After Olympiacos win in the preseason tournament in Crete, Georgios Bartzokas shut down a question regarding the status of Thomas Walkup.
Although he had always spoken of the Greek national team guard with carefully chosen words in the past, Bartzokas made it clear with a firm stance that the topic was beyond his control, shifting his full focus onto the players currently in his locker room:
“I think none of us came here to comment on those who are not present. So I will not take a stand, I am here because of the players who are in our team, and I am very satisfied with them.”
Crete IBT 🏆 1st place for Olympiacos BC!
— Olympiacos B.C. (@Olympiacos_BC) September 6, 2026
What a way to start the season! 🔥💪#OlympiacosBC #WeAreOlympiacos #TogetherWeFight pic.twitter.com/zdAlguvJmr
Praise for the tournament
The decorated strategist then reflected in greater detail on the quality of basketball displayed in Crete, emphasizing that Europe’s top-tier competition raises its standards with every passing season:
“I want to say that the tournament was great. We saw that the previous game was decided on the final possession. Four very good EuroLeague teams participated this year. The level of competition gets tougher year after year, greater athleticism, more physicality, higher speed, better decision-making, good players, and whatever mistake you make, the opponent punishes you.”
Analyzing his team’s performance against Crvena Zvezda, Bartzokas pointed out the expected fluctuations at this stage of preseason preparation, while also highlighting the high ceiling the squad possesses once it locks into its signature rhythm:
“We are very happy to have participated in this tournament and, of course, to have won it. It is obvious that the team’s readiness is at a very low level because we haven’t done a single proper practice with defense, but we have quality as a team and when we play well, we have the capacity to build a lead of over 20 points. Quite simply, due to a lack of team chemistry and perhaps seriousness at the end, we let that lead slip away.”
Roster analysis: New signings with proven quality
Bartzokas expressed great satisfaction with the profile of the players who reinforced the Olympiacos roster this summer:
“I am very satisfied. We signed five players, because Karagiannidis and Plotas are here, if I am not mistaken, and of course three foreign players: Mbaye Ndiaye, Jean Montero and Codi Miller-McIntyre. I think all of them have proven they belong at this level. You often bring in players from America who might be very talented, but you don’t know if they have the level required to play here, it is very uncertain. These players have that level, and that is extremely important for us.”
