Mateusz Ponitka replaced Athens with Belgrade and Panathinaikos’s green jersey with the current ABA League winner, Partizan.
At last year’s Eurobasketa, Poland wrote the history of its national basketball team. After 51 years of waiting, they got the chance to fight for a medal, and Mateusz Ponitka was a significant part of the team.
The newcomer in the Partizan was one of the leaders of the mentioned generation, which Germany defeated in the match for the bronze medal.
The last Eurobasket was special for Mateusz, but unfortunately, it was not accompanied by only good things. Due to a big quarrel in the family, his brother Marcel did not get the head coach call because Mateusz set a request where the leaders of the Association had to choose which of the two would be on the final list.
He could turn the situation to his side only with good performances, in which he has succession. He demolished Ukraine and Slovenia, successfully guarded Luka Doncic (although Sokolovski did most of the work), and fully justified his leadership role.
Although he was often an inconsistent shooter, he never lacked energy – he was always at 110% of his capabilities. It was expected that after such a Eurobasket, there would be massive interest in him from the EuroLeague, which was confirmed by his signing for Panathinaikos.
We are returning to last year because Mateusz signed for Reggiana before the Eurobasket. After three consecutive seasons in the EuroLeague, he went two steps down and strengthened the team that applied for the FIBA Champions League (three-month contract).
Good form at the Eurobasket contributed to him changing the team before all expectations, which clearly shows the signing for the “Green” two weeks before the start of the season.
Why is this important? To better understand the previous season, in which Ponitka had a lot of oscillations.
Napredna statistika (EL):
— Elek Lenard (@ElekLenard) August 10, 2023
Ast/to rate: 1,29
Draw foul rate (ft/fga) 1,57 (3. u EL!)
Ts% 58,6% (prosek lige)
EFG% 48,3% (-6,1% od proseka)
TRB% 13,5% (19,8% DREB, 7,6% OREB)
AST% 23,8%
TOV% 23,9%
+/- u 27 ut. : -4 (679,8/1100 min)
on/off: -83
Skor Panathinaikosa bez njega: 1-6
As you can see, Ponitka had a moderately successful season in the Giants from Athens. There are solid three-point shooting percentages but also a poor two-point numbers. On the other hand, considering the circumstances of the poorly assembled team and the fact that he was with the team’s preparation for only two weeks, he cannot be blamed for much.
The situation did not improve even after coaching change during the season, which was logical due to bad results.
The plus/minus statistics should be highlighted: In the 27 games that Mateusz played, without him on the floor, Panathinaikos lost by 83 points. Without him in the protocol, the score was 1-6.
When we draw the line, it was a harsh experience to play for the “Greens” last season, which is confirmed by the position they had at the end of the regular part of the EuroLeague.
Mateusz had a real positive impact on Panathinaikos, but even that did not help Serelis’ team to make any success.
Utrčavanja u Zenitu: pic.twitter.com/4JTDmTzhGz
— Elek Lenard (@ElekLenard) August 10, 2023
Advantages
Commitment to the team
The leading quality of the Pole from Ostrow is his dedication and commitment to the team. He is ready to do whatever the coach expects from him, which we saw when he was playing under Xavi Pascual at Zenit. During two seasons of working with him, he has no problem with shooting only twice in a game, and after that, taking on the role that is expected of him in a given situation.
“If I help the team to win, I’m satisfied. What have I accomplished if I score 30 points and the team loses? We didn’t reach the goal…” Ponitka said to Mozzartsport after he signed for Partizan. It was also seen at the Eurobasket, where he tried equally hard when he had a 3/9 shot and a slightly worse game or when he led Poland to victory.
It should be said that he has good physical predispositions, but not those from the “spectacular” category. He is 198 cm tall and weighs 93 kilograms, with an arm span of 196 cm (measurement link). His maximum leap was measured around 85cm, although one gets the impression that he “declined” over time (although his weight did not change significantly).
He’s strong; he can dunk, but, again, he could be more explosive. Ponitka uses his physical abilities to the maximum while he hides his flaws very well because he is a smart player.
Polish-style Swiss army knife
What is interesting about Mateusz is his versatility in the game. He plays well on both sides of the field, covering different roles on offense and defense. He executes less successfully in some functions, but having a flexible player who can adapt to different opponents is good.
Ponitka plays both as one who waits in the “corner” but also as a p’n’r ballhandler and an off-ball player. He is also ready to take responsibility when necessary, which he showed a couple of times when he unexpectedly hit shots for the win from the dribble (which he rarely takes).
Odličan je skakač, aktivan na ofanzivnom skoku ali pažljivo bira situacije kada će pokušati zgrabiti skok a kada će se fokusirati na odbranu tranzicije i vratiti u odbranu pic.twitter.com/GnrCxW2IuI
— Elek Lenard (@ElekLenard) August 11, 2023
Utrčavanja u Zenitu: pic.twitter.com/4JTDmTzhGz
— Elek Lenard (@ElekLenard) August 10, 2023
The two most interesting characteristics of Ponitka in the offense are cutting and assists. In Panathinaikos, he didn’t have that many opportunities to score from the cuts, but he indeed used the fact that he was often overlooked by the defense throughout his career. He materialized that by creating opportunities for the basket.
Here we can see examples of his cuts at Panathinaikos and Zenit.
Odličan je u asistiranju i pronalaženju saigrača, veoma dobro čita igru i ume dodavati iz raznih situacija – i iz leđne igre, i kao konektor, i iz pick and rolla. pic.twitter.com/c102G50EUr
— Elek Lenard (@ElekLenard) August 10, 2023
He was a secondary or tertiary creator in every team he played for. A solid number of p’n’r possessions belonged to him, which he executed well, considering that he could be more potent in scoring from the jump shot.
Although he can hit those shots, it’s not something he usually uses, and defenses can exploit that. Mateusz passes well out of the post-ups and in transition (although sometimes he loses the ball due to difficult passes).
Prošle sezone je imao najviši procenat za tri u karijeri na EL nivou. Uglavnom šutira iz otvorenih situacija, mada se ne plaši preuzeti odgovornost i šutnuti iz driblinga ili preko ruke. To mu nije jača strana i ume nekad gadno promašiti.
— Elek Lenard (@ElekLenard) August 10, 2023
Treba očekivati trojke kao u ovom klipu: pic.twitter.com/bNtov06eBw
As for shooting, it is one of his weaknesses, but it is not a massive problem for the team’s spacing because he actively moves without the ball. You shouldn’t expect anything excessive, but he hits spot-up threes well and has a solid shooting percentage from the corner. Sometimes he misses a shot badly over the contest, but he is pretty reliable when he is open.
He rarely shoots from the midrange, but it is not part of his arsenal. In pick and roll, he sometimes shoot three’s off the dribble against the drop, and he had situations in his career when he shot for three from isolation (shot for the win against Fall), but it is not something he is particularly good at and what can be expected of him.
Penetration game: His greatest strength is “drawing” fouls. Throughout his career, he has had no problem getting free throws, and in only one season, he had under 2.8 free throws per game – it was in Zenit 2021-22 when Zenit had a vision for Ponitka to be the second point guard in the team (had a reduced role compared to 2020-21). Last season, Ponitka was third in the EuroLeague when looking at the free throw rate (fta/fga).
Ono što celu svoju karijeru odlično radi je izvlačenje slobodnih bacanja. Veoma je agresivan i ima strpljenja da sačeka kontakt. Prošle sezone je bio treći u Evroligi po odnosu slobodnih bacanja i pokušaja iz igre (fta/fga, njemu je bio 1.57). pic.twitter.com/75TXOgtHkL
— Elek Lenard (@ElekLenard) August 10, 2023
He is not afraid of contact; moreover, he scores well through it. The problem is created by the fact that he sometimes loses control in the air, but he knows how to make up for it with many fouls on him.
He finishes mostly with his right hand, but it doesn’t mean he always comes at the rim on the right side or attacks with the right-hand dribble. Ponitka can hit the floater, but it is not efficient (although it is certainly a shot he does not take in high volume).
Primeri dodavanja iz posta- odličan pregled igre ima Ponitka i često se dešavalo da napravi odličan pas ali da saigrači nisu to uspevali da iskoriste. pic.twitter.com/IKDMr6klpc
— Elek Lenard (@ElekLenard) August 10, 2023
Post-ups: Mateusz has quite an enviable post technique, with the accent on the fact that sometimes he seems “not very well controlled”. Indeed, his main strength in it is his assisting from the same, because he usually attacks in situations that require someone to help or to attract defenders from the weak side. Ponitka is not particularly efficient at scoring from the post, but he provides that additional option in the offense and can be utilized to hunt and attack mismatches.
Pre nego što se prebacim na odbranu, vredi spomenuti da je fantastičan igrač u tranziciji jer se odlično otvara u kontre. Nagrađuje odlične defanzivne posede, a i sam ume da stvori kontru tako što ukrade loptu ili preseče pas. pic.twitter.com/EnC4X1UP8C
— Elek Lenard (@ElekLenard) August 10, 2023
He can be expected to finish a lot of transitions, as he is fantastic at going from defense to offense and sometimes initiates fastbreaks himself by intercepting passes/stealing the ball. He plays well in transition, aggressively, moves well, and uses his athletic abilities to the maximum.
Prošle sezone je protiv Fenerbahčea postavio rekord sezone u broju ofanzivnih skokova, upisao je 10. pic.twitter.com/CgMSetF0MH
— Elek Lenard (@ElekLenard) August 11, 2023
Mateusz is an excellent rebounder, boxes out well, and is energetic at offensive rebounding. For four seasons in a row, he has collected at least 16.8% of the opportunities on the defensive rebound (source: realgm statistics). He controls the situation well on the offensive rebound and thinks about defending the transition, so he doesn’t go for the offensive rebound if the consequences could harm the team.
Defense
Ponitka is excellent at defense, whether he plays on the ball or at weakside. He’s fantastic at intercepting passes, can play a helper role, and isn’t afraid to guard the opponent’s best offensive players 1-on-1. He is not mobile enough to guard fast guards at the highest level, but he redirects to his teammate in that situation very well (he has really high basketball intelligence).
He can make a reckless foul while trying to steal the ball, but he rarely commits fouls when protecting the rim because he rarely tries to block unless there is an obvious opportunity.
Nekoliko primera odbranjenih izolacija – ume ostati ispred igrača čak i kad je protivnik brži pic.twitter.com/lrXG9zCcvH
— Elek Lenard (@ElekLenard) August 10, 2023
Defensively on the ball, he has problems against faster players than himself. He guards the opponent’s best forwards and can protect isolations, but opponents do not often attack him in that area.
He does a great job defending the pick and roll against players who can go under the screen, but overall is inconsistent at fighting through screens, which is logical, when we consider his frame.
Mada kad protivnik postavi dobro blok, ispada lako – zalepljuje se na blok i protivnik ima relativno dobar šut. Nakon što se zalepi za blok, igrač koji je postavljao blok može dodatno da ga uspori kretanjem jer se to ne svira često kao faul u napadu. pic.twitter.com/igYhAQ57Lv
— Elek Lenard (@ElekLenard) August 10, 2023
He guards off-screen actions well when opponents don’t set perfect screens. He navigates well around the screens for a guy of his size, but can’t fight through a good screen. Opponents look to attack him that way sometimes looking for a shooter to create an advantage through being more mobile.
689746982753939456?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>August 10, 2023Odlično brani post-up, mada se dešava nekad da bude nadjačan. Ali nikad ne odustaje niti se boji čuvati znantno jače i teže igrače od njega. pic.twitter.com/0kNay0pw0a
— Elek Lenard (@ElekLenard) August 10, 2023
He sometimes has a problem in defense because his wingspan is short for his position, but he makes up for it with excellent positioning and reading of the opponent’s offense.
Ponitka is strong, but it isn’t spectacular. He happens to be overpowered, but he is pretty combative and tries to get back into defensive possession even when he loses the battle for the position or allows the opponent an advantage.
After all that has been said, with this signing, Partizan brought a universal player who can do a lot of things on both sides of the court and who is not afraid of the “decisive moment” – he often took responsibility in his career, whether it was guarding the player with the ball in the last seconds of the game, or taking a decisive shot.
Overall, he makes good decisions when it’s tight, and Partizan got another cool-headed player ready to “close” the game.
Ponitka will be in a much better team concept, and some of his qualities should come to much greater expression than in Panathinaikos last season.