SLO – Lakovic surprised by Puerto Rico

MARIBOR (FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament for Men) – For months now, many in Europe have assumed that Slovenia would win Group C at the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament ahead of Canada and Korea and take on Puerto Rico in the quarter-finals.

If that showdown happens, and it may indeed happen with Puerto Rico now playing like the Group D favorites and the Canadians looking like potential Group C winners, it may not be good news for Slovenia.

“Puerto Rico impressed me,” Lakovic said in Maribor on Tuesday, where both Slovenia and the Puerto Ricans are taking part in the Alpos Cup – a warm-up event for the qualifying tournament.

Both teams also took part in the Supercup in Bamberg, Germany, over the weekend, and Lakovic got a chance to watch Puerto Rico beat Dirk Nowitzki and the Germans.

“I didn't know they were that good. They also have their own style, with a lot of shooting from long range.”

Lakovic spoke to FIBA.Com about the state of affairs in the Slovenia camp.

FIBA: Jaka, you already played in the tournament in Bamberg where Slovenia's results were not the best. You lost to Greece and then Germany. But have you also seen anything good in your game?

Lakovic: The results were not the best, but they were not the most important thing. I am happy that we played – compared to the two games with Croatia (in Slovenia) – much faster on offense and much more solid on defense. But it is obvious our displays in Germany were not like we wanted them to be. We still need to take at least a few steps forward.

FIBA: You played against teams that could be your opponents in the final phase of the Athens qualification. Who impressed you the most?

Lakovic: It's hard to say, because other teams are also still in search of their optimal form. But I would point out Greece, who really have a lot of good players and play their game very well. They are slow on offense and aggressive on defense and they can beat anybody. When you speak about Germany, everything is revolving around Dirk Nowitzki, while Puerto Rico impressed me. I didn't know they were that good. They also have their own style, with a lot of shooting from long range. We will meet them on Thursday in Maribor and only then will we see where we are compared with them.”

FIBA: When speaking about national teams, a lot depends on the atmosphere in the squad. How is it with Slovenia?

Lakovic: It's very good – like it was for EuroBasket 2007 in Spain. We are a group of friends.

FIBA: Some in the media here in Slovenia and abroad have already written off your chances of qualifying for the Olympic Games because Matjaz Smodis can't play because of injury.

Lakovic: “It's true that Matjaz's absence is a big blow for us. Smodis was a key player of this national team, but all the other players are also good. We have been together for a long period of time and I think we are still capable of playing good basketball – even without Smodis. It's a fact that we will miss him, but I think we can reach the Olympic Games even without him.

FIBA: Athens is not a mysterious city for you because you played there with Panathinaikos a few years ago. Will it be easier for you to play there because of that?

Lakovic: It's true I played there, but I haven't been to Athens for almost two years now. I know the city and the arena, so maybe it will be a bit easier. But it doesn't really matter. In any case, I will give it my best.

FIBA: Slovenia have Canada and South Korea as their opponents in the group stage of the qualifying competition. How much do you know about these teams?

Lakovic: For now, we have mainly focused on our game and we mostly tried to correct our mistakes. We, the players, haven't been thinking much about them yet, but I think the coaches have.

FIBA: What about your club career. Is there anything new?

Lakovic: No. I am staying with Barcelona, with which I still have a valid contract. The chances of me leaving Barcelona are really slim. Something hugely unexpected would have to happen for me to leave.


Luka Maselj

FIBA