NBA star Nikola Jokic is only one of many problems Gilas Pilipinas will face by the time the Nationals take on title contender Serbia in their FIBA World Cup match on Monday in Foshan, China.
Coach Yeng Guiao, in fact, said that the Denver Nuggets big man may only serve as a smoke screen during the match where the Serbians are heavily favored to run roughshod over the Filipino cagers.
“Decoy lang nila si Jokic (Jokic will only be their decoy),” Guiao said, understanding that Serbia’s gunners will be the ones who are expected to impose trouble on Gilas.
“To me, Jokic might be a problem against Serbia, but Jokic is just really somebody who plays smart and he will facilitiate for his other teammates.”
Guiao mentioned Sacramento Kings guard Bogdan Bogdanovic as another major threat for the Philippines with his ability to hit the outside shot.
Bogdanovic shot .360 from three-point land and averaged 14.7 points for the Kings during the 2018-19 season.
He also made .474 of his shots during his last national team when Serbia settled for runner-up honors to Slovenia in the 2017 Eurobasket.
“Most of the time, si Bogdanovic ang problema ng mga ibang teams kasi Jokic himself is a threat but at the same time, the rest of his NBA teammates are really the ones killing the opponents.
“But his (Jokic) presence is almost really felt inside, outside, with his passing, with his defense. You won’t see him score heavily, but the rest of his teammates around him are getting the benefit of his being a threat and being a smart player,” he added.
Jokic, 24, will see action for Serbia for the first time since the 2016 Rio Olympics when they fell short against the United States in the gold medal game.
The Serbians, coached by former Yugoslavian national team player Aleksandr Dordevic, enter as one of the favorites to end USA’s run of three straight World Cups.
Serbia heads to Foshan having won all 10 tune-up matches, including twice against fellow Group D member Italy and once opposite the Giannis Antetokounmpo-led Greece.
Other players who made Serbia’s final 12 are NBA cagers Marko Guduric of the Memphis Grizzlies and Nemanja Bjelica of the Sacramento Kings, European league players Stefan Jovic, Vasilije Micic, Marko Simonovic and Stefan Bircevic, Miroslav Raduljica, who plays in China, and Nikola Mulutinov.
Serbia’s bid to win its first World Cup since its breakup with Montenegro suffered a blow earlier this month when talented guard Milos Teodosic suffered a plantar fascia injury.
