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Shaquille
O'Neal: "Me shooting 40 percent at the foul line is just God's
way of saying nobody's perfect."
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HoopsHype.com Articles The
biggest threat
THE STAR: Predrag Stojakovic Arguably the best shooter in the tournament and one of only six current All-Stars to show up in Indianapolis. Had a great impact in the Yugoslav team in the last European Championship, where most perimeter defensive specialists proved unable to guard him. He can score from anywhere, but the squad doesn't really depend on him. With such an amount of talent in the roster, Yugoslavia can survive even if Stojakovic has a bad game. THE BACKCOURT: Yugoslav point guards used to be no match for American playmakers in terms of athleticism. No longer. Marko Jaric, Igor Rakocevic and Milos Vujanic are no Baron Davis, but they are all quite physically gifted players. Vujanic and Rakocevic -- the only two players below 6-7 in the squad -- will see limited action, since Jaric will probably run the point most of the time. The newly acquired Clipper guard has a sweet shooting touch and a knack for driving to the basket. He is probably the best perimeter defender in the team an really excels on the fast break. He is not that good on halfcourt attack, but with such an amount of good passers there is no reason to believe that should affect the team. At 6-7, Jaric can play some shooting guard, too. However, that position almost certainly belongs to the versatile Dejan Bodiroga, who can play every spot except the center. Bodiroga lacks athleticism and quickness, his shooting mechanic is slow and is not a great defender. But he is currently the most dominant player left in Europe thanks to his knowledge of the game. Seems like he always makes the right decision. That's why Bodiroga, who usually draws more fouls per game than anybody else, handles the ball nearly as much as the point guard himself. The streaky shooter and highly athletic Milan Gurovic --yet another tall swingman-- will be used as a backup for either Bodiroga or Stojakovic, who should be the main offensive weapon in the team. THE FRONTCOURT: Coach Svetislav Pesic will have two totally different players at the power forward position in Vladimir Radmanovic and Dejan Tomasevic. While the young and athletic Radmanovic enjoys playing beyond the arc, the experienced Tomasevic is the typical "four" with no shooting range that scores in the paint only. Radmanovic brings some additional versatility since he can also play the small forward spot, but Tomasevic could be a bigger asset for the team because of his rebounding skills, great footwork and passing ability in the low post. Predrag Drobnjak will play both the power forward and center position, and Vlade Divac... Well, he is simply the best big man in the World Championship. Zeljko Rebraca, the best post defender in Yugoslavia, will be missed. STRENGTHS: By far the best team shooting and passing the ball. They are very big, extremely talented, quite athletic for European standards and great competitors. They have an extra motivation: beating the United States would make them national heroes. WEAKNESSES: Most of the players in the squad are just average defenders. Big men are foul prone. WILL PLAY IN... Group A with Spain, Canada and Angola. PROJECTION: Beating the U.S. team is within reach for the Yugoslavs. But the Yugoslavs can also be beaten by Argentina or Turkey in a bad night. They should clinch the silver medal. Jorge Sierra is the editor of HoopsHype.com Tell us what you think about this article. E-mail us at HoopsHype@HoopsHype.com _____________________ |
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