Panagiotis Giannakis, the legendary Greek player, spoke to Basketball Sphere about the Olympic Games qualifying tournament, among other topics related to Greek basketball.
When Giannakis’s name is mentioned, the first thing that comes to mind is the golden era of Thessaloniki’s Aris, which lasted from the mid-1980s to the early 1990s.
Among Greek basketball fanatics, mentioning Panagiotis Giannakis typically leads to expectations of continuing with names like Nikos Galis, Panagiotis Fasoulas, and Fanis Christodoulou. This quartet put Greece on the basketball map in the latter half of the 1980s.
This is also the first generation that brought any medals to Greece from international competitions, so it’s clear that there is hardly a better person to talk to about the Olympic Games qualifying tournament currently taking place in Athens.
New Zealand
Just a day later, Croatia suffered a completely unexpected loss to New Zealand. The Croats had the game under control, holding an 86:79 lead with three minutes remaining, but they failed to score another point. The New Zealanders went on an 11:0 run to secure the win, which hurts Slovenia the most.
“Maybe they thought it was enough, but already in the game against New Zealand, who played much better defense than Slovenia, they had problems. In the last three or four minutes, when they were under pressure, all they did was shoot threes. These are some things they need to improve if they want to defeat higher-quality teams and qualify for the Olympic Games,” Giannakis commented.
Vassilis Spanoulis
After the disappointment at last year’s World Cup, Dimitris Itoudis ended his tenure as head coach of the national team, and the reins were handed over to Vassilis Spanoulis. Despite not having extensive coaching experience, the potential of the legendary Greek shown during his time coaching Peristeri over the past two years is clear.
“It’s clear he has potential. He has achieved everything in his career as a player, so he has enough experience to share with the players now. He has enthusiasm, and it’s necessary to bring enough aggressiveness on both ends of the court,” noted Giannakis.
Kostas Sloukas
Kostas Sloukas led Panathinaikos to two trophies at the end of the just-concluded season, appeared at the national team gathering, but in the end, he was unable to help Greece in their quest for Olympic qualification. However, Giannakis believes that Greece can compensate for this loss.
“It is a big loss. What’s most important for Greece is pressure on the defensive end of the court. We have Giannis Antetokounmpo playing close to the basket. If we don’t lose focus, play calmly, and gather points steadily, we have a chance to qualify for Paris,” Giannakis concluded.
Olympiacos and Panathinaikos
Two Greek clubs had highly notable seasons in the EuroLeague, both reaching the Final Four, but ultimately Athens’ “Greens,” Panathinaikos, achieved more success by securing their seventh European championship title.
“Olympiacos started excellently as a team, playing fantastic team basketball. However, they played a terrible first half against Real Madrid in the Final Four. It seemed like they left the character that team possesses in the locker room. In the second half, they played the right way, but it simply wasn’t enough.
Panathinaikos had an incredible season. They surprised me with how they raised their game month after month. They peaked at the end of the season. Players like Kostas Sloukas, Kendrick Nunn, Jerian Grant, three guards, and Mathias Lessort made a difference,” commented Panagiotis Giannakis.
Despite facing criticism throughout his career, Ergin Ataman has won three EuroLeague trophies in the last five years, making it difficult for anyone to question his quality.
“If a team wins all that, it’s clear they’re the best. He has his way of leading a team, the way his teams play, and so far, he’s done a great job. Congratulations to him,” Giannakis concluded.
Top Betting Offers 2024: