Kendrick Nunn suffered a torn medial meniscus and is set to spend six to eight weeks on the sidelines, meaning he will miss the opening games of the new-look Panathinaikos. However, the timing of his absence and the depth of Zeljko Obradovic’s roster should provide some reassurance for the Greens.
The seven-time European champions’ superstar suffered a torn medial meniscus in his right knee during individual workouts in the United States. Nunn immediately contacted Panathinaikos officials, the coaching staff and the club’s medical team and was given the green light to undergo surgery in the US on Wednesday (19/8).
The procedure, considered relatively routine, was completed successfully. The American guard can now begin the countdown to his return to action, with his recovery timetable estimated at six to eight weeks.
In a way, Nunn and Panathinaikos Aktor were fortunate amid the bad news that the injury occurred before preseason and is therefore unlikely to force the former NBA guard to miss a significant number of official games. Had the same issue surfaced in January, for example, the situation would have been entirely different.
As things stand, Obradovic’s scoring ace is expected to miss the entire preseason and all friendly games, followed by the opening fixtures in both the EuroLeague and the Greek Basketball League. Nunn was already ineligible for the Greek Super Cup due to the suspension he received during last season’s Finals against Olympiacos.
In the EuroLeague, the Greens open with four consecutive home games against Paris (24/9), ASVEL (30/9), Maccabi Tel Aviv (2/10) and Fenerbahce (8/10), before traveling to Belgrade to face Partizan on October 13. If everything goes according to plan and Nunn’s rehabilitation progresses smoothly, the games against Fenerbahce and Partizan could represent a potential window for his return. Panathinaikos’ offensive leader is also expected to miss the opening round — or possibly the first few rounds — of the Greek league, which tips off on October 3.
For now, however, the decision within Obradovic’s camp is that Panathinaikos Aktor will not enter the market for an additional signing. As mentioned earlier, six to eight weeks may sound like a significant period of time, but in reality Nunn is expected to miss fewer than 10 official games across the EuroLeague and domestic competition.
At the same time, the depth of this… Panathinaikos 2027 roster gives “Zoc” enough options to cover such an important absence from within.
More specifically, Panathinaikos Aktor will enter the season with a five-man guard rotation consisting of Kostas Sloukas, Sylvain Francisco, Jerian Grant, Brancou Badio and Dimitris Moraitis. It is a backcourt with enough creation, defensive versatility, experience and scoring options to absorb Nunn’s absence for the opening stretch of the campaign, even if replacing his individual offensive impact is an entirely different matter.
That is why there is optimism within the Greens that there is no major reason for concern. Panathinaikos’ already deep roster has the personnel to navigate the opening games without its superstar, while Nunn is expected to make his return to action in early October.