Reyer Venice: Neven Spahija is worried—a key player may miss the derby against Treviso

There is great concern at Reyer Venezia regarding Kyle Wiltjer’s condition ahead of the highly anticipated derby against Treviso. The Canadian big man suffered a sprained left ankle during the EuroCup game against Maxima Roma (a 90-79 loss in Rome), an injury that seriously jeopardizes his availability for tip-off on Sunday at 6 p.m. at the Taliercio.

Wiltjer’s absence would be a major blow for coach Neven Spahija. The former player for the Houston Rockets, Olympiacos, and Málaga, has established himself as one of the Orogranata’s key and most reliable offensive threats early in the season, as evidenced by his latest performance against BC Roma—32 points and a 36 efficiency rating—which earned him the MVP award for the fourth round of the league.

The player will undergo further diagnostic tests which, at least according to the Orogranata medical staff, will clarify the exact extent of the joint injury and determine, if necessary, the recovery timeline. After the derby against Treviso, Reyer will fly to Tenerife to face the local team (for which, incidentally, Wiltjer played during the 2021–2022 season) in the EuroCup, before returning to league action on November 1 with an away game in Naples.

Born in 1992, he is the son of Greg Wiltjer (a Canadian basketball legend who played for Brescia in Italy in the mid-1980s) and the half-brother of Jordan Adams (a professional player in the WNBA from 2003 to 2005), Kyle Wiltjer is in his fourth season in Italy, where he has always played for Reyer Venezia. During his career, he won the NCAA tournament with Kentucky and the 2021–2022 Basketball Champions League with Tenerife.