FIBA Film Study: How Luka Doncic, Slovenia Picked Apart 'Great' Australia Team

Watch our in-depth breakdown of Luka Doncic and Slovenia countering Australia's aggressive defensive approach at the FIBA World Cup.

OKINAWA, Japan — Luka Doncic and Slovenia achieved a 91-80 victory to qualify for the quarterfinals in the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup. The Dallas Mavericks superstar finished with 19 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists despite facing major defensive pressure. 

"It was a very hard game," said Doncic. "Australia had to win no matter what. We went to the game, like we had to win no matter what. They have a great team, great players, but I'm really proud how we played today. We just stayed together no matter what."

A clear focus from Australia's defensive game-plan was to blitz pick-and-rolls and to double-team the post when Doncic had possession of the ball. The team mixed up the coverage later on to initially switch in ball screen coverage, then send a late double-team. The superstar guard accepted the coverage to find open teammates. 

"I think it was every possession," said Doncic of Australia's frequent defensive pressure. "I had two guys on me in every possession, but I think that's great. That's how we got all of the open looks. We stayed together. Honestly, I think we missed many open shots, but we shared the ball. It was amazing to watch. I'm really proud of this team."

There is plenty of intriguing elements to the approach used by Doncic and Slovenia to counter Australia's aggressive strategies, including the use of Double Drag Spain plays, along with some use of Doncic in off-ball actions. 

An in-depth breakdown of Doncic's performance against Australia can be viewed in the embedded video below. Subscribe to my channel for more content about Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks throughout the FIBA World Cup and the 2023-24 NBA season.

Slovenia's next match will occur on Sunday against Germany — the final of the team's games played in Okinawa. The team will travel to Manila to participate in the quarterfinals with the outcome of the Germany matchup being a deciding factor in which team they draw first in the Philippines. 

"A great team," Doncic said of Germany ."They went 4-0 like we did. They have a great team every year. They have an amazing team. Obviously, Dennis Schroder is an amazing player. We are going to enjoy tonight. Sleep. Not think about the game yet."