EuroLeague championships are celebrated in May, but fans often act like they are won in July during the summer transfer window. However, in the modern EuroLeague, adaptability often beats perfection. Olympiacos knows this better than anyone. Instead of trying to get every single signing right in the summer, they have built a track record of identifying, and fixing, their flaws in roster mid-season.
A history of mid-season course correction
Last season was the latest example. Olympiacos went back to the market four times, bringing in Frank Ntilikina, Cory Joseph, Monte Morris and Tyrique Jones. It was a mixed bag, but that may have been enough. Ntilikina and Morris never really established themselves, while Joseph and Jones became important pieces of the championship run.
They did not need all four moves to work. They simply needed to find the right pieces for the problems that emerged during the season. And this way of doing things wasn’t new to Olympiacos. Back in January 2012, the club also strengthened its roster during the season by bringing in Acie Law and Joey Dorsey. Both became important parts of the team that eventually won the EuroLeague.
Facing the new season’s dilemmas
That makes the current situation particularly interesting. Olympiacos once again enter the season with a strong roster, but there are already some question marks. Thomas Walkup is gone, other departures have changed the rotation, and the situation surrounding Nikola Milutinov could create another need in the frontcourt. On top of that, head coach Georgios Bartzokas has said that Sasha Vezenkov is dealing with an elbow problem.
It is still too early to say that Olympiacos need reinforcements. But their recent history suggests something important: they are not afraid to wait and see what the team actually needs before making a move, and that could be their biggest advantage once again.
Maybe that is the true winning formula: not building a perfect roster in July, but building a strong enough one and then having the flexibility and the patience to fix whatever is missing once the season tells you what that is. Olympiacos have done it before, they have done it recently, and now, they may have to do it again.
