Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv will be without All-EuroLeague guard Wade Baldwin when it opens the season on Thursday night due to a back injury. Baldwin sat out the Israeli SuperCup final over the weekend due to a strained muscle in his back, for which the team’s medical staff gave him a shot. Also in that game, center Josh Nebo saw limited playing time due to a foot injury.
Maccabi announced on Tuesday morning the player underwent an MRI, which confirmed the strained muscle, and that he would miss the game against Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade as well as the team's next game in the Israeli League before being reevaluated. Last season, Baldwin made it to the All-Euroleague second team, averaging 17.2 points, 3.8 rebounds and 5.1 assists in 34 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague games, and was chosen as MVP for March.
The Israeli champs are slated to visit EA7 Emporio Armani Milan in Round 2.