Serbia’s Shock EuroBasket Makes It Clear: Time for Nikola Topic

Serbia has been shocked in EuroBasket once more. A 92-86 defeat at the hands of Lauri Markkanen and Finald has sent Serbia packing at the Round of 16. It's a deeply disappointing performance, and one reminiscent of their loss to Italy in the Round of 16 at EuroBasket 2022. While the disappointment is obvious, it has made it clear that it's time for a shakeup with Serbia's basketball roster.

Why Nikola Topic Is Key to Serbia’s Basketball Future

Serbia's backcourt, and primarily their point guard play, is what let them down this summer. In their defeat against Finland, Vasilije Micic finished with eight points on 2-of-6 shooting from the field. Stefan Jovic added no points in 23 minutes, and Aleksa Avramovic pitched in six points. It paled in comparison to the 33 points Nikola Jokic led the way with, and it is an obvious sign of a need for fresh blood at the position. The three point guards also only combined for nine assists and four turnovers, and Micic's defense has been a major hindrance to the team for the duration of the summer. A trend that has persisted since the Olympics.

While watching Serbia come up short at EuroBasket again, one may have asked themselves: how did Nikola Topic not make this roster? Topic is still very young, having only turned 20 last month, and the bulk of his professional experience has been with KK Mega Basket and at the NBA Summer League, but it's hard to imagine him not offering more than Micic, Jovic, and Avramovic combined.

Serbia's head coach, Svetislav Pesic, has been coaching for over 40 years, and like most of the experienced international team coaches, he prefers experience in these summer tournaments. His roster decisions reflected that when he cut Topic, but he ended up paying the price with Bogdan Bogdanovic getting hurt and being stuck with three guards on the older side of things who couldn't take any of the creative or offensive burden off of Jokic's shoulders.

Topic would have been better, and he would've had more energy to compete on the defensive end than Micic. He would've made life easier for Bogdanovic as well, who turned 33 earlier this summer and is not a player Serbia should count on in a major capacity for most international basketball going forward.

Nikola Topic speaks during an introductory press conference for the 2024 Thunder draft picks at Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center in Oklahoma City, Saturday, June, 29, 2024. | SARAH PHIPPS/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK

It's time to hand the reins over to Topic and begin ushering in the next generation of Serbian basketball talent. Topic is only 20, and Serbia's second leading scorer against Finland was Miami Heat forward Nikola Jovic, who finished with 20 points. Atlanta Hawks stash Nikola Djurisic is rising through the ranks as well, and if the three of them reach the levels they are capable of, Jokic will get the support he needs in the later stages of his career.

The preference for experience is always understood in international tournaments, but if Jokic and Serbia want to grab a gold medal during his career, they'll need to do it with fresh faces and new talent. They're not hurting for that; they just need to trust them.

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