wanderingorca9 said:I honestly don’t know if we’re even watching the same Balić at this tournament. Because from where I’m sitting, this guy is the absolute alpha and omega of this national team; he’s the only one actually running the show, handing out passes on silver platters that our guys just can't seem to convert into goals, sprinting like a madman, playing defense, and scoring goals like he's in peak physical condition—he's consistently our top scorer.
Balić has to carry the whole damn load because, let's be real, there isn't anyone else capable of stepping up, so once the team inevitably loses their nerve, they have no choice but to dump the ball to him.
Without Balić, this team would be getting absolutely slaughtered by like 15 points every single game.
We might as well start bracing ourselves for that reality right now.
Go check the official tournament stats and look at the assist leaders; that should give you a pretty clear reality check.
During the last World Cup, Balić had scorers who were actually in the zone (even if Lackovic wasn't at his best), and he had a great supporting cast, so even then, he eventually had to start taking matters into his own hands. Things started falling apart in the second round. First, the Americans set up a wall against our perimeter players, which slowed things down, but Balić managed to slice through them solo. Then the Czechs did the exact same thing, and again, Balić was the one breaking through.
But then the French showed up and actually managed to execute their tactical plan to perfection.
And all of this happened after we narrowed our play so much that we essentially cut our wing players out of the rotation, making us incredibly predictable. Before that, everyone used to swear by Balić's unpredictability, but today it feels like his playmaking has become an open book.
So, when Balić realizes the team play isn't working, he just puts his head down and starts forcing shots. Look, I'll admit he isn't the only player responsible for that offensive structure—the other perimeter guys play a part too—but he definitely carries the weight.
When I watched the Americans play us, it was pure tactical brilliance; you had no idea where the attack was coming from, where the shot would come from—every single possession felt different, with shots coming from every possible angle... it was just beautiful handball.
It was so much easier for their players to find a shot when the focus wasn't pinned entirely on them, when anyone could catch you off guard, and when the shots felt instinctive rather than forced.
That’s the kind of level we really ought to be aiming for.
And frankly, we need to be more objective. We only ever watch ourselves. We refuse to acknowledge anyone else's talent, we can't even recognize it when it's right in front of us, and we fail to understand that the opponent's skill had everything to do with our loss, not just our own poor performance.