reply actions
UPDATE
Hey Guys,
So tonight Slovenia lost to New Zealand by one point in double overtime. No need to go into details, too much things that bothered and since Goran did not play, i won’t do any notes for the game.
Also, Goran probably will not play tomorrow against Russia. From what i read, he still has apparently not recovered and is still not feeling well, so the team just decided he won’t play anymore until he starts feelling better. Team doctors checked him out and apparently he has no illness. Anyway, will update if any new info comes up.
Later
Blaz
Oh no!
:( I hope he feels better soon!!!
"If the Suns can shock the world
Goran Dragic is the name."
by Dragic_is_Magic on Aug 13, 2010 5:34 PM MST up reply actions
Just saw this on the FIBA website and figured this would be a good place to post it.
It’s the Slovenia Team Profile and about halfway through there’s a nice little feature on Goran.. I thought it was pretty interesting.
http://www.fibatv.com/page/Video/0,,12805~1634566,00.html
"If the Suns can shock the world
Goran Dragic is the name."
by Dragic_is_Magic on Aug 13, 2010 11:58 PM MST reply actions
UPDATE
So yesterday, Slovenia beat Russia 81:73.
The reason: Goran Dragic.
After not playing in Friday’s loss against New Zealand (!!), there was a suprise when i tuned in to a tv broadcast for a game against Russia. Coach decided at last minute, that Goran will play. He didn’t start the game, but he did it finish it.
He played team high 29 minutes, scored 23 points (2P M/A: 2/8, 3P M/A: 3/4, FT M/A: 10/12), 4 assists, 5 steals and 3 turnovers.
Altough his shot from the inside is not good, couple of those misses shots were layups in a crowd that he had to throw up due to end of regulation/shot clock violation. Like i said, he did not start the game and Slovenia found itself down 17:4 in the middle of the 1st Q. ENTER Goran Dragic and the whole flow of the game changed. Not only did he score, but he ran the offense much better and somehow his teammates followed him in movement and sharing the ball. Couple of passes he made are not registered as assists, since there was another pass in between, but in my mind that does not matter.
On a couple of steals he really showed great timing playig the passing lanes and when under defensive pressure, he didn’t seem bothered at all. He was calm and confident. It is obvious he is the heart&soul of the team. When he went to the bench and Russia made its run, coach quickly put Goran back in and order was restored. No offense to Lakovic, but even coach realized ball has to be in Goran’s hands. I’m not sure what’s going on with Lakovic, but he does not seem like himself. He was losing balls and just not doing a solid job controlling the game.
When Lakovic and Goran were playing together, coach made sure Goran had the control of the ball, especially when crossing the court (as a fan, one feels very confident with him as the main ball handler).
I wish i made some notes during the game, so i could be more specific, but i didn’t expect him to play, so i was not prepared well :). I still think Goran is not feeling 100% well, he seemed somewhat not as high energy as i’m used to seeing him, but he was still the best player on the court. Russia even tried to play him, so he could not even get the ball.
Tonight we play against Serbia who beat Russia on Friday and New Zealand yesterday. I wish i could say it’s going to be a good game, but with Slovenia, you never know. Hopefully Dragic plays, since the team looks so much different with him in it.
Player of the game Goran Dragic after the game:
“Different games against New Zealand and Russia. That just shows that defense is the key! We gave New Zealand way too much room ( he didn’t play ) and they killed us with their shooting. We played better defense against Russia, got some fast breaks and that was it. Again, we lost large lead towards the end, and that leaves you with a bad taste in mouth. I think we have some room for improvement in defense, mainly the communication among players.”
Blaz
Wow, thanks so much for writing these recaps! I love knowing how Goran is doing!!
Im so happy that he’s back playing and I really hope he is feeling better!
He truly is amazing! :)
"If the Suns can shock the world
Goran Dragic is the name."
by Dragic_is_Magic on Aug 15, 2010 10:37 AM MST up reply actions
UPDATE
So, yesterday i was busy and didn’t have time to catch the game against Serbia. I thought i would make it back in time to watch but i could not make it.
Slovenia lost to Serbia yesterday 82:73. Serbia performed very well and the way they are playing, they will probably end in top 5 in Turkey. Serbia’s defense concentrated on the Slovenian backcourt, their defense was stretched and agressive. That left room for our frontcourt to be more efficient, but Serbian coach didn’t care about that. He wanted to stop Slovenian backcourt and he did. Slovenia’s trouble in defense countinued as they got beat again and again and again….poor rotations and communication. What’s even worse is the total assist number for Slovenia: 4. Pathetic.
Goran Dragic played 23 minutes, had 9 points (2P M/A: 1/6, 3P M/A: 2/5, 1P M/A: 1/1)-(6 of those in the 4th Q), 1 assist and 1 turnover. From what i’ve read, he again received 3rd personal in the middle of the 3rd Q and since he didn’t agree, he also received a technical (4th personal – counts as a personal foul) and went to the bench then. Serbian defense was apparently very focused on him and Lakovic thruout the game.
I also read some additional news regarding his condition. He is slowly getting better he said, but the reason he missed the game on Friday is stomach issues that have not been resolved since China. The reason is some bacteria he ingested in China when he went to eat a meal on his own, which he regrets. He said he lost some weight and that he gets tired quickly (after 5 min of agressive playing) and is only now getting back the conditioning. Like i said yesterday, he also thinks there is too little communication in defense and not enough fast breaks. He also said, the number of preparation games Slovenia has/will play is high. (some controversy in Slovenia regarding the number of games)
Slovenia travelled to Athens, Greece on a night flight, where they will play from Tuesday to Thursday against Serbia, Canada (NASH!!) and Greece. Those will be the last preparation games (15 all together) before Worlds.
Guard Sani Becirovic, who got injured against New Zealand will not play again until the Worlds, which means even more minutes for Lakovic and Dragic.
Blaz
very interesting
love the constant updates.
I do wonder why Slovenia is playing SO many prep games. Given that Goran already played 100+ games last season and now 15 prep games this summer followed immediately by the Worlds, followed immediately by the next 100+ game Suns season… I’m glad he isn’t expected to play 30+ minutes a night for the Suns.
Blogging Suns Basketball at Bright Side of the Sun
No idea Alex
as to why so many preparation games. I guess coaching staff decided that this is the only way to see how certain guys play together, how they respond and see errors in the game.
The critics say that the challenges with such a high number of prep games are fatigue, injuries and not enough time spent in practice correcting errors, adapting and generally improving.
Yes, hopefully Goran won’t be so fatigued, that Suns decide not to give him permission to play for the national team in the future.
Blaz
Thanks for this!
I really hope Goran doesn’t get fatigued! Im glad to hear that he is starting to feel better though! Thanks so much for all these updates!
"If the Suns can shock the world
Goran Dragic is the name."
by Dragic_is_Magic on Aug 16, 2010 4:28 PM MST up reply actions
UPDATE
Slovenia played Serbia again tonight, this time in Greece. There was no broadcast avalaible anywhere, even online, if you get what i’m saying. Ridicolous!
Serbia:Slovenia – 82:81 (21:27, 17:24, 23:14, 21:16)
As you can see, we again gave up large lead and i’m not kidding you, again we lost on a last second missed layup under the basket (!!) by Primoz Brezec. Slovenia is improving and that’s good to read, but giving up leads is not very productive.
Player of the game is Goran Dragic of course. He played 31 minutes, scored 27 points (2P M/A: 7/11, 3P M/A: 3/6, 1P M/A: 4/5), had 6 rebounds, 7 assists and also 7 turnovers.
From what i’ve read (game ended one hour ago), there was controversy in the middle of the 3rd Q, when Goran was whistled for a 3rd personal and both him and coach received technicals due to protesting and that made it a lot easier for Serbs to make a comeback. Lakovic had 4 personal fouls in the middle of the 2nd Q already.
I’m not sure what to make of giving up leads, and also i’m kind of wondering what this team looks like if you take away Goran. He is playing on a whole different level. Total team assists went up from the last game (not very hard to do) but still not a very high number. The whole team had only 11 assist compared to 19 that Serbia had. And remember Goran had 7 of those 11. Not only was he scoring he was distributing the ball very well also. Not sure what’s up with 7 turnovers, maybe he was thinking of going for quadruple-double.
Not much else i can add, except:
Coach Becirovic: “We played a good game and were a better team thruout the whole game. Referee criteria kind a threw us off, and in the end Serbs escaped with the win. I am excited by the fact that we are improving”
Goran Dragic: “This was a great game, we played well for 35 minutes, got the lead up high but then too quickly went into a penalty situation. Serbia took advantage of our mistakes and closed the gap with free throw shooting. There were couple of plays where we didn’t finish like we should. We had an oportunity for the win with the last second layup, but we didn’t manage to come up with the basket. We are improving tough.”
Blaz
by Blaz13 on Aug 17, 2010 12:24 PM MST reply actions 1 recs
Also...
Out of 27 points Goran scored, 21 were in the 1st half.
Blaz
if the refs will be the same in the World Championships
Goran’s gonna have to figure out how to stay out of foul trouble.
Blogging Suns Basketball at Bright Side of the Sun
Indeed.
I know you haven’t watch any games, but still – do you think he’s too agressive?
Blaz
I really can't answer that
and maybe you can’t either if you don’t get a lot of NBA games. But from what I recall, the FIBA rules on perimeter defense are more lax than NBA rules, meaning the players are able to get away with more physicality. So if he’s still getting called for the fouls, then he must be more aggressive than is usually is with the Suns. This is a good thing, meaning he’s trying really hard on defense, but ultimately doesn’t help if it results in fouls.
Blogging Suns Basketball at Bright Side of the Sun
well, maybe he's being a little too aggressive
Guard Goran Dragic scored 21 points for Slovenia in the first half, but only 6 in the second. He helped Serbia’s comeback in the third period, when he was whistled for a flagrant foul and a technical for protesting. He was lucky not to be ejected for chest-bumping a referee. The Serbs used an 8-0 run to close within 62-60.
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/basketball/2010-08-17-857136650_x.htm
Blogging Suns Basketball at Bright Side of the Sun
Wow
There was no mention anywhere in Slovenia media that he chest-bumped a referee, only that he didn’t like the call and protested.
Thanks for the link Alex! What is up with Canada?! Losing by 74 points?! We play Greece tonight, hopefully they got it out of their system :)
Blaz
I wish
i’d seen the flagrant call. I saw 4 different flagrant calls in 3 preparation games and only one of them was a decent call, rest of the calls were weak.
Blaz
well that may be (weak calls)
but you can’t lose your cool with refs
Blogging Suns Basketball at Bright Side of the Sun
sure
I am not defending his actions after the call, i’m just trying to understand what kind of criteria refs are using for the calls.
Blaz
ok, not to be a wet blanket at all
but is there a chance that Goran does not make his teammates better? That he can get stats, but when he’s the leader he doesn’t help others rise above?
I can’t tell, cuz I can’t watch the games. Just an observation of good stats on an otherwise bad team.
Blogging Suns Basketball at Bright Side of the Sun
by Alex Laugan on Aug 17, 2010 12:57 PM MST up reply actions
From the games i watched
during the preparation period, team is playing a lot better when he is playing and being able to orchestrate the offense. If he’s out, the whole team looks more or less static.
Also he’s been with the team now for 2 weeks and i’m pretty sure Steve Nash could not make this team a lot better in such a short time period. This is not the same team that was 4th last year in Europe.
Blaz
well thats true (not the same as last year)
I think Lorbek made a huge difference last year.
but also, I thought Lakovic was good last year and he doesn’t seem to be good this year.
Blogging Suns Basketball at Bright Side of the Sun
Great news about Goran!
Thanks again!
"If the Suns can shock the world
Goran Dragic is the name."
by Dragic_is_Magic on Aug 17, 2010 4:23 PM MST up reply actions
UPDATE
No Becirovic, no Nachbar, no Brezec, no heart, no pride, no chance!
Slovenia lost yesterday to Greece 96:72. Luckily there was no tv broadcast, because according to recaps, if i had to watch this game, i would probably throw up. And during the game, Greece was at one point leading by more than 30 points.
Goran played 14 minutes, had 2 points (one shot made out of 10 attempts), had 3 assists and one turnover. Again, he received a technical.
I don’t care that it’s a preparation game, i don’t care who didn’t play, i don’t care how the refs are calling it and i don’t care if Canada lost to them by 70. When did Greece become the original dream team? There is absolutely no excuse for the pathetic performance that they showed (once again).
Goran obviously played a miserable game, which is maybe not too suprising, since his previous game was good. Not sure what’s going on, but it’s like he’s not capable of performing well on a consistent basis. I’m sure the overall team “suckness” factor is affecting his game, but he could still perform better, no matter how pathetic the rest of the team is. And make no mistake, this team really is bad right now. Also, maybe somebody should tell Goran, Rasheed Wallace is not a role model you want to follow. I’m pretty sure Steve or Grant would talk to him, if he was pulling this shit on the Suns team. Stop complaining and play the game. You’re more than capable of performing well, despite maybe some weak calls.
Lakovic threw away 9 balls and had 6 points. Please tell me you’re joking. You’re suppose to be one of the best point guards in Europe in this is the standard?! Really? I could play better and i’m only half-joking. And can somebody call Beno and tell him he can come back as a starting point guard, a coach and a team PR guy. At least he’s honest! “What?! Jaka is the team captain and a starting point guard…where’s Ashton?! Am i on Punk’d!” No worries guys, Jaka can still be a team translator of course.
Maybe i’m being too harsh on them. Who knows, maybe this is only some weird, “out of the box” strategy coach is playing out, that will make other teams think we really really really ridicolously suck, so that when we play them later in the Worlds, we can easily “cruise” to victory. Wow, coach, what a great elaborate prank. Kudos to you.
Blaz
yeah, I saw a mention of the game in passing
yesterday, yet no mention of Goran so I figured he didn’t play. Seems he didn’t play much. All those guy out and Goran still only played 14 minutes? I guess that was a throw-away game.
I think they play again today, so maybe the coach is protesting the though schedule of prep games. This makes 3 in 3 days, after 3 last weekend I think.
Great writeup once again Blaz. Love the personality coming out!
Blogging Suns Basketball at Bright Side of the Sun
thank you Alex!
Yes today is the last preparation game (against Canada, who suprisingly won against Serbia yesterday!) they play before the Worlds and yes, you’re right, again 3 games in 3 days. Those guys not playing is due to minor injuries, which is not suprising. Like you said, i wish it really was a throw-away game, but i’m not sure if that was the case, since coach said after the game, he’s not pleased with the effort and approach to the game. Maybe players themselves are “protesting”. Then again, you’ve got some players telling the media the number of games is unusually high and some saying this kind of a schedule is good for them, since the schedule of games is similar in the Worlds. Only one problem: with this kind of level of play, they will be going home after 3 games. You’ve got some players saying in the media, that playing individually won’t cut it, and that frontcourt needs more touches. At the same time, when passed to, those big guys are missing layups, they should hit by accident.
Blaz
The fact that Goran was just compared to Rasheed Wallace does not sit well with me...
Do you think he’s just frustrated with the team not playing well? I agree that Steve and Grant would talk to him if he was doing that here. Im sure the coaching staff would as well. But I just can’t help but wonder if he’s more agressive because he’s playing a leadership role and his team isn’t doing well or if it’s that he is just more agressive in general.. Hopefully he will be more calm when he comes back. I certainly don’t want to see him getting technicals like that with the Suns..
"If the Suns can shock the world
Goran Dragic is the name."
by Dragic_is_Magic on Aug 19, 2010 7:33 PM MST up reply actions
I really hope that technical thing is not something he brings back.
Considering he got the first technical of his regular season NBA career in the WCFs, I think that Steve, Grant and Alvin would be extremely surprised if he was consistently chest bumping refs when he came back for the season.
Maybe its the haircut.
Or maybe he’s pissed at ESPN for not thinking his teams not going to be good this year…again.
Regardless, this is one game I’m not going to be trying to find on the internet.
I agree.
The whole drama between him and Vujacic was intriguing, yes. But not exactly fun.. As much as I blame Vujacic 100% for everything that happened between them in games 5 and 6, Goran still did sort of instigate him before he got elbowed. Which I understand. There is obviously something deeper there that we don’t see. But for him to get technicals for arguing calls is something I don’t want to be hearing about from him. I really hope this is something he is just dealing with and that he gets this sorted out before training camp. I hope we will not have to be talking about this again, come the regular season.
And it very well could be the haircut. :) Every picture I’ve seen of him with it, he just looks angry…
"If the Suns can shock the world
Goran Dragic is the name."
by Dragic_is_Magic on Aug 19, 2010 10:32 PM MST up reply actions
I don't know anything about what Goran said to Vujabitch.
Or anything like that, only that Sasha said he was talking about ‘mothers and family’ and Goran said ‘I wanted to stay hot’ and then I read an old interview where he said he wouldnt give Udrih crap about scoring three in a game when he saw him so it didn’t seem likely he’d instigate it. I don’t know though, I’ve never met him or had an in depth conversation with him.
I think that he might just be frustrated because as far as these recaps go (thanks Blaz) he seems to be playing really hard every game, and he’s not getting much help from his teammates. Once again, I could be completely wrong.
I don’t know if its something he’ll bring back with him. I sure hope not, but if it is I’m sure the coaching staff and or Nash and or Hill will have a serious discussion or something along the lines of that so he doesn’t become known as a clown or something. I couldn’t handle that. Someone lived in my house this summer who realized how much I hated Vujabitch and decided he would express that towards Goran and adore Sasha? And if Goran got a bad rep and he came back to stay with us again this summer I think I’d die or move out.
Let’s just hope it gets fixed or he learns to rein it in a little :)
I'm honestly not worried
about Goran and technical fouls. The comment i made was more me being facetious and expressing my frustration towards general play of Slovenia. I also think that’s one way of him expressing the same thing. Clearly he feels the pressure, that he needs to be successfull for this team to perform well, so perhaps when a bad call comes his way, he reacts, as if the chance to help his team is being “taken away” from him and on some level feels like he’s letting a team down and doesn’t know how to express it differently.
I think he’s just a young player, who is still learning, that there are different ways of expressing his frustration. Some being constructive, others not so much. He needs to recognize that a bad call doesn’t necessarily mean he’s losing power, the ability to perform well. A bad call is not a negation of everything positive up to that point, of every minute of hard work he put(s) it. It’s just a call, let it go and play.
Also, you could not get a better role model, a better “teacher” than Steve and/or Grant, so i’m not worried. Another year with them, just observing them, will do wonders.
Just my opinion.
Blaz
I'm gonna say that your opinion is probably much closer to the actual thing,
because I thought it was the haircut. :)
Usually the most simple theory is correct,
so it just may be you’re on to something with the haircut :)
Blaz
That's what I was hoping to hear! :)
I just never really expected that to be any sort of problem with him, so I suppose I was just a little surprised by that. I guess I just want him to stay perfect. ;)
"If the Suns can shock the world
Goran Dragic is the name."
by Dragic_is_Magic on Aug 20, 2010 2:46 PM MST up reply actions
UPDATE
So, i have no idea what this means. No idea where we stand, so to speak.
Let’s sum it up:
Day1: Serbia beats Slovenia by one point after trailing most of the game.
Greece channels The Dream Team, and beats Canada by over 70 points.
Day2: Greece spanks Slovenia by over 20 points.
Canada beats Serbia.
Day3: Slovenia beats Canada by 15 points.
Greece beats Serbia by one point.*
*Game ended with 2 minutes left. If you haven’t seen a video, go check it out. There must be something in the air, because both teams went crazy. Even before that, serbian coach was ejected. Not suprised. Serbs and Greeks are “passionate” people. Obviously, they are also idiots. No excuse for that. And Krstic should be suspended for at least the whole Worlds. Not only was he trying to fight, he threw a chair, then he ran away. Smart choice, since “baby Shaq” would probably eat him. He looks like he eats a lot.
Anywhoooo, Slovenia beat Canada and that makes me officially puzzled. I have no idea how this team will perform in the Worlds. If they make it to round 2 i would not be too suprised, but anymore than that and i would be very suprised. Unless Goran feels like he’s in San Antonio and every game is a 4th quarter.
There was no tv broadcast here in Slovenia, so my only impression of the game is from the box score and recap in Slovenian newspaper. Goran played 24 minutes, scored 4 points (made one shot out of five), had 3 steals (game high), 7 assists (game high) and 5 turnovers (game high). That’s right. He’s not bias towards getting high numbers in only one aspect of the game. He doesn’t judge as to what’s bad or what’s good. At least it looks like he was setting up teammates. As for scoring, he didn’t need to do that, since Jaka decided to check back in after taking a, sort of mental sabbatical. He played 34 minutes, scored 19 points (6 out of 7 field goals), 5 assists and 2 steals. Slovenia had 24 assists against Canada. I think that’s not an accident. It clearly shows that Steve Nash need not be present to inspire players to play “the right way”.
“Steve, you complete me, eh!”
I want to dismiss this win and say, how hard is it to beat Canada?! Then i look at the scores and see that Serbs would say it’s hard. Right before throwing a chair at me for posing that question.
So, Worlds in Turkey starts on Saturday (next), when Slovenia plays Tunisia. Not sure i will be able to watch it, since i’m going on a mini vacation (depending on the weather). As for Sundays’s game against USA – should we just throw it away?! No? Yes? Maybe?
Blaz
I want to add
that my expressed disgust regarding a brawl in a Serbia-Greece game is my point of view of how i feel about this kind of behaviour. There is no excuse, none whatsover. I would have the same kind of reaction if Slovenian players were involved in a brawl. They would not get my support and/or approval of their actions. I know a lot of people from Serbia, to whom i will express that i find behaviour of “their” team and Greece, unexcusable if opportunity comes up.
Blaz
I wish i could edit
my comment. The remark i made “Serbs and Greeks are "passionate" people. Obviously, they are also idiots.” is insulting.
What i meant to say is obviously, players of both teams are idiots for acting this way.
Hmm, maybe i’m an idiot :).
Sorry if i offended anyone.
Blaz
From HoopsHype:
“This shouldn’t have happened,” said Serbian coach Dusan Ivkovic, who is due to take over Greek club Olympiakos next season. “Relations with the Greeks are now very bad.” A stunned crowd of about 5,000 at the Athens Olympic Arena watched players from both teams exchange punches and kicks on the floor and in the tunnels leading to the dressing rooms. Two or three spectators entered the fray but were quickly shoved out of the arena. The fight began when Greece forward Antonis Fotsis had moved threateningly against Serbia guard Milos Teodosic, who had fouled him. Krstic grabbed Fotsis by the throat and threw a chair toward Sofoklis Schortsanitis, who was pursuing him. The chair hit Yannis Bouroussis, who had not played because of a hand injury, and left him with a bloody wound on the side of his head. ESPN.com
Rumors tagsSofoklis Schortsanitis, Nenad Krstic, Greece, Serbia | share Share on FacebookShare on twitterComment on HoopsHype forumsKrstic returned to his hotel after being released and was due to leave Athens for Belgrade later on Friday. The rest of the Serbia team returned earlier. “I don’t know the rules, but I hope I won’t be punished,” Krstic told Serbian media. “An [act of] stupidity was committed, and I hope they will not punish us. The Greeks started the brawl, there were no guards and the [Greek] fans entered the court … If they punish me, they must do it to others as well.” Ivkovic said that Krstic did not want to hurt Bouroussis with the chair. “I believe he acted in self-defense and grabbed a chair after some half-naked [Greek] fans rushed into the court,” the coach said. “The chair fell from his hand and grazed Bouroussis.” ESPN.com
Auntie Em: Hate you, hate Kansas, taking the dog.
Dorothy
I didn't throw a chair at you.
It fell from my hands.
I am also displeased that your nose attacked my fist.
He was trying to throw the chair at another guy,
and it slipped and flew at the guy it hit. Yeah, he dropped it. Right.
hey Blaz when's the next Slovenia game?
this Sunday vs. the US? or earlier?
Blogging Suns Basketball at Bright Side of the Sun
Hey Alex, the next game is on Saturday,
against Tunisia. Then on Sunday it’s against US. I watched the friendly game between Spain and US, and i have to say, have no idea how “we” are going to guard anyone. Too athletic :)
Blaz
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