Turkey’s Enes Kanter to miss FIBA World Cup with knee injury
Utah Jazz big man Enes Kanter will be sidelined for at least two weeks after receiving a “platelet rich plasma injection” to treat his injured right knee, reports Jody Genessy of the Deseret News.
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This is especially bad news for the Turkish national team, which was planning on having Kanter star at the inaugural FIBA World Cup in Spain this summer. Instead, Kanter will sit out the tournament on the recommendations of his doctor, Genessey says, and hope to be fully healthy for the 2014-15 NBA season.
That may seem like better news for Utah, which has spent a good deal of time and resources developing Kanter in recent years, but the news still puts a wrench in the team’s summer. If the Jazz had any plans of putting out feelers for Kanter before the NBA Draft on Thursday, those chances effectively went away with this development.
It all means Kanter won’t be in Spain, but will likely return to the Jazz next fall as one of their key players.
The news could also affect how Utah approaches the draft, as there will be a number of options on the board with the No. 5 overall pick. If the team is worried that Kanter won’t be ready, or will be limited initially, for the start of next season, then adding someone like Arizona’s Aaron Gordon or Indiana’s Noah Vonleh may be the likely choice now.
Kanter appeared in 80 games, including 37 starts, for the Jazz last season. He averaged 12.3 points and 7.5 rebounds in 26.7 minutes per game, all career-highs.