Cibona – Mornar
International - AdmiralBet ABA League, Round 6
04/11/2023 14:00 CET
Cibona has been going through its toughest period in the club history over the last two seasons. Players and coaches have gone unpaid due to the club's financial difficulties, and survival has become the main focus. Despite these challenges, they managed to avoid relegation in the ABA League last season, but they are once again the favorites for the last place. They are the only team with five losses. Young talent Tomislav Buljan has shown that he has the potential to play for better clubs, and this season could serve as his complete affirmation. Ivan Majcunic and Aleksandar Aranitovic are good three-point shooters, but when it comes down to it, this is a team with by far the least talent in the entire league.
Mornar achieved its first win of the season in the previous round, defeating Krka by 86:83. Before that, they suffered four highly convincing defeats. As in previous years, Mornar has signed a significant number of foreign players, but only Dwight Murray has been consistently performing well. Alexandre Gavrilovic also appears to be someone from whom head coach Mihailo Pavicevic can expect reliable contributions this season, alongside veteran Nemanja Vranjes and the returning Antabia Waller. Apart from these individuals, the rest of the roster hasn't shown much, and it's likely that the Bar-based club will make certain changes to the roster soon.
Cibona and Mornar have displayed the least among all the teams in the ABA League so far, alongside Krka. Unlike Cibona and Krka, Mornar is a financially stronger team and won't allow their survival to be compromised in any way. Cibona's players have been performing well given the circumstances, considering the club operates on an amateur level. They are maximizing their potential on the court, but unfortunately, it's not enough for better results due to the lack of talent. The problem with Mornar is that they often play at an extremely fast pace and rely heavily on their three-point shooting. When that doesn't work, they are capable of losing to anyone. However, it would be a shame for them and for everyone else in the league if Cibona defeated them convincingly in this situation.