By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Certainly strange for the Serbia national team moving into a major FIBA tournament without Milos Teodosic.
Teodosic, 35, has been a regular for Serbia for more than a decade and was available when healthy. That will not be the case in the 2022 EuroBasket. Senior national team selector Svetislav Pesic has decided to cut him, according to Mozzart Sport.
The Virtus Segafredo Bologna player most recently represented Serbia in the November international window centered on the 2023 FIBA World Cup Qualifiers. Averaging 17.5 points, 8.5 assists, 2.0 rebounds, and 0.5 blocks per game helped produce an even split of wins and losses at home versus Latvia and on the road versus Belgium.
Since debuting at the senior level in 2007, Teodosic emerged as the captain and participated in the 2016 Olympic Games, a couple of FIBA World Cup editions, and four editions of EuroBasket. Definitely been a productive and influential player for the Eagles over the years winning silver medals in the 2016 Olympics, 2014 World Cup, and 2009 EuroBasket.
The team guided by Pesic is heading into Group D of EuroBasket’s preliminary round. Colliding with the Netherlands, the Czech Republic, Finland, Israel, and Poland between 2-8 September in Prague will determine whether it can progress to the knockout stage to be held in Berlin until 18 September.
Teodosic is also expected to miss the next games of the World Cup Qualifiers. Serbia qualified and entered Group I of the final round and will face Greece on 25 August and Turkey three days later.
Photo Credit: FIBA.BASKETBALL