Bosnian Coach Petrovic: "No excuses" for Mirza Teletovic

Aco Petrovic, coach of the Bosnian national team (and Drazen's brother), told reporters this week that even though Mirza Teletovic didn't get many minutes for the Nets, he has no excuses in the FIBA Eurobasket championships this September.

"Neither I, nor Mirza, are looking for excuses because he did not play enough last season in the NBA," said Petrovic.

"Mirza will have 35 days of preparation, the maximum allowed by the NBA." Between "friendly" or exhibition games and tournament games, teams can play as many as 19 games between late July and late September, finishing up days before NBA teams begin their training camps.

Teletovic will be one of at least two and possibly several other Euro-Nets in the competition which starts September 4 in Slovenia. Tornike Shengelia will play for Georgia, Bojan Bogdanovic will play for Croatia and it's possible the Nets could draft a European player next week, as they did three times in the last two years. Ilkan Karaman, the Nets late second round pick last year, will play for Turkey. (Kris Joseph is on Team Canada's preliminary roster. The Canadian play in the tournament of the Americas starting in August.)

Teletovic said he was ready to play.

"I don't want to offer much comment on the other teams," he said. "They will all come prepared. What is most important is that we're ready, and that we do not need to look at all the other teams."

• BIH - Positive vibes - FIBA