Slovenia loses Poland again, Doncic exposes shortcomings, the team s final four may become a bubble

The Lakers boss watched the game on the sidelines. He saw Doncic scored 34 points in 18 free throws, and he also saw him playing in the chair with a frustration. On August 29, the men's basketball team's European Cup Group D was unpopular. Slovenia lost to Poland 95-105 and suffered a bad start. Doncic scored 34 points, 4 rebounds, 9 assists, 5 steals and 2 blocks in a comprehensive data, and made 17 of 18 free throws, but still couldn't lead the team to victory. Polish naturalized player Jordan Loyd made 7 of 8 three-pointers, scoring 32 points, and Mattus Ponetka also contributed 23 points and 7 rebounds. Except Doncic, Slovenia only Muric (17 points) and Grovat (15 points) scored in double digits. In the data showdown, Doncic set a record, but it is difficult to save the game. Doncic set a record in the European Championships, becoming the first player to score at least 30 points, 5 assists and 5 steals in a single game. After losing 28 pounds, he was as light as a swallow, almost hitting the first quarter (9 minutes and 55 seconds), and scored 14 points alone in 7 free throws. Doncic played 36 minutes and 19 seconds in the whole game, made 7 of 14 shots, 3 of 9 three-pointers, and 17 of 18 free throws, and all the data bars were filled. Such a performance should have led to a victory, but the team firepower of the Polish team dwarfed Doncic's personal heroism. The Polish team showed what is perfect team basketball. The team made 14 of 26 three-pointers, with a shooting percentage of up to 53.9%. Loyd made 7 of 8 three-pointers and scored 32 points, and Bonetka made 8 of 13 shots to score 23 points and 7 rebounds, and the whole team blossomed at multiple points.

The inside line was defeated, and Slovenia's structural shortcomings

Slovenia faces serious personnel shortage problems in this European Cup. The team lacks two key players: Chal and naturalized center Josh Nebo. This flaw is fully exposed during the game, especially in the inside defense. Without a qualified center, Doncic's pick-and-roll ability is half of it. He can only create opportunities through personal breakthroughs and long shots, and it is difficult to tear the opponent's defense. Although Slovenia's starting center Omic scored 10 rebounds, he only scored 7 points, and the overall performance was unsatisfactory. Doncic's father Sasha was angry at the absence of naturalized player Nebow: "Josh Nebow obtained Slovenian citizenship to play basketball. If he doesn't want to play, I don't understand the meaning of continuing to cooperate."

Emotions are out of control, and Doncic's old problems reappear again

The turning point of the game occurred in the first four minutes of the third quarter. Slovenia was only one point behind and entered the second half, but was hit by Poland with a 15-3 offensive. Doncic complained to the referee after failing to make a three-point shot with 7 minutes and 03 seconds left and was called a technical foul. 9 seconds later, the Slovenian bench was also called for a technical foul. This is not the first time Doncic has lost his composure in the game. Complaining about referees in the NBA has become almost a common occurrence, which is a shame for a super giant. In the final quarter, Doncic also had a verbal conflict with Polish center Oreniczak. Olenicak said after the game: "If we can make them focus on complaining to the referee in the game, it will definitely be good for us."

Polish tactics, precise three-pointers and teams

Polish team demonstrated excellent outside shooting ability. He made 14 of 26 three-pointers in the game, shooting percentage exceeding 50%. Naturalized player Loyd performed particularly well, making 7 of 8 three-pointers, contributing the highest 32 points in the game. Bonetka also had a stable performance, scoring 23 points and 7 rebounds from 8 of 13 shots. The forward core, known as the "Polish heavy sword", quickly entered the state from the beginning, and could not only break through and hit the inside on the offensive end, but also hit three-pointers from the outside. Polish coach Milicic praised the players' confidence after the game: "The confidence of the players comes from our work, and we have put in a lot of effort in preparation, both tactical and psychological." History repeats itself, Slovenia becomes Polish's defeat again. This is not the first time Poland has become a nightmare for Slovenia. In the quarter-finals of the 2022 European Championships, Poland eliminated Slovenia 90-87, and Doncic scored only 14 points, 11 rebounds and 7 assists in that game. Interestingly, Polish captain Bonetka scored 26 points, 16 rebounds and 10 assists and became the best player in the game. Although the data this time is not as good as that of that year, he still contributed a comprehensive performance of 23 points, 7 rebounds and 2 assists. Before this game, Slovenia performed very badly, winning only the UK, which is at the bottom of the strength. After losing to Serbia's warm-up game, Doncic expressed strong dissatisfaction with his teammates in the locker room.

Lakers owner Jenny Bass and general manager Pelinka sat on the sidelines to watch the game. They saw Doncic's outstanding state after losing weight, making 7 of 14 shots, 3 of 9 three-pointers, and 17 of 18 free throws. But they also see old problems: Doncic's emotional control and the fatal shortcomings of Slovenian inside. Doncic's pick-and-roll ability is half of the time without a qualified center. Back in the NBA, the Lakers can only count on James to calm Doncic's emotions by saying and doing. Finding a center will also become an important task for Pelinka.