electricraven6 As specified by:
Man, those really were the golden years...
I have to agree that France’s offense was lackluster yesterday; if anything, they were practically handing us opportunities, especially toward the end of the game. We simply lacked the tactical awareness to capitalize on those openings. You can't expect players like Kopljar, Čupić, Vori, or Alilović to maintain their intensity for the full duration when it becomes clear they've hit a wall. The bench is right there ready to step up, but the real issue seems to be a fundamental lack of confidence in the substitutes.
When you look at our pivots—I mean, Vori and Mus—it’s honestly hard to decide which one is more underwhelming. When they try to move in unison along the crease, they have all the agility of someone navigating a wheelchair in reverse. It’s genuinely tragic because Mus manages to rack up just as many points as Vori does. You're looking at 110kg of pure, unrefined mass that seems to have just rolled down a hill the other day. It’s frankly painful to watch. If we want to actually compete, we need a pivot who functions like Sulić used to; he actually understood his role and knew how to find space. We need someone who can actually move through the lane, which is a concept clearly foreign to these two.
I have to give credit where it’s due—Alilović was absolutely stellar in the net. He’s a top-tier keeper, no question about it. But honestly, it’s frustrating when you can clearly see he's having an off night and the coaching staff just refuses to pull the trigger on a substitution. They wouldn't even consider bringing in Losert, despite how incredible he looked during that specific stretch of play. It's almost like they haven't even bothered to get to know his game yet. It feels like a bit of a backwards mentality, which is funny, considering how they usually view us.
When it comes to deciding on a substitution, I’m honestly torn between whether we need to pull Kopljar or Bičanić. It’s a bit of a toss-up, really. On one hand, you have Kopljar, who seems to find a way to commit a traveling violation in the middle of almost every offensive set. On the other hand, there’s Bičanić; if he gets the ball three times, you can practically bet your life he’s going to drive to the hoop all three times. I don't think there's a single game where he doesn't attempt to force his way through the lane like that. 🤦
Microsoft Asks:
I have to admit, I haven’t been following this NBA season very closely lately. To be perfectly honest, I’ve found myself feeling a bit disillusioned watching players get called up to the national team simply because they fit a certain mold, rather than because they actually possess the skill required to compete at this level.
What would it actually accomplish if we had Ivano Balić on the roster for even just fifteen minutes to give Domagoj Duvnjak a chance to catch his breath? I’m only throwing that out there as a hypothetical, of course.
👍
I couldn't agree more. Back when Ivano Balić was at the absolute peak of his powers, people were already asking how Domagoj Duvnjak could ever hope to step into those shoes, yet even then, they had the chance to properly structure the roster around him. Now? We’re looking at our options for a center to fill that void left by Duvnjak, and frankly, the talent pool looks completely empty. It's a real struggle.
When I saw Vori positioned in the middle during those final ten seconds, I honestly thought I was going to lose my mind.
graniteotter6 Asks:
You hit the nail on the head; there isn't a single crossover or screen being run out there, and apparently, the concept of a pivot is entirely foreign to them.
The defense is actually holding its own—we didn't let them pull away too much even when they managed to go up by three or four. The real headache, however, remains our offense. Every single time we’ve managed to walk away with a win against them, it’s been because our perimeter players stepped up and put on a clinic. Just look at the first half as a prime example; that kind of efficiency from Kopljar really made the difference.
If we had actually managed to maintain that same rhythm we used to absolutely dismantle them during the first half, I’m one hundred percent certain we would have walked away with a win. Instead, once the second half kicked in, I could see exactly where things were heading; we just completely lost our momentum, got shut down on offense, and essentially rolled over.
In that first half, it felt like we were basically forcing almost every single basket. I can't quite wrap my head around why we didn't push even harder when we had the momentum; honestly, it’s a bit of a mystery to me.
So, here’s the summary—during the first half, they tore us apart when they were on the offensive, and in the second, we couldn't get past them when they switched to defense.
That’s my point; we simply don't have a proper Pivot. 🤷
The offensive strategy is... well, I don't even know. Even high school varsity players seem to have a better grasp of offensive flow than this group being shoved into the national roster.
I’ll take Kopljar to task again, mostly because the guy drives me absolutely mad. He's 6'10", he can jump, he has a decent shot, yet he barely uses any of it once a year. His entire contribution seems to consist of doing a little low hop at the 11-meter line. If Duvnjak drives toward him, he just stands there. If Duvnjak makes a hard cut, he remains stationary. Honestly, if you just sprint right past the guy, you'll probably find yourself with the ball 100% of the time.
Crossing plays are supposed to be the backbone of the offense, but I'm not even sure he executed a single one. It’s just Bičanić and Duvnjak constantly crossing paths, which is frankly a disaster...
Then, suddenly, he remembers he exists and attempts a cross, but he doesn't even seem to realize he did it. He starts retreating back to his position, nearly getting leveled by Mandalinić, who was actually trying to take a shot...
As for the officiating, that referee—Porte, or Potre, I can't quite recall the name—he's throwing himself around like some stuntman in an action movie, bouncing off the floor with more intensity than actual accuracy. Just a total amateur. 👍
Morgan Moore6 said:Goluza is clueless; he can't even manage a basic timeout. During those breaks, he just dictates one solitary play: "Kopljar, stand there. Bič and Duvnjak, go cross. Vori, set a screen."
If that's all we're doing during timeouts, then what's even the point?
Regarding the timeouts, man, I don't think you can coach them with just hand gestures. For heaven's sake, pick up the clipboard and actually draw out your "brilliant idea" or whatever play you're thinking of.
His timeout against the Danes looked something like this:
"If we lose the ball, get right back on defense..."🙂 🙂