Utah Jazz's Jusuf Nurkić Calls Out Giannis Ahead of EuroBasket Clash

Utah Jazz center Jusuf Nurkic is currently overseas in the midst of the NBA offseason, competing in this year's EuroBasket tournament for Bosnia and Herzegovina as the second Jazzman to take part in the action alongside Lauri Markkanen.

So far, Nurkic and Bosnia and Herzegovina have gotten off to a 1-2 start in the group stage of the to tournament, winning against Cyprus in their first contest, then losing to Spain and Italy in the two games following. Now, they've got a date against an undefeated Greece and the one and only Giannis Antetokounmpo to attempt to even up at 2-2.

It's a critical game for Bosnia and Herzegovina against a team and a two-time NBA MVP that on paper, looks to be a challenge for this group to take on. But in the mind of Nurkic, he and this roster will be prepared for what Giannis and the rest of Greece's squad bring to the table.

“Of course, you’ve got to slow down Giannis. You’ve got to build the wall for him,” Nurkic said, per BasketNews' Giorgos Kyriakidis. “He’s not the only one. We have to contain everybody else. We can’t allow so many threes like tonight. When we build the wall, we’ve got to still protect the three-point line. That’s going to be a key. Slow him down on the fast break, which is his number one thing to do.”

In fact, Nurkic went on to take a slight stab at Giannis before their contest vs. Greece, noting that even while he's been a dominant force, the Milwaukee Bucks star has tended to struggle in the overseas game when it comes to facing set defenses.

“I think it’s different. Now he’s playing more at the '5'. Obviously, he will have to defend too," Nurkic said. "But at the end of the day, just stop him in transition and live with his shots. Generally, he’s sucked at those defenses the last few years he’s played in EuroBasket. But it’s not only him, so we will be ready.”