Petteri Koponen - EuroBasket 2011 Profile

Career: Honka Espoo Playboys (Finland-Korisliiga, 2004-08), Virtus Bologna (Italy-Lega, 2008-2011)

Petteri Koponen didn't play last summer during the Qualifying Round due to injury but should be back to boost the scoring potential for his team. He played at the end of the 2009-10 season with the injury and made the problem worse which meant he didn't regain full fitness until around the start of the new year. The playmaker averaged double digits for Finland four years ago in Division B as a teenager and that was one of the reasons he was drafted in the first round by Philadelphia 76ers and then snapped up by Virtus Bologna where he has spent the last three seasons. He has terrific court vision and is very much a pass first guard. His ability to read the game has developed in huge strides under Lino Lardo at Bologna and consequently he will create a formidable back-court partnership with Teemu Rannikko. He won't fold under pressure and is a clutch player for the big occasion. He can penetrate to good effect and isn't afraid of taking contact. He also has the ability to pull up in traffic and make a jump shot. He will regularly shoot from downtown and is a genuine outside threat. Defensively he is pretty solid with his size and wingspan a big help.. After National Team duty, he will enter the last year of his contract with Bologna and EuroBasket 2011 potentially offers him a great opportunity to showcase his skills at the highest level and prove he belongs in the NBA or at the very least a more prestigous European team.