ZAGREB (EuroBasket 2015) - EuroBasket 2015 co-hosts Croatia are gearing up for their first-ever game under new head coach Velimir Perasovic, as they play host to New Zealand on Wednesday night in Slavonski Brod.

For Croatia, who commenced their EuroBasket preparations approximately two weeks ago, the clash with the Tall Blacks is the inaugural game in a long series of warm-up games ahead of September's big tournament.

Perasovic, who took over from Jasmin Repesa in March, did not admit to stage freight prior to his first-ever game at the helm for the national team.

The Croatian head coach, who is renowned for his pragmatism, also stated that it is almost indifferent whether his team kicks off their summer campaign with a victory on Wednesday.

"Sometimes, even with a win, you cannot be satisfied," Perasovic said.

"New Zealand is in an advanced stage of preparations for their decisive qualification to the Olympic Games [the 2015 FIBA Oceania Championship], they are playing Australia in about 20 days.

"It is a team that showed its potential last year at the FIBA Basketball World Cup."

"We have not worked specifically to face New Zealand, because at this stage we are not interested in preparing for the opponent," Perasovic added.

"The only thing that interests us is to see the results of the first two weeks of our work."

Almost half of the players on Croatia's 24-strong preliminary squad for EuroBasket 2015 will join the training camp during its second stage, after the game against New Zealand.

Perasovic stated that the players who will see extended playing time on Wednesday are those who have been in training camp from Day 1.

Our primary goal is to see the players who have been in preparations for some time. - Perasovic

The Croatian coach however is also expected to give some minutes to key players who joined preparations in the last days, such as Dario Saric, Roko Ukic, Luka Zoric, Krunoslav Simon and winger Marko Tomas, who was not included in the preliminary squad but has since received a late call-up by Perasovic.

"We continue to evaluate players because soon we will will have to make a decision as to who stays and who leaves the team.

"At this point, we simply do not know what is our level of form, or even if we do have any kind of form yet when we play together."

During his days as an international sharp-shooting guard, Perasovic won EuroBasket gold, World Championship gold and Olympic silver, in the memorable final between Croatia and the USA in the 1992 Barcelona Games.

The 50-year-old tactician however has opted for cautious, moderate optimism at the start of his maiden campaign as the national team coach, and not only with regards to the Wednesday warm-up test.

"Our EuroBasket expectations will come out step by step," Perasovic said.

"Let's first create a good style of play, get together and create a better team.

"We are going to play at a EuroBasket where 10 to 12 teams can realistically expect a medal, and we are one among them.

"I am sure that none of these teams will enter the competition without the desire and ambition to achieve it.

"Likewise, we also have a great desire and great ambition to get there.

"But we are aware of the high level of competition in our sport, especially in Europe."

Croatia play host of EuroBasket Group C in Zagreb and will face the Netherlands, Georgia, Slovenia, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (MKD) and Greece in a bid to secure a top-four spot and a berth in the Round of 16.

Go to eurobasket2015.org for more coverage of EuroBasket 2015.

FIBA