By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Timofey Mozgov was ready to make his season debut with Khimki Moscow and play his first game in two years when the leagues were suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“Yes, he has been fully practicing for almost two weeks,” Khimki coach Rimas Kurtinaitis said in an interview with Izvestia. “I didn’t plan to put him in for the EuroLeague game against Bayern Munich but we’d definitely try him in the next VTB match.”
Mozgov signed a one-year deal with Khimki in July 2019 to return to EuroLeague since his 2010-2011 with the Russian side. The 33-year-old center came back to Europe after playing 494 games in the NBA through eight seasons.
“He wasn’t a “God” but displayed good basketball,” Kurtinaitis added on how Mozgov performed in practices. “After two years of inactivity, it’d be difficult for everyone to immediately return to the previous level, but I think he would play and benefit us before the playoff stage. I can say that our medical staff did an incredible job of rehabilitating him. He flew for treatment to Germany, Spain, we asked information from a well-known Lithuanian doctor, Russian doctors. I think that he improved 70% to 80% compared to the 2018-2019 season.”