Raznatovic: 'If the fight hadn't happened, Partizan would've won 3:0' / News - Basketnews.com

Renowned basketball agent Misko Raznatovic believes Partizan would've closed the series if the brawl in Game 2 hadn't happened. He says Dario Saric should continue his career in the NBA. According to Raznatovic, Nikola Jokic is at some aspects better than Drazen Petrovic.

Credit: Jesus Orihuela/Euroleague Basketball via Getty Images; BasketNews/Begum Unal Credit Jesus Orihuela/Euroleague Basketball via Getty Images; BasketNews/Begum Unal

Misko Raznatovic is arguably the most well-known basketball agent in Europe, responsible for a significant number of big-time player contracts in the continent. He's recently increased his media presence, giving more interviews for various media outlets.

Real Madrid / Schedule

Real Madrid Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade98-94 FC Barcelona Real Madrid05-1918:00

Before the Sunset Sports Media Festival in Zadar, Croatia, Raznatovic sat down to talk with Andro Polic from Sportske Novosti.

The once-great Croatian basketball is now experiencing a downfall. The national team is playing in the EuroBasket Pre-Qualifiers while the local clubs struggle to achieve significant sporting results.

Meanwhile, Raznatovic's home country of Serbia now has two top-level clubs in the EuroLeague, and the national team is considered among the favorites to win the 2023 FIBA World Cup this upcoming summer.

"The biggest difference is passion and dedication. In Serbia, basketball is the number one topic, there are big investments and people really live for basketball," the renowned agent explained. "For example, if Partizan had a hall that could hold 50,000 spectators, they would fill it. It's completely different in Croatia. I don't know if it happened because of their success in football but people seem to have lost the desire, passion, and energy that is necessary to make a breakthrough."

One of Raznatovic's players is Oklahoma City Thunder's Dario Saric whose contract expired after the 2022-23 NBA season. Once considered a prodigy in Europe, Saric has been battling with injuries in the recent past which have affected both his minutes in the NBA and his development.

"Our absolute goal for Saric is still the NBA. He came back this season after his injury, had a decent year, and now we're waiting for the free agency to start at the beginning of July," Raznatovic said about the forward. "I'm convinced that he will continue his career in the NBA where he belongs."

Points this season

50%85,4Points made:85,4Accuracy:49,7%Place in standings:3Record max:104Record min:58Best scorer:Kevin PunterTeamEuroLeagueStatisticsSchedule

The other player whose contract has expired is Ivica Zubac. The Los Angeles Clippers center should continue his career in the same organization he's currently in, the famous agent says.

"Zubac plays consistently, has an important role, and plays in the best clubs," Raznatovic said. "He's consistent, there aren't many ups and downs, which is very important in the NBA. I know for a fact that they love and appreciate him a lot. I hope he continues with the Clippers because it's a great environment."

Back in Europe, Raznatovic was a spectator in the Real Madrid-Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade quarterfinal series in the EuroLeague, a series that was marked by multiple high-profile events.

"Definitely the craziest series in Euroleague history. It was both dramatic and high-quality, everything that basketball can provide. If that incident [in Game 2] had not happened, I believe that Partizan would have convincingly won 3-0, but that changed the course of the series," Raznatovic explained his view.

"It has been shown once again that such matches are not won by the best but by the players who have the most experience. Real's veteran backcourt turned the experience into a brilliant game in the last minutes of the game," he said. "For Partizan and everyone in Serbia, it's just, somehow, a bad and unfair outcome."

Raznatovic's biggest client is Denver Nuggets superstar center Nikola Jokic. Jokic is now considered one of the best players in the world, he has also captured the league MVP title twice.

"I did not expect him to grow into such a star nor did anyone else. It was clear that he had an incredible talent, that he had something natural in him," the agent recalled. "There isn't a player around here that I would have thought would be a two-time NBA MVP, especially without athletic ability. I'm glad he proved me wrong, he's playing amazing, and I hope he continues like that."

"He doesn't pay attention to events near the court, to social networks, and other things. He's really modest and on point. He shows in interviews and public appearances that he's serious and smart, I'm very satisfied with him," Raznatovic said. "He's built an image off the court and became a man that new generations should look up to."

Drazen Petrovic is considered to be the greatest player in Croatian basketball history and one of, if not the, best in the entire region. Raznatovic is sure Jokic has reached a similar level of basketball prowess.

"It's always been difficult for me to admit that someone is better than him but what Nikola Jokic has done might be a bit ahead [of Petrovic], and everyone else [besides them] is far behind. Of course, we have to take into account the time in which Drazen played. The NBA was closed to foreign players back then," Raznatovic explained.

"To score over 40 points, to be selected in the All-NBA Third Team... these are incredible things to achieve in the NBA in the 90s. To this day, his basketball, that grace of movement is the greatest fusion of sport and art that I have ever seen," Raznatovic concluded about Petrovic.

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