While the Utah Jazz fanbase is understandably focusing its attention on Lauri Markkanen's resurgence during EuroBasket, new Jazz big man Jusuf Nurkic is also taking part in the tournament. Nurkic is playing for his home country, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and their next matchup is against Greece and Giannis Antetokounmpo. Nurkic took a slight jab at the two-time MVP before their matchup.
With Bosnia and Herzegovina set to face Greece on Tuesday, Nurkic first made it clear that stopping them is about slowing down Antetokounmpo first, while talking with BasketNews' Giorgos Kyriakidis.
“Of course, you’ve got to slow down Giannis. You’ve got to build the wall for him,” Nurkic said. “He’s not the only one. We have to contain everybody else. We can’t allow so many threes like tonight. When we build the wall, we’ve got to still protect the three-point line. That’s going to be a key. Slow him down on the fast break, which is his number one thing to do.”
However, Nurkic then pointed out the one flaw with Antetokounmpo's game and how Greece utilizes him.
“I think it’s different. Now he’s playing more at the '5'. Obviously, he will have to defend too," Nurkic told Kyriakidis. "But at the end of the day, just stop him in transition and live with his shots. Generally, he’s sucked at those defenses the last few years he’s played in EuroBasket. But it’s not only him, so we will be ready.”
Antetokounmpo is a seven-footer who has made a name for himself defensively in the NBA. He's made four All-Defense teams (though he hasn't made one in three years), but there's a reason why the Bucks have always put a rim protector next to him, dating back to 2018 with Brook Lopez and now Myles Turner.
Even though Antetokounmpo is definitely big enough to play center full-time, he's best utilized in a non rim protector role and more as a perimeter defender because of his frame and athleticism. If Milwaukee didn't see it that way, they'd go into this season with him playing center.
Nurkic also praises Antetokounmpo's dominance
While discussing Antetokounmpo, Nurkic made it clear that, regardless of the league, Antetokounmpo is definitely among the toughest players to stop.
“Of course he’s different. In the NBA, he has so much space, with shooters like Brook Lopez spreading the floor, he’s almost unstoppable. Here it’s another game — no defensive three seconds, so much happening in the paint — but he’s still a dominant player,” Nurkic said.
Nurkic deserves props for being brutally honest here. He acknowledges that Antetokounmpo is one of the best basketball players alive, but he also points out how he can be exploited. That will make for one very intriguing matchup between the two NBA bigs tomorrow.