pepe1991 wrote:RookieStar wrote:pepe1991 wrote:
If we talk about Eurobasket, sure, they can run back same roster, but for next Olympics?
age of Serbian starting 5:
29 ( Jokic)
30
32 ( Bogdan)
30
24
now add to this rest of their best players: Micić (30), Milutinov (30), Gudurić (29).
There is no retooling for Olympics. Thats 7 key players being in mid 30s with best guard being 36 ( if he even continues to play at that point ). Not to mention injuries & milage that somebody like Jokic will have by that point, at age of 33-34.
Sure Tepic CAN be good, but you are forgetting that Micić was Euroleague's MVP, that Bogdan was 2 times Euroleague's raising star winner, Euroleague winner, Euroleague all decade starting 5 memer etc. ( Milutinov being VTB league's MVP last year as well ).
Country as small as Serbia can't just fabricate 5 new elite players in 4 years.
So in 4 yrs everyone except Bogdan will be in their early 30s still? Unless some of them have grave injuries, thye will still be prime for the 2 week tournament. This isn't the NBA where there is an 82 game season plus POs. I think Jokic at 33 will still be in his prime albeit going down.
As you saidm we will see. I always differentiate FIBA with the NBA, older guys seem to thrive well there compared to the league. IT really all depends on their willingness to still play. Not everyone has that kobe/LBJ attitude. Some are like Bynum/Sanders ( there is nothing wrong with it ) basketball is really a sport/career, your life is more important.
34 isn't relly early 30s. It's mostly considered retirment age for basketball players. ( nba retirment age is 28, average nba playing age is 26, median retirment in nba is 34 ,but mostly due guys like Gipson, Lebron, Haslem Thad Young & others who survive past age of 39 ,despite fact nobody but Horford & Lebron actually contribute in any meaningful way, rather just exist at the end of bench, most of the nights not even dressed up ).
To understand how this is outliner, 25th oldest nba player is yet to turn 35 ( that's Jrue Holiday )
Again, problem is perception of longjevity that is set by few nba star outliners and fact Durant, Lebron, Curry are this old,yet this good.
But to understand how shallow is career in basketball, especially in nba you need to consider few facts:
Paul George is only remaining active nba player from 2010 draft class in nba. Almost all others aren't just retired from nba, they retired from basketball .
But that's not all, this was retirment age from some first round picks from that class:
Sanders - 28
Babbitt-29
Turner - 30 ( 2# pick)
Aminu -30 (8th pick)
Aldrich- 29
Xavier Henry- 26
Seraphin -29
Elliot Williams -28
Trevor Booker -29
Demion Jones -30
Vasquez- 28
And apsolute worst case- Lanry Fields- retired at age of 24 due nerve demage. ( official retirment age was 26, but he pretty much never played pass age 24 anywhere ).
That's 12 out of 30 players who didn't last to their 30th birthday. There are still few active players but playing basketball in Bahrain or second division in Japan/China can hardly be considered "career".
I would like to see good Serbian team at OG 2028, i just don't think they will be this good any time soon. Maybe Partizan can save Pokuševski and turn him into decent player, who knows, but this 2024 Serbian team had 2 Euroleague's MVPs in their prime, best player in basketball in his prime ,underrated center in his prime etc. This was their peak.
Il admit that mid 30s are the sunset of nba careers but in a fiba/world/olympic where its only 2-3weeks of tourney time, i think those guys can channel their peaks for a "one last ride" type of performance.
