New coach aims for net gains

Djordjevic's rigorous coaching style that focuses on discipline, defensive rotation, details and intelligence has impressed Chinese players called up by him at the training camp this week.

"Serbia as a world powerhouse in basketball has a very advanced training system. The coach brought it in so we should pay very close attention to each and every detail so that we could keep up with the world's best," said Wang Zhelin, Team China's All-Star center with CBA club Shanghai Sharks.

Zhou Peng, a veteran forward who's represented China for over a decade, described Djordjevic's training project as strict and demanding.

"It's quite a high-intensity program that really took a toll on my legs as a veteran," Zhou joked about the training. "But it's helpful and I feel like I am young again."

"Coach is quite strict on the control of mistakes. If something wrong happens in a play, we work through it again and you are not allowed to make the same mistake again."

Djordjevic's coaching crew includes two assistants he brought from Serbia and two renowned Chinese staff members — former national team guards Guo Shiqiang and Liu Wei, who were both instrumental members on the Chinese team that finished eighth at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

"The game of international basketball evolves fast and it's time for us to stay connected with the world again after relying on domestic coaches for a while," said Liu.

After missing out on the Olympics for the first time at Tokyo 2020 due to its poor 2019 Cup performance, Team China is left facing a do-or-die campaign to secure a ticket to Paris, otherwise, a back-to-back absence from the Olympics would be a huge blow to the program's profile.

Djordjevic said he understands the urgency and magnitude of the mission, but insists on taking one step at a time

"When you climb up a mountain, you don't look at the peak," he said. "We have to take the best out of this practice, and then the next one, then the friendly games …don't rush.

"I understand expectations and anxiety, and we all want to play. But you have to fill the tank of the car in order for it to run. That's what we are doing."