Petteri Koponen, 22, has practically been suffering from withdrawal symptoms after being sidelined in April because of stress fracture in his foot. The rehab period has been long and hard (pause), and what the last two months have been especially difficult since Koponen was originally supposed to come back in early August.
Koponen has been participating in Virtus Bologna team practices for two weeks now, and while his shooting hand seems to be just in shape, sideline reporters tell that he's in lots of trouble trying to keep up with his backcourt mates. Koponen himself said to be "far from his best shape", but Virtus coach Lino Lardo is willing to give his young Finnish star few minute stints early in the season while the team waits for his comeback.
When Koponen and Virtus Bologna opened their 2010/11 season last Sunday, the home opener against Cantù seemed to be a stinker for both the team and Koponen. Cantù took a 38-54 lead late in the third quarter while Koponen had only played 10 minutes with a whopping -18 in the +/- charts. With that kind of stats, it's no wonder that coach Lardo wanted to keep Koponen on the bench in crunchtime.
However, Virtus stormed back in the 4th quarter and tied the game at 61 with just a few minutes to go in the fourth. Lardo inserted Koponen back to the game after Kennedy Winston fouled out with Cantù leading 63-64. After both teams traded baskets, Koponen caught a pass from Marcelus Kemp and drained a three from the wing with only seven seconds remaining to put Virtus on front, 68-66. Cantù's Benjamin Ortner missed his last shot and Koponen made a full house of 8,062 spectators forget his 0-point, 10-minute, -18 outcome earlier in the game - only the last three points mattered.
