CSKA's Matjaz Smodis out several months
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 A perennial contender for the Euroleague title, CSKA Moscow, received a major blow on Tuesday with the news that superstar forward Matjaz Smodis, the team captain, will likely miss much of the Euroleague Regular Season with a back injury. Smodis, a three-time Euroleague champion and seven-time finalist, may require surgery that would keep him out up to four months, CSKA said in a statement. Smodis missed the first five games last season, too, but returned to average 10.3 points and 3.2 rebounds over 15 games as CSKA lost its back-to-back Euroleague title attempt by two points to Panathinaikos. Smodis arrived to Moscow for the 2005-06, and CSKA immediately won its first continental title in 34 years with his contribution of 12 points, 5.5 rebounds per game. The next year, despite losing another final to Panathinaikos by one point, Smodis was named second team All-Euroleague. In 2008, CSKA and Smodis won the Euroleague title again. Smodis, who had previously won in 2001 with Virtus Bologna, joined a short list of three-time continental winners. Last season, Smodis became the first non-Russian player in CSKA history to be named captain. CSKA said in its statement that back surgery has been recommended by specialists, but that a treatment decision is still pending.
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Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Euroleague.net
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