(image: Benjamin Parker)
After a career-best performance on Sunday night against the Wollongong Hawks, just four games into his rookie NBL season, it has been revealed today that Anatoly Bose has suffered a foot injury that may keep him out of action for between two and four weeks.
The Sydney Kings swingman, who is regarded as a heavy favourite for Rookie of the Year honours, is averaging a very healthy 12.8ppg and 7.3rpg so far this season. On Sunday night as the Kings hosted the Hawks, the Kazakhstan native was instrumental in leading the team to their first home victory, with 24 points and seven rebounds, including four huge three-pointers that were pivotal in the Kings’ late comeback.
Mike Hurst of the Telegraph reports:
Bose, a contender for the NBL’s best player of the round – an honour bestowed on Kings captain Julian Khazzouh this week – has torn a spring ligament on his left foot and attended training at Ryde Community Sports Centre wearing a protective boot up to his knee.
“I felt it crack in the warm-up against Wollongong but I played because the pain wasn’t worth mentioning,” said Bose … “It was a bit sore after the game, but the next morning I couldn’t walk,” Bose said.
So in other words, Bose put up his best NBL performance, despite an injury that may hold him out up to a month.
The Kings visit New Zealand this Friday, as they try to gain redemption for a thrashing at the hands of the Breakers at the Kingdome in Round Two. The loss of Bose is difficult, given the fine form he was in, but by no means entirely destructive to the team’s hopes.
The onus will now rest with Ben Madgen and Kevin Ratzsch to step it up in the scoring department to cover for Bose’s loss. Perhaps underestimated factors will also be Bose’s rebounding (he pulled down 8.5rpg in last weekend’s two wins) and ability to pull Thomas Abercrombie out of his game through the necessity to follow him around the court. Once again, these are areas that Madgen and Ratzsch will have to cover for — and are well capable of.
