Over the course of history, the NBA has seen some great ballers flight all the way from Eastern Europe to dominate in the United States and have quite long and successful NBA careers, a trend that’s not likely to go away any time soon.
Players of the likes of Vlade Divac, Peja Stojakovic, Toni Kukoc and Drazen Petrovic came all the way from the former Yugoslavia to be some of the best foreign players in the history of the league.
Nowadays, they would still have a top-tier squad if Yugoslavia was still a country, and perhaps they could even challenge Team USA to see who’s the ultimate basketball nation. Today, we’re going to let you know about Yugoslavia’s Dream Team:
Starters
PG: Goran Dragic
Goran Dragic has come a long way since entering the NBA, up to the point where he’s even been an All-Star despite the Miami Heat being such a mediocre team in the Eastern Conference for a couple of years.
Dragic won’t impress you with speed or athleticism but he’s quite a smart player that truly knows how to get to his spots and score the ball with great ease, let alone his underrated playmaking ability.
SG: Luka Doncic
Luka Doncic has quickly become the league’s new wonder-boy, and a lot of insiders and fans are already saying that he’s a lock to win the Rookie of the Year award over players like Deandre Ayton.
Rookie of the Year or not, Doncic has been one of the most impressive and entertaining players to watch all season, showing all of his tools in the offensive end of the floor and even knocking down some incredible clutch shots.
SF: Bojan Bogdanovic
Bojan Bogdanovic gets the nod here over Bogdan Bogdanovic because of his lights out the ability to shoot from all three levels, as he’s become one of the league’s most reliable sharpshooters ever since landing in the US.
Bogdanovic doesn’t get enough praise and recognition for his ability to catch and shoot, especially from beyond the three-point line, while also being one of the best free throw shooters in the league.
PF: Nikola Jokic
Nikola Jokic is already one of the best players to ever lace them up for the Denver Nuggets, and he has all the tools to become a Mile High legend if he keeps on his impressive outings on a yearly basis.
Jokic is one of the best passers and playmakers in the world despite being a 7 footer, while his ability to shoot off the dribble and create his own shot are one of a kind for a guy his size. Defense is still an issue, though.
C: Nikola Vucevic
Talking about standout scorers in the frontcourt, Nikola Vucevic takes the stage as one of the most improved players of the year, dominating as a great rebounder on both sides of the glass while also adding some range to his game.
Vucevic has been underrated for years, mostly because of how bad the Orlando Magic has been since Dwight Howard left the team. Still, Vucevic has posted All-Star caliber numbers this season.
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Bench: Bogdan Bogdanovic, Boban Marjanovic, Dario Saric, Jusuf Nurkic, Mario Hezonja, Milos Teodosic, Nemanja Bjelica
When it comes to this team’s second unit, playmaking may be a bit of an issue considering they don’t have a true point guard, even though both Bogdanovic and Hezonja could run the point for stretches.
Even so, they feature two great defenders in Saric and Nurkic, let alone the fact that Boban Marjanovic protecting the rim is something that can intimidate even the strongest and biggest men on earth.
Bogdanovic and Hezonja are great scorers when given enough volume, while Saric can also knock down the occasional three-pointer.
Don’t forget Milos Teodosic and his crazy assists, and Nemanja Bjelica good form this season.
Perhaps they won’t beat the US, but this squad could be one of the best in the league.
