SRB - Lucic in the reckoning for World Cup place

VALENCIA (FIBA Basketball World Cup) - Serbia will always have a great national team because the country has an extremely deep talent pool and plenty of good coaches.

The nation's clubs produce great talents, and the Serbian Basketball Federation helps sharpen the players' skills by having them suit up with their youth teams each summer.

It's why Serbia, despite the absence of celebrated players at EuroBasket 2013 like Milos Teodosic and Dusko Savanovic, were able to clinch first place in their opening round group and go on to clinch a seventh place finish to qualify for the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup.

Former Partizan Belgrade star Vladimir Lucic had been set to figure prominently in last year's squad before a back injury forced his withdrawal shortly before the tournament.

The injury bug also bit him in 2012.

Lucic had scored 16 points and corralled seven rebounds in Serbia's opening EuroBasket 2013 qualifying win over Iceland but hurt his adductor and was last for the remainder of the summer.

He has played well of late for Valencia Basket and looks to be a strong candidate for the Serbia World Cup squad that will square off against hosts Spain, France, Brazil, Egypt and Iran in Group A of the FIBA Basketball World Cup.

Lucic says earning a spot in the national squad is one of his aims.

"Of course," he said to FIBA.com.

"I haven't had too much luck with the national team.

"Last year, I injured my back and the year before that, during the qualifications for the European Championship, in the second game, I injured my adductor.

"This season is probably one of the best for the players, the World Cup, so for sure that is somewhere in my mind but for me, it's step by step and I first want to finish the season here.

"I hope we can win a trophy and then think about the national team."

Lucic is in Kazan, Russia, with Valencia Basket for Wednesday night's second leg of the Eurocup Finals against Unics.

The Spaniards have a 13-point advantage from the first leg.

Someone paying close attention to the Eurocup Finals will be Aleksander Djordjevic, the man who has replaced Dusan Ivkovic at the helm of Serbia's national team.

Lucic smiles when asked about Djordjevic.

"For every kid in Serbia, one of the best Serbian players of all time, a player who scored the three-pointer to win the [1992] Euroleague for Partizan," Lucic said.

Lucic was a couple of months shy of his third birthday when Djordjevic hit his famous shot in Istanbul to give Partizan a 71-70 victory over Joventut Badalona.

He has seen the video replay of Djordjevic dribbling down the right side of the floor and hitting the game-winning three-ball in the waning seconds.

"I already know him but it would be a great honor to play for him," Lucic said.

Does he think Djordjevic will be a worthy successor to Ivkovic and lead Serbia to a lot of wins?

"I hope so," he said.

Lucic has been a part of one of the greatest teams in Valencia's history.

It's the only side to have beaten Real Madrid in Spain and already assured of a second place finish in the standings.

Victory in the Eurocup Finals would clinch a spot in the 2014-15 Euroleague for Valencia.

Lucic has enjoyed his games and practices at Valencia because of the team's up-tempo style of play.

"We have really great individuals in the team so for me, it's not hard to fit in,” he said.

"We play fast and the basketball has a lot of fast breaks and that is the game that I love.

"I think that is the reason I fit in.

"I wasn't used to it because in five years at Partizan, it was a different game with a system and you kind of knew what you were supposed to do.

"Every player knows what his job is on offense and defense.

"But here, it's the real basketball that fans love to see."

Lucic's Valencia coach, Velimir Perasovic, is another of the playing greats from the Balkans.

Perasovic was on the Yugoslavia teams that won the 1990 FIBA World Championship in Argentina and EuroBasket 1991 in Rome. He then suited up for great Croatia teams.

The coach has the respect of the Valencia players.

"The big quality is that he was also a great player so he has experience with everything we do now," Lucic said.

"He forces a lot of fast game and allows you to shoot whatever you want, but the only thing you must do is play defense.

"So, he gives you freedom on offense but demands the defense."

Lucic has averaged 17 minutes per game in the Spanish Liga Endesa and 18mpg in the Eurocup.

A left foot injury that required surgery in January kept him off the court for much of the season.

"At the beginning, it was no so serious but after two months, they sent me to have surgery so, I was in very bad condition," he said.

"But in the last two weeks, I have been feeling very much better. It's good now during the most important period of the season, the Eurocup final and after that, the Spanish league.

"So I'm happy that I'm back to help the team at the most important time."

FIBA