SRB - A nervous wait for Teodosic

KRANJSKE GORE (EuroBasket/FIBA Basketball World Cup) - Milos Teodosic is a flawed genius in basketball.

A player with sublime shooting and passing skills, the 26-year-old Valjevo-born point guard has panache in abundance, yet at times his temper and frustration get the best of him.

The good of Teodosic far outweighs the bad, though.

He is so accomplished at his craft that Serbia coach Dusan Ivkovic desperately needs him in the squad for EuroBasket 2013, a qualifying event for the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup in Spain.

Teodosic is still being troubled by a calf injury, though, one that cut short his season with CSKA Moscow, and he hasn't been able to join the national team in training.

Ivkovic is worried that his star playmaker may not feature for the team in Slovenia, where Serbia will face Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (MKD), Latvia and Lithuania in Group B of the EuroBasket.

In a statement on the Serbian Basketball Federation website, Ivkovic said: "If things go in a way that bring his appearance at the EuroBasket into question, it would be an immeasurable loss in terms of quality and experience."

An All-Tournament Team selection at EuroBasket 2009 in Poland after leading Serbia to a surprise silver medal, Teodosic is the owner of one of the most famous shots in FIBA World Championship history.

Despite making just one of his first seven shots from three-point range in Serbia's Quarter-Final against Spain in 2010, Teodosic worked his magic at the end.

A couple of meters behind the arc and guarded by Spain's 2.07m Jorge Garbajosa, Teodosic nailed a jumper with 3.6 seconds remaining that gave Serbia a 92-89 victory.

The Blues lost their next two games to finish fourth, but Teodosic was named to the All-Tournament Team.

At the EuroBasket, Serbia will need a top six finish to clinch a spot at the FIBA Basketball World Cup.

If Spain are in the first six, then a top-seven finish will be good enough for Ivkovic's team to reach next year's big event.

FIBA