Luka Doncic will begin his EuroBasket campaign with Slovenia on Thursday, August 28, against host Poland.
The Los Angeles Lakers star will carry the team’s hopes despite concerning preparation results.
Slovenia managed just one victory during warm-up games, defeating Great Britain with Luka Doncic contributing 28 points.
Their most recent preparation ended poorly with a crushing 106-72 loss to favorite Serbia, led by Nikola Jokic.
Brian Windhorst believes Luka Doncic and his Slovenia won’t survive group stage
NBA analyst Brian Windhorst delivered a stark warning to Lakers fans eager to watch Doncic in competitive action.
The ESPN insider suggested Slovenia’s EuroBasket run could end quickly due to roster limitations.
“So, if you want to watch Luka play, if you’re Laker fan, you may want to get to it sooner than later because I’m not sure he’s going to be around past the group stage,” Windhorst explained.
Slovenia faces a challenging Group D featuring host Poland, tournament favorite France, Iceland, Israel, and Belgium.
While four teams advance to knockout rounds, Windhorst’s assessment suggests Slovenia will struggle to secure qualification.
Slovenia’s 2017 championship roster compared to Doncic’s current supporting cast struggles
ESPN analyst MacMahon reinforced concerns about Slovenia’s supporting cast, highlighting the talent gap compared to previous tournaments.
The current roster construction presents significant challenges for Doncic’s medal aspirations, even though he wants success in this tournament.
“This is by far the least talented roster since Luka’s been playing for the Slovenian National Team,” MacMahon stated.
Doncic will be the only NBA player on Slovenia’s roster, similar to their 2017 EuroBasket triumph when Goran Dragic was their lone NBA representative.
However, that championship team featured Anthony Randolph and Vlatko Cancar with NBA experience, plus emerging talents like Doncic.
The 2017 squad also included veteran European players Sasa Zagorac, Jaka Blazic, and Klemen Prepelic, providing crucial depth and experience that current Slovenia appears to lack according to analysts.
