Hoops Habit
Fansided

Olympics: Can Serbia’s “Big Four” Shock the World And Win Gold Medal?

By Matthew Medley

Aug 19, 2016; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; The Serbia bench reacts in the game against Australia during the men's basketball semifinals in the Rio 2016 Summer Olympic Games at Carioca Arena 1. Mandatory Credit: Dan Powers-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 19, 2016; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; The Serbia bench reacts in the game against Australia during the men's basketball semifinals in the Rio 2016 Summer Olympic Games at Carioca Arena 1. Mandatory Credit: Dan Powers-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 6
Next
Aug 12, 2016; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Serbia point guard Milos Teodosic (4) works around United States defense during the game in the preliminary round of the Rio 2016 Summer Olympic Games at Carioca Arena 1. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 12, 2016; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Serbia point guard Milos Teodosic (4) works around United States defense during the game in the preliminary round of the Rio 2016 Summer Olympic Games at Carioca Arena 1. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports /

Milos Teodosic

The 29-year-old Euroleage star has been one of the best point guards in Rio, averaging 12.6 points and 5.7 assists per game.

Teodosic ranks fifth among all players in Rio in assists, and has done a fantastic job taking care of the basketball in Serbia’s last three wins, committing only four turnovers in that stretch.

The point guard is also a threat to shoot outside, knocking down 14-of-38 three-point attempts in seven games. He’s near perfect at the free throw line, shooting 22-for-25 (88 percent), and the way fouls tend to rack up in international play, that could end up being a big factor in Sunday’s gold medal game.

Live Feed

NCAA Basketball: In-depth look at Middle Tennessee star guard Elias King
NCAA Basketball: In-depth look at Middle Tennessee star guard Elias King /

Busting Brackets

  • Pacer's Haliburton draws 'super duper' praise despite mediocre FIBA game 8 Points, 9 Seconds
  • Anthony Edwards trolls Jaren Jackson after poster dunk at Team USA camp FanSided
  • Western Kentucky Basketball: Terrion Murdix continues solid rebuilding effort Busting Brackets
  • Austin Reaves goes off for Team USA and LeBron James was absolutely loving it FanSided
  • 3 ways the Pistons should have Cade Cunningham mimic Luka Doncic FanSided

    • Teodosic has been a steady leader for Serbia throughout the tournament, but two games in particular stand out among the seven matches.

    One of his best games came against the United States in the preliminary round, when the guard scored 18 points and dished out six assists while committing four turnovers. His free throw shooting certainly came into play in that game, as he was a perfect 6-of-6 from the line.

    Team USA may not have known much about the guard prior to that game, but it will certainly look to keep him from having a big day in the final.

    Teodosic is coming off his best individual performance of the Olympics, as he scored 22 points in 22 minutes against Australia — and the game was already well out of reach in the second half, so he did not play much after the break.

    Along with those two games, Teodosic flirted with double-doubles on two occasions, passing for nine assists against France and 10 assists against Croatia.

    Kyrie Irving and Kyle Lowry are about as tough as it gets when it comes to point guards, but Teodosic already showed he can make a big impact on the court, even among NBA superstars.

    Next: Raduljica