''Zubac and Zizic can rule European basketball,'' says Croatia captain Bogdanovic

ZAGREB (FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 European Qualifiers) - He was never the one to say much during practice. After all, his scoring has done all the talking. But nowadays, when the captain speaks, everybody pays attention.

"Guys, no more layups," Bojan Bogdanovic said in a tone higher than usual, during a Red v White v Green 4x4 scrimmage at a recent training ahead of their game against Lithuania. Sure enough, defense became just that tad tougher after that, led by the 29-year-old who never looked better.

It is understandable, really. Nobody stays cool after the guy who battled LeBron James in the NBA Playoffs not so long ago hands out orders.

"I think that more-or-less all European players have a different role in the NBA to the role in the national team," the Indiana Pacers sharp-shooter offered, comparing the two levels.

"We are all second, third, fourth or fifth options on offense, and when we get back to Europe, we become the leading players of our teams. So it is something that is difficult to adapt to in such a short period of time, but Dario (Saric) and I and the others are experienced enough to know how to deal with it. I hope we show it this summer, too."

They already have, leading Croatia to the two staying-alive wins in the June-July window. With games against Lithuania and Poland to start their Second Round campaign, Bogdanovic and Saric are getting more NBA help. For the first time in its history, the Croatian national basketball team will have four NBA players among the 12.

And, get this, two more are missing, with Mario Hezonja and Dragan Bender focusing on self-improvement ahead of new NBA challenges.

Even without them, Bogdanovic likes what he sees in the pair of Ante Toni Zizic of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Ivica Zubac of the Los Angeles Lakers.

"These two young centers will be a huge power boost for us. Not just in these Qualifiers, but also in the future of the team," the captain said.

The 1997-born tandem showed how effective they can be in a friendly against Slovenia in Celje on Saturday.

Zizic needed just 18 minutes to get 15 points and 7 boards while Zubac played one less minute and was just a rebound shy of a double-double with 10 points and 9 rebounds in an 83-75 win for Croatia.

Krunoslav Simon was also back in the squad, giving Croatia their strongest lineup since the start of the Qualifiers.

"Of course it is [the strongest lineup]. With Zubac and Zizic, we've got a couple of 'five-guys' who can, in my opinion, rule European basketball. I hope they do. As for Kruno Simon, that's the kind of player profile we needed. He is really important to our schemes because of his ball handling, and we know that there aren't a lot of players like that, in the whole of Europe, not just in Croatia," Bogdanovic said in praising his teammates.

With a loaded roster, Croatia find themselves in a good position to improve from 3-3 to 5-3 in Group J after this fourth window. It's crucial as they will not have Bogdanovic, Saric, Zizic, Zubac, Hezonja and Bender at their disposal in either of the remaining windows, in November and February.

"I think these two games will greatly determine our path of are we going to China or not. We've got Lithuania, who are coming to Croatia relaxed, who are basically almost mathematically safe to make the World Cup, and all the other teams at 3-3 will have to keep an eye on the points difference, especially against the teams they are fighting with for the spot in the World Cup," a motivated Bogdanovic explained.

"Two wins in September would make the job easier for the guys who will take over in November and February, so they mean a lot to us now." 

That motivation now needs to reach other players in coach Drazen Anzulovic's locker-room. Croatia are no longer an 0-3 team, as they were back in February, with three straight wins securing their safe passage to the Second Round.

That already is a tie for the longest winning streak by Croatia in official games over the last four years. Add one or two more in September, and Croatia could recall the memories of 2013, when they had eight wins in a row at the FIBA EuroBasket in Slovenia.

FIBA