BARCELONA (FIBA Basketball World Cup) - The absence of Erazem Lorbek from Slovenia's EuroBasket 2013 squad deprived the national side of a leading player, a quality big who has had a major impact on games when healthy.

Lorbek had surgery on his right knee after a hard campaign with Barcelona and had to miss the competition that was staged in his homeland.

The 2.10m power forward/center is healthy again and doesn't plan on missing the national team action this summer with the FIBA Basketball World Cup in Spain tipping off at the end of August.

Though currently helping Barca in the Spanish Liga Endesa Finals against Real Madrid, Lorbek says the World Cup is in his thoughts.

"I feel great, good physically and ready," he said.

"It's been a long, long recovery from the surgery and I'm just happy to be back.

"I'm in the group of players (preliminary squad) that will be at the World Cup.

"There is still a lot of time before then, but I am for it. I want to play."

Lorbek has additional cause to be excited because Jure Zdovc is once again the Slovenia coach.

He has succeeded Bozidar Maljkovic, who led the team for three summers.

Zdovc was at the helm of the national side before, when it made a surprising run to the Semi-Finals of EuroBasket 2009.

A couple of narrow defeats to Serbia and Greece prevented Slovenia from reaching the podium, but they had a terrific side.

Lorbek made the All-Tournament Team at that EuroBasket.

"It was a great success," he said of Slovenia's run.

"We'll try (again).

"This World Cup will be a very high level and teams are very good, also in the group in Gran Canaria we have Lithuania, Australia and very experienced teams.

"We will try to prepare very well. We'll have a good team."

One of the reasons why Slovenia's run to the last four in Poland five years ago was a tremendous achievement was because injuries kept two important players, Goran Dragic and Matjaz Smodis, on the bench most of the time.

Last summer, Dragic took over as Slovenia's undisputed best player and made the All-Tournament Team at the EuroBasket.

He then had a fantastic season in the NBA as the starting point guard for the Phoenix Suns.

Though the Suns barely missed out on a spot in the post-season, Dragic was an All-NBA Third Team selection.

"He's improved a lot," Lorbek said.

"To be one of the top players on your team and playing big minutes, that's a big success."

Did Lorbek envision Dragic's career taking off the way that it has?

"I think it's difficult to say," he said.

"You know him from childhood and know that he has talent, but to get to this level and play major minutes on the team and to be successful, that takes something else and I guess he has it."

As sure as Dragic is now the focal point of Slovenia's national team, two other lynchpins over the years have only recently decided to retire from the side.

Jaka Lakovic and Bostjan Nachbar played for Slovenia for the last time in 2013.

"They gave a lot to the national team," Lorbek said. "Maybe the time for a younger generation has come and we'll try to keep the success of Slovenia that they had when they were playing."

FIBA