Basketball: Nuggets Center Mozgov to Skip EuroBasket 30 july 2013
R-Sport
In an unexpected move, Denver Nuggets center Timofey Mozgov will skip the upcoming European championship to get ready for the NBA season, a Russian Basketball Federation spokesperson told R-Sport on Monday.
On his blog, Mozgov said the decision was based on two factors: an obligation to attend rookie orientation in the United States next month and, having signed a new three-year contract over the weekend, join the Nuggets' preseason camp under new head coach Brian Shaw.
"I'm experiencing mixed feelings right now," the 7-foot-1 center wrote Monday on his sports.ru blog. "I'm happy that there's finally certainty with my future and I'll continue to pay in the NBA. But at the same time, I'm sincerely sorry I won't be able to help our national team."
Mozgov, who is entering his fourth NBA season, missed the NBA's Rookie Transition Program in 2011 and 2012 because of Russian national team commitments.
The 27-year-old signed as a free agent with the New York Knicks before the 2010-11 season. According to league rules, players must attend the transition program — a week-long series of seminars on how to adjust to life as a professional — within his first three years in the NBA.
Russia's acting head coach Vasily Karasev said Mozgov's absence is "definitely a loss," but he understood the big man's thinking.
"Nothing tragic has happened," he told R-Sport Monday. "I understand Timofey's reasons. And forcing players to come to the [national] team is wrong."
Without Mozgov, Russia's situation down low has been thrown into disarray. The St. Petersburg native, who has played for his country since 2009, averaged 10 points and 3.5 rebounds during Russia's bronze medal-winning run at the London 2012 Olympics.
CSKA Moscow center Alexander Kaun and power forward Viktor Khryapa backed out of EuroBasket weeks ago, as did Brooklyn Nets forward Andrei Kirilenko, meaning Russia will likely rely on aging 7-foot centers Dmitry Sokolov and Alexei Savrasenko, 6-foot-8 power forward Semen Antonov, a little-used member of the 2012 Olympic team, and 6-foot-9 forward Andrey Vorontsevich.
Karasev said he will experiment with Antonov and Vorontsevich at center.
Mozgov has averaged 3.9 points and 3.1 rebounds in three NBA seasons. He put up 2.6 points and 2.6 rebounds in 41 games with the Nuggets last season.
EuroBasket runs from Sept. 4-22 in Slovenia.
"I'm experiencing mixed feelings right now," the 7-foot-1 center wrote Monday on his sports.ru blog. "I'm happy that there's finally certainty with my future and I'll continue to pay in the NBA. But at the same time, I'm sincerely sorry I won't be able to help our national team."
Mozgov, who is entering his fourth NBA season, missed the NBA's Rookie Transition Program in 2011 and 2012 because of Russian national team commitments.
The 27-year-old signed as a free agent with the New York Knicks before the 2010-11 season. According to league rules, players must attend the transition program — a week-long series of seminars on how to adjust to life as a professional — within his first three years in the NBA.
Russia's acting head coach Vasily Karasev said Mozgov's absence is "definitely a loss," but he understood the big man's thinking.
"Nothing tragic has happened," he told R-Sport Monday. "I understand Timofey's reasons. And forcing players to come to the [national] team is wrong."
Without Mozgov, Russia's situation down low has been thrown into disarray. The St. Petersburg native, who has played for his country since 2009, averaged 10 points and 3.5 rebounds during Russia's bronze medal-winning run at the London 2012 Olympics.
CSKA Moscow center Alexander Kaun and power forward Viktor Khryapa backed out of EuroBasket weeks ago, as did Brooklyn Nets forward Andrei Kirilenko, meaning Russia will likely rely on aging 7-foot centers Dmitry Sokolov and Alexei Savrasenko, 6-foot-8 power forward Semen Antonov, a little-used member of the 2012 Olympic team, and 6-foot-9 forward Andrey Vorontsevich.
Karasev said he will experiment with Antonov and Vorontsevich at center.
Mozgov has averaged 3.9 points and 3.1 rebounds in three NBA seasons. He put up 2.6 points and 2.6 rebounds in 41 games with the Nuggets last season.
EuroBasket runs from Sept. 4-22 in Slovenia.
Source
http://en.rsport.ru/basketball/20130729/676769726.html
