Dobrić Unfiltered: Obradović Erred with Motiejunas, Players Were Lost

"While it might seem similar, the key difference this time was Bolomboy's injury. He was the team's alpha and omega, and once he went down, we started a downward spiral and couldn't stop it. After February, under Saša, the training breaks didn't suit us because we were overloaded with information. Saša truly knows an immense amount about basketball – he sees every angle, and I firmly believe he can solve any basketball problem. I think that was actually the issue; he wanted to cram all that information into our heads, which didn't work for some players, and we got a bit lost. Players didn't know what to do in certain situations. I spoke with Saša about it and told him that players can't see basketball the way he does, because he lives and breathes basketball 24/7. Not everyone can keep up with him – it's too many details, too many small things… His vision is phenomenal, he talks a lot, but that needs to be translated to the players, which was incredibly difficult. He wanted the best for us. I've never claimed anyone is more dedicated, but perhaps he needed to approach individual players a bit differently." - Ognjen Dobrić

"Donatas turned our season around… Then, Bolomboy and Rivero returned from their injuries, so suddenly we had four centers, plus Ojeleye. And he decided to remove Motiejunas – which I think was a mistake. Even Saša didn't expect it, because Donatas had an important role and understood Saša's system. He was a crucial cog in the machine…" - Ognjen Dobrić

"This job has been phenomenal for Miša. He's really embraced the role. Even as a player, he was constantly talking and having meetings. This is ideal for him. He's a respected name in Europe, and when Miloš Teodosić calls, it's a different story. It's a huge success for Zvezda." - Ognjen Dobrić

"That was in Pazova. Miša got frustrated at a practice before that – we were playing zone, and something wasn't working. The focus was on defense, but the other five players, who were on offense, kept scoring on us. Kari got annoyed, and so did Teo… He saw it wasn't working, and Kari wouldn't give up. It was a morning practice, so we went to sleep. We woke up around four o'clock and I saw Miša's message in the group. Nobody had any idea it would go in that direction. He never showed up again. He left while we were sleeping. I don't know what happened between the two of them. I truly don't know. Unfortunately, that's how he ended his national team career." - Ognjen Dobrić