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Get to know Serbia, Team USA's opponent for the FIBA World Cup final
It isn't the matchup many expected, but it looks intriguing nonetheless. On Sunday, Team USA will face Serbia in the gold-medal game of the 2014 FIBA World Cup of Basketball in Madrid, set to air at 3 p.m. ET on ESPN. With co-favorite Spain having gone out in the quarterfinals with a surprising loss to rivals France, the Serbs took the opportunity afforded to them and dispatched several impressive opponents in the knockout rounds on their way to the final. The Americans are understandably huge favorites, but Serbia boasts several stars and quality role players. It's not impossible to imagine a scenario in which they pull off one of the biggest upsets in the history of international basketball.
Before they get that chance, though, Serbia requires something of an introduction to fans unfamiliar with their stars, style, and performance up to this point. How did they get here? Who are their stars? And what could give them a chance against such an overwhelming favorite? Read on to find out.
1. Their path to the final wasn't easy — or predictable.
It's not only surprising that Serbia is playing this game in place of Spain. In fact, Serbia wasn't even among the handful of teams that looked to have a chance to upset either favorite. If not for a 12-point victory over Italy in last summer's EuroBasket tournament, they might not have made the World Cup at all. In a normal year, that place would not have allowed them to grab one of Europe's six automatic qualifier berths for this tournament. Spain, however, was earmarked for the tourney already as hosts, which means that the continent was allowed an extra participant. If not for Spain's status, Serbia would have had to become one of FIBA's four wild-card choices. They may well have been one, but that process is open to all sorts of questionable activity.
Serbia didn't exactly use their good fortune as a springboard to immediate success in the World Cup. Placed into the loaded Group A, Serbia went 2-3 in the preliminary round, earning wins over lowly Iran and Egypt and losing to Spain, France, and Brazil by a combined 25 points. Those three losses aren't shameful — each of those teams is arguably more impressive than anyone Team USA played in Group C — but they were also in keeping with Serbia's perceived place in international basketball. They are considered a solid team, not a dominant force.
The knockout rounds were a different story. Serbia thumped Argentina Greece in the Round of 16 by a score of 85-65, dominated Brazil in an 84-56 win (a 36-point turnaround from their group matchup), and outlasted France 90-85 in an excellent semifinal. Those are results that belie their No. 11 FIBA ranking and status as the first World Cup (or Championships) finalist to have lost three games in the tournament prior to the final. A win would be even more unlikely, but their current form suggest that it's not impossible.
2. NBA fans will be familiar with several of their players.
The names on Serbia's roster aren't as well known as Gasol, Diaw, and Varejao, but NBA fans will know a few rotation players. Center Nenad Krstic played seven NBA seasons for three teams, making the All-Rookie Second Team in 2005 with the New Jersey Nets. He won't win many athleticism contests, but his inside scoring gives Serbia offensive balance. His backup, Miroslav Raduljica, is coming off his first NBA season, although it may also be his last. Raduljica played 48 games for the league-worst Milwaukee Bucks and looks likely to return to Europe. He's now famous for his improbable tip-in during the semifinal, but he's known for possessing impressive offensive skills, including the ability to pass from the post.
Yet Serbia's top NBA-related player doesn't figure to enter the league for at least another season. Twenty-two-year-old Bogdan Bogdanovic, 27th overall pick of the Phoenix Suns in June's NBA draft, is a talented shooter with a growing game. He has been very impressive at the World Cup, scoring 21 points vs. Greece in the Round of 16 and 13 (on five field goal attempts) in the semis.
3. Their star is a relative unknown in the United States.
Milos Teodosic is one of the best guards in Europe, a crafty and talented player with the ability to score, pass, and organize his team effectively. The 6-5 CSKA Moscow star was Serbia's best player vs. France, scoring 24 points on 9-of-12 shooting. He's the clear focus of the offense, a potential force against any opponent. At 27, he appears to have little desire to play in the NBA, having signed a new contract extension with his club this summer. Nevertheless, he could become a lot more famous to American fans on Sunday.
4. Team USA and Serbia have never played in the Olympics or World Cup.
Serbia has a rich basketball heritage, but the nation has never faced the United States in one of the two biggest international tournaments. In large part, that's because the national team hasn't existed for very long. Serbians played as part of Yugoslavia until 1992, when they became part of Serbia and Montenegro and played as the Former Yugoslavia. Yet those two lands did not become independent from each other until 2006, which means that Serbia could have only played the United States in a handful of these tournaments.
However, Serbia is technically the successor state to Yugoslavia, which means its federation can lay claim to the many medals won by players such as Vlade Divac, Peja Stojakovic, and current head coach Aleksandar Dordevic. This team has already clinched Serbia's best-ever finish in a major tournament and the best finish for a team featuring Serbians since the 2002 World Championships, when the Former Yugoslavia won gold and defeated the United States in the quarterfinals.
5. They are overwhelming underdogs in the final.
When Spain lost to France, it became difficult to imagine any team defeating Team USA for gold. The Americans make up for what they lack in international experience with an unparalleled collection of talent. They have the most athletic roster in the tournament by a wide margin, plenty of capable shooters, and athletic big men who erase attempts at the rim and rebound at both ends. It's hard to see an obvious weakness, even if Team USA has been far from perfect in the World Cup. It often takes them just one run to blow the game open.
But there's an accepted game plan to challenge Team USA, and Serbia has several components that go a long way towards making it happen. Any squad that wants a chance against the Americans must slow the game down, hit outside shots, and rebound. In Teodosic, Serbia has a guard capable of orchestrating the offense. He's not a pure point guard, but he leads the team effectively and excels in taking advantage of miscues in the half-court. He can find shooters like Bogdanovic (and score himself) if need be. If Teodosic plays to his capabilities and counterparts like Kyrie Irving and Derrick Rose fail to make him work on defense, it's possible to imagine Serbia winning the game late.
Unfortunately, this team is not particularly adept at rebounding, and creating extra opportunities on the offensive glass has been Team USA's biggest strength during this tournament. Kenneth Faried and Anthony Davis have been the national team's best and most consistent players, excellent in all areas in which they've been asked to contribute. It is difficult to imagine Krstic and Raduljica matching their activity, although that's not to say they can't limit them. As France proved against Spain, largely unremarkable players can neutralize NBA All-Stars just fine.
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Eric Freeman is a writer for Ball Don't Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at efreeman_ysports@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
