Andrea Bargnani is out for EuroBasket

I was looking forward to watching our new friend Andrea Bargnani preview his legendary rebirth as a Knick with some fine play for the Italian national team in the upcoming EuroBasket tournament in Slovenia. A bout of pneumonia held Bargnani out of practice, though, and now doctors have decided to hold him out of the tournament entirely, via Sportando:

Il Mago caught pneumonia a few days ago but he won't be able to play in Slovenia with Italian National Team. Bargnani's condition is improving but he cannot recover on time for September 4 when Eurobasket will start.

Now, if it strikes you as a little weird that a man whose condition is improving had his availability for September 4 determined on August 20, here's something that makes it sound like there is a deadline for determining injured lists.

In any event, we won't get to watch the new guy at all before he joins the Knicks. Though Bargani will hopefully be recovered in full by the time he reports to training camp, he'll probably be somewhat out of shape after weeks of lazing about with a cough. Not the best way to start things, but I guess that's what camp is for. Feel better, Andrea. Look at this recipe for Italian cough syrup I found! Drink a liter of that and I promise you'll stop feeling the symptoms.