By Aris Barkas/ barkas@eurohoops.net
Theo Papaloukas made his Euroleague debut this season for CSKA Moscow against Anadolu Efes and it’s more than probable to be used against Brose Baskets. However the veteran guard had to play an official game since last spring and when Ettore Messina called him in Moscow he wasn’t ready to play in his usual rhythm, since he had a lot of ground to cover.
The main target, as both Messina and CSKA‘s GM Andrey Vatutin have stated, is for Papaloukas to build his physical condition. He is training with the team, but he also hired a personal trainer – by CSKA’s consent – from Greece who will help him return to his old self and that could be the key.
CSKA’s well respected trainer, Evaldas Kandratavicius, is overseeing the rehabilitation process both of Zoran Erceg and Sonny Weems, who has a leg injury according to the Russian media and already missed two games.
That’s why Greek trainer Kostas Chatzichristos, founder of Performance 22, has traveled to Moscow and works everyday with Euroleague’s all time top passer and their target is for the player to be fully ready to roll in one month.