Shane Larkin speaks on his potential return, reacts to Turkish NT failure / News - Basketnews.com

Shane Larkin expects to return to the Anadolu Efes lineup in the few weeks.

Credit: EuroLeague Basketball via GettyImages Credit EuroLeague Basketball via GettyImages

Shane Larkin was warming up before a big EuroLeague game again. It was the first time Anadolu Efes fans saw him dribbling the ball and hitting some threes this season.

Shane Larkin

Team:Anadolu Efes IstanbulPosition:PGAge:30Height:182 cmWeight:80 kgBirth place:Cincinati, United States of AmericaProfileNewsStatistics

Larkin couldn't join the squad for a vital battle vs. Barcelona yet. But practicing in warmup gear indicates that his return is getting closer.

"We'll see. Definitely, in the next few weeks. But we'll see exactly when that is," Larkin said to BasketNews after the win over Barcelona.

Larkin has been recovering from a wrist injury of a shooting hand he suffered in the EuroBasket that sidelined him for the rest of the tournament.

It's been almost three months since he has been out.

"I feel good. My body feels good," Larkin replied. "Obviously, a lot of time off due to my hand. But my body feels good. I'm glad to be back around the team. Big win tonight."

Efes snapped a three-game losing streak in the EuroLeague with a crucial win over Barcelona, 96-86.

Back-to-back champs improved to 3-5, and Larkin's return gives them a lot of potential moving forward.

"Larkin will join us after a while. The important thing is not the beginning but the end of the season. Entire Europe knows who made it until the end of the year. So we are relaxed, there's no problem," Ergin Ataman explained why Efes would not rush Larkin's return.

However, his help was really much needed for the Turkish national team.

Larkin couldn't help Turkey in a crucial FIBA World Cup 2023 qualification game vs. Serbia.

Ergin Ataman's squad lost the last-second drama 76-77, significantly denting their chances of qualifying for the World Cup.

"It was a tough game," Larkin, who watched the game on TV, said. "The team played really hard. The team played together. They really bought in on the defensive end. It just came down to a few small mistakes here and there."

"We're a young team, so we make similar mistakes in multiple games. Techs, fouls, offensive rebounds, turnovers. But it came down to a final shot and free throws, and that's all you can ask for on the road in those kind of games. Unfortunately, we weren't able to pull it out in the end. But I think those guys played really hard and well," he concluded.

If Turkey fails to qualify for the World Cup, it will be in a challenging position to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Their only hope is to get an invitation to one of the Olympic pre-qualifying tournaments.

Turkey dropped to the 16th spot in the latest FIBA World Rankings following the results of the EuroBasket 2022.

"Yes, it's going to be difficult to get there now. But all you can do is think about the next game and the next time we get our opportunity to go out there and play. Hopefully, we'll have a chance," Larkin told BasketNews.

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