Turkey risked their lives against Serbia on Monday (in the end she was eliminated from the World Cup next summer) and Ergin Ataman was aware of it. The coach, who combines his position as coach of Anadolu Efes with that of Turkey’s coach, had an ace up his sleeve and used it. Although Svetislav Pesic had summoned Vasilije Micic for the second match of this window, the point guard did not receive permission from his club (Anadolu Efes) and had to stay in Istanbul preparing the next commitment of his team in the Euroleague against Barça.
But karma is karma and even without the double MVP of the Final Four, Turkey fell (Wilbekin had the last shot to avoid it) and will not be in the 2023 World Cup. Ataman, yes, wanted to settle the matter at a press conference . “I will make my last statement of what has occurred. I will speak no more of the matter. Please (referring to the Serbian media) ask Sarunas Jasikevicius why Kalinic is not here or Zeljko Obradovic (Partizan coach) why Papapetrou has not gone to Greece”said the Efes coach and Turkish coach who explained the reasons that had led him to make that decision: “There has been nothing provocative. Efes is struggling in the Euroleague and the situation is difficult without Shane Larkin. Micic is the only point guard available and he also has a minor injury. He has not trained in the last few days and did not play a friendly match against Besiktas ”.
Larkin, with a Turkish passport and the Ataman’s preferred naturalized ahead of Wilbekin, he was injured in the last Eurobasket and has not been able to play since then. The question is: if Larkin had been available, would Micic also have played that game?