Cedevita's Dragic to miss start of season

Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana will be without veteran guard Zoran Dragic for the start of the season after he suffered an injury playing for Slovenia at EuroBasket 2022 on Saturday. Dragic went down after a drive to the basket in the second quarter against Belgium and did not return. The national team staff perfumed an ultrasound and then an MRI to confirm the diagnosis of a partially torn quadriceps muscle. He is expected to miss six-to-eight weeks and thus be sidelined when Cedevita opens the 7DAYS EuroCup season on October 12 against Frutti Extra Bursaspor.

Dragic averaged 5.3 points and 3.2 rebounds in a reserve role for Slovenia, which will face Poland in the EuroBasket quarterfinals on Wednesday. After starting last season in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague with Zalgiris Kaunas, he joined Cedevita during the season and helped it reach the quarterfinals by averaging 10.7 points and 5.4 rebounds per game.

"Obviously, I am not destined to be able to help the national team in decisive battles at the European championships, but that's the unpredictability of sports," Dragic said. "I will help my teammates from the bench, encourage them loudly and thereby add positive energy, which we will still need in the following days. I believe that the boys will come together even more, leave their hearts on the field and in the end, we will look forward to the good result that we all want so much. These days I am already starting rehabilitation. Both in the national team and in the club, we have an excellent medical, physiotherapist and coaching service, and together we will do everything so that I can return to the floor well prepared."