2024 EuroLeague Playoffs Preview: Barcelona vs Olympiacos – Only one of those team will qualify for the Final Four in Berlin.
Undoubtedly, both of them have marked the past few decades in European basketball, with the Greek giant leaving a bigger mark, mostly due to the titles in the era of Vassilis Spanoulis. At the beginning of the last decade, Olympiacos won the third trophy in the elite competition and overtook Barcelona, which won the second one in 2010 and has not been able to reach the very top since then.
Both are regular participants in the Final Four and were the biggest favorites for the title last season. Neither of them came to her. Now it is certain that at least one team will not repeat last year’s result, which puts special pressure on this series.
Road to the EuroLeague playoffs
Barcelona finished the regular season in fourth place, although they spent most of its time in second place. This team underwent major changes, primarily due to the arrival of head coach Roger Grimau, who at the beginning relaxed the team and gave it more freedom in the game, which paid off to some extent. In 34 rounds, they had a record of 22-12.
Olympiacos had a turbulent regular season. After Kostas Sloukas and Sasha Vezenkov left the team, it was clear that the Greek team would have to be more defensively oriented. In one part of the season, especially on their floor, they acted like an impenetrable wall, and in the other it was different. Moses Wright revived Olympiacos when he came to replace the injured Nikola Milutinov and is one of the best in the team, which had the same score as Barcelona.
Barcelona vs Olympiacos H2H
In total, they played 33 duels, of which Barcelona was better 20 times. Remember the final from 2010, when Barcelona won the title for the last time. Then Juan Carlos Navarro and the team were unstoppable, even for Olympiacos, who then entered the final in a legendary way, with a win over Partizan after overtime.
This season head-to-head
- Olympiacos vs Barcelona –68:77
- Barcelona vs Olympiacos – 86:78
Barcelona Strenghts and Weaknesses
- Strenghts – Barcelona is underestimated by many and they entered the final of the EuroLeague in the role of a certain outsider. That’s always a relief when it comes to a trophy-chasing team that has one of the best teams in the league. Many overlook the defensive potential of this team, which has players who can defend anyone one-on-one. Size is their biggest advantage, and when the shot is still open, then Barcelona becomes a real force. The biggest strength of this team is defensive rebounding, as they are second best in the league in that segment. From there, they gain control for organized offense, but also play in transition.
- Weaknesses – This team lacks the continuity of top games. They are able to break Real Madrid both tactically and playing and immediately after two days they seem unrecognizable. The impression is that this team does not have a sufficient number of reliable players who can step in when needed. Nicolas Laprovittola, Jan Vesely, Jabari Parker and Nikola Kalinic are not enough for that. Paradoxically, they allow a large number of offensive rebounds – 10.9, but they also lose 13 balls per game, which is too many.
Olympiacos Strenghts and Weaknesses
- Strenghts – The biggest strength of this team is rhythm control, as they record the third-fewest turnovers per game. That has always been their hallmark and what led them to the greatest heights. They are exceptional defensively – they are allowing the least number of points per game – 75.0, but they also have the highest percentage of assisted baskets in the EuroLeague – as much as 68.2 percent. They are a force in the racket, considering that they have Nikola Milutinov and Wright recently, Kostas Papanikolaou is full of experience and can always be the one who brings the advantage.
- Weaknesses – The fact that they have a high percentage of assisted baskets shows that they do not have the capacity to rely on individual solutions. That is, they do not have enough quality players who can stand out in one-on-one situations, except for Nigel Williams-Goss. Although according to advanced statistics, they are the eighth best attack in the league, all those flaws could come to the fore in the best duels, when one or two moves decide who will be better.
Barcelona vs Olympiacos: Three things to watch
- Barcelona’s defense vs Olympiacos’ defense – Both have great defensive quality and the impression is that this series will be focused on who is the stronger and more aggressive team. Neither of them must allow a more relaxed game at a faster pace, which is not the identity of Olympiacos, but Barcelona could slip in that case, because the red and whites are just waiting for that situation.
- Ricky Rubio – The legendary point guard is trying to revive his career, which could be a double-edged sword. If he doesn’t manage, Barcelona could lose a lot, but could also gain a lot if he resembles Rubio from the 2019 FIBA World Cup.
- Roger Grimau vs Georgios Bartzokas – The coaching matchup is evidently on the side of the Greek strategist, who has more experience and trophies than his promising counterpart, who still needs to prove himself. Therefore, it is very important how Grimau and the coaching staff will prepare the games. During the season, he proved that he is the best when it is most needed and when his position is “swinging”. His tactical ideas, however, are yet to be put to the greatest test.
Barcelona vs Olympiacos Prediction
It would be expected to see a close series. If Olympiacos had more offensive talent, they would be favorites over their rivals, even despite not having the home-court advantage. Our prediction is that this could be the deciding factor for Barcelona to go to the Final Four.
What is interesting is that Olympiacos has only 50 percent of wins against Barcelona at home, while the Catalan team has 70 percent. All this points to the fact that Grimeau’s team could close the series in their favor and that in the worst case, they could go further in five games.
Prediction: Barcelona in five