Svetislav Pesic compares NBA and FIBA basketball / News - Basketnews.com

Svetislav Pesic says the key to success in FIBA and European basketball is the ability to shift the game rhythm and use various playing styles, such as fastbreaks and position offense, inside and outside game, and utilizing different tactics like pick-and-roll and offscreen plays.

Credit: FIBA Credit FIBA

Serbia became the first FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 semifinal after comfortably beating Lithuania 87-68 on Tuesday.

Player of the Game EFF 25 Bogdan Bogdanovic Points 21 Accuracy 9-13 Rebounds 4 Assists 3

After the game, head coach Svetislav Pesic appeared in the post-game conference, where he made extensive comments on the idea his team needs to play and explained the significant importance of changing the game tempo.

"I do not want to make a coach clinic here, but I will try to talk about basketball. Basketball is the game where it's important to find the right rhythm. The rhythm of the game is very important," Pesic underlined.

"What means the rhythm of the game? You cannot play for all 40 minutes with only fastbreaks or position offense. European basketball is other basketball. NBA basketball is in flow. The European basketball's point is to find an opportunity to change the rhythm of the game. Fastbreak-position offense, position offense-fastbreak. Inside game-outside game. Not only three-pointers, three-pointers, and three-pointers.

"We are very happy that a three-point shot is better than a two-point shot, in general, like numbers-wise. But what is important in FIBA basketball, it's necessary to change the rhythm. To play inside, to play outside, to play pick-and-roll, to play offscreen," he continued.

"This is our goal, and this is what we want every game. Sometimes, we succeed, like tonight, and sometimes, it's an opponent who dictates their rhythm. Aleksa Avramovic and others who came off the bench did a great job tonight, changing the rhythm. They brought more energy than the players who started the match. This is what every coach needs," the head coach concluded.

Svetislav Pesic's team will meet either Canada or Slovenia in the FIBA World Cup semis scheduled for Friday.

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