Nikola Jokic’s Serbia Hit With Concerning Update as Key Difference From Luka Doncic’s Slovenia Emerges

Serbia entered EuroBasket 2025 with the weight of expectation and a three-time NBA MVP at its core. Nikola Jokic remains the fulcrum around which everything spins. But even the brightest star can dim under too much strain. Early signs from the tournament suggest that strain may be mounting.

There’s a promise of dominance in Serbia’s structure, a roster built to space the floor, cut hard, and let Jokic orchestrate. Yet one key piece is missing: Bogdan Bogdanovic, the steady hand and veteran scorer who often tips the balance in knockout stages. Without him, the guard line looks thinner, and the questions louder. And as the tournament unfolds, a familiar cautionary tale is playing out with Luka Doncic’s Slovenia, one that Serbia would rather not mirror.

Observers aren’t mincing words. “If there is a game that these guards don’t step up, Jokic will have to do a lot by himself… and without Bogdanovic, I see a really, really tough challenge for Serbia to actually win this whole thing,” said BasketNews’ Augustas Suliauskas. Gytis Blazevicius added: “Stefan Jovic had seven assists… Marco Guduric also had five assists in addition to his 11 points. They are contributing their playmaking, it’s just that they’re not really scoring as Bogey would.”

This is a developing story.

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