By Eurohoops team / info@eurohoops.net
Greece superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo is expected to start practicing with the national team in the upcoming days.
“There’s a schedule and I believe he will properly join practices in the following days,” said Greece coach Vassilis Spanoulis after the preparation win of his team over Poland Friday (21/6). Giannis sat the game out, together with his younger brother Kostas Antetokounmpo and Greece captain Kostas Papanikolaou.
Antetokounmpo last played a game on April 9 when he suffered a left calf strain during a win over the Boston Celtics. He was forced to miss the rest of the season.
“I haven’t played basketball for two months and a half,” Giannis had said during the Media Day of Greece ahead of training camp for the Olympic Qualifiers. “I haven’t practiced but I’m better. I can’t wait to join the practices.”
Antetokounmpo may return to action in the upcoming friendly games of Greece against Montenegro and Bahamas for the annual Akropolis Tournament. Both matches will be solid tests for the Greek Freak and his teammates vs. squads that feature NBA players such as Nikola Vucevic (Montenegro), DeAndre Ayton (Bahamas), Buddy Hield (Bahamas) and Eric Gordon (Bahamas).
Greece will then shift its focus towards the Olympic Qualifying Tournament of Piraeus. Slovenia and Croatia will also compete in the tournament, along with the Dominican Republic, New Zealand and Egypt.