Steve Kerr warns his players before facing Serbia: "We cannot rest on our laurels just because we have beaten them twice"
Team USA's coach has a lot of respect for Nikola Jokic and his teammates, and he has wanted to publicly let his team know.
Following the easy victory of the USA team over Brazil in the Olympic men's basketball quarterfinals, coach Steve Kerr emphasized that his team will not be complacent because of the 26-point win over Serbia in the first group stage match ten days ago, or the 26-point victory over Serbia in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, on July 17.
Kerr wonders if Serbia and Nikola Jokic might have been playing the long game with the Americans and could be ready to unveil some surprises when the two teams face off for the third time in less than a month in the high-stakes semifinals on Thursday (3 p.m. ET).
"We cannot rest on our laurels just because we beat them twice," said Kerr. "We have to be prepared for their best effort. We have to think about what they might do differently. Jokic, I guess, could play 40 minutes. What else do they have up their sleeve?"
Respect for Jokic
There is no opposing player in the Olympics for whom the Americans have more respect than Jokic. They have seen him become a three-time MVP and NBA champion. And when Jokic has been on the court in France, Serbia has been outstanding.
Jokic leads Serbia in points (19.3), rebounds (11.8), assists (7.5), steals (2.5), and blocks (1.0) per game. He is also shooting at 60% efficiency. With Jokic on the court, Serbia has outscored their opponents by 43 points. When he has been on the bench, they have been outscored by 12 points.
In the 31 minutes that Jokic played in the overwhelming loss to the USA on July 28, the score was even. In the nine minutes he sat, the Americans outscored Serbia 29-3, although it also coincided with a hot shooting streak by Kevin Durant that probably not even Jokic could have prevented.
In the quarterfinals, Serbia staged a historic comeback of 24 points to beat Australia in overtime. It was a +17 with Jokic in the game and a -12 in the seven minutes he sat.
Strategies and Expectations
These numbers are why Kerr speculates that Jokic might not sit, or perhaps only sit for brief moments, as Serbia looks to maximize their chances of pulling off an upset.
"I guess we'll be ready for that," said Joel Embiid, who will likely start against Jokic. "If that's what they think they need to do to try to beat us, then they won't hesitate to do it."
Serbian coach Svetislav Pesic, 74, is one of Europe's most experienced coaches, having coached across the continent, including winning gold with Yugoslavia at the 2002 World Championship. his system means that the ball is in Jokic's hands slightly less than it is when Jokic plays for the Denver Nuggets, a reversal of what is typically seen with NBA stars playing for their national teams. But when it matters, Jokic is in control. He made three decisive defensive plays—a steal, a block, and pulling a ball out of the hoop to prevent a basket—alongside two crucial shots in the final stretch to defeat Australia.
In the two games against the USA, Pesic has played Jokic in unusual rotations. In the Abu Dhabi match, Jokic played the entire first three quarters without coming out, which is not normal for a friendly game. In the Olympic encounter, Pesic was slow to bring Jokic off the bench when the USA was on a massive run.
Despite everything, Serbia showed periods of excellent defense in their comeback against Australia. Atlanta Hawks guard Bogdan Bogdanovic is also playing well, averaging 18.5 points and shooting an impressive 48% from three-point range and 90% from the free-throw line. Serbia has won three consecutive games since their loss to the USA.
"Every game is a test in itself. No matter what happened in the first two, it's about what happens Thursday night," said LeBron James. "So we need to focus on our video session, focus throughout the day on Thursday, and then go out and be ready to play."
This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Steve Kerr avisa a sus jugadores antes de medirse a Serbia: "No podemos dormirnos en los laureles porque les hayamos ganado dos veces"
