And another marquee name has dropped out of the 2010 FIBA World Championship due to the concerns of an NBA team: This time, it’s Andrei Kirilenko passing on playing in the international tournament.
Citing a conversation with Utah Jazz brass about the state of his calf muscle injury suffered late in the 2009-10 NBA season, Kirilenko informed Russian-language Sport Express that he would have to “sacrifice” participating in the FIBA Worlds with Team Russia. The forward did state that team executives did allow the final decision to be his, however.
When asked about possible popular backlash to the announcement from Team Russia supporters, Kirilenko was sympathetic, saying “If I were in their place, I would be indignant! I really didn’t like the situation I was in, but I do have obligations.”
This will mark the second straight summer Kirilenko, leader of Russia’s stunning 2007 Eurobasket win, will not play with his national team. Even worse for Team Russia is the news that key players J.R. Holden and Sasha Kaun are also unlikely to play.
You forgot Kelly McCarty. That’s another big absence besides Holden and Kirilenko. They can only take one naturalized player and that would be Holden or McCarty and apparently neither is playing.
PG Bykov/Fridzon/Khvostov
SG Ponkrashov/Zozulin
SF Monya/Kurbanov
PF Khryapa/Vorontsevich
C Kaun/Mozgov/Zhukanenko
Anyway, I would take a guess that Russia’s roster will look something like that. It’s a bit young and some of the players don’t have much experience at all playing at a high level.
Still, that is one hell of a damn talented roster. About 10-11 guys that have enough talent to play in the NBA on that roster.
Well, i like your roster, but you’ve still got Kaun up there. Mozgov/Zhukanenko is adequate enough against this competition, but Kaun’s absence is going to hurt. And i was really just blown away by Holden’s play in 2007 and McCarty in 2009, each providing intangibles and leadership beyond scoring statistics
What i still like about Team Russia: coach David Blatt, Viktor Khyrapa and the magical defensive schemes the Russians always seem to come up with. With this roster, they’ll surely be underrated going into the FIBA Worlds and will surprise many.
thanks for reading,
Os.
When Did Kaun announce he was not playing?