Anatolo Efes: How Papanikolaou changed the data from “4”, the safety of Williams-Goss and the mark on the positions

the Olympic Yesterday (26/10) he took control of Anadolu Efes, Dismantling the Turkish team 75-57shows his teeth again.

The “Red and White” stifled Anadolu Efes with their defense, found the solutions they needed in attack, and achieved a well-deserved victory.

the Sport24 Analyzes with the help of Hudl Instat Olympiacos’ win.

The reason why Papanikolaou (again) opened for Olympiacos

Kostas Papanikolaou gave another concert. The captain of the “red and white” had 14 points with 4/5 two-pointers, 2/4 three-pointers, 7 rebounds and 4 assists (from which Olympiacos got another 8 points) in 28 minutes of participation, but also + 21 in the +/ system. -And so does Nigel Williams-Goss. Here is his shot chart:

Here are the ways he scored:

Kostas Papanikolaou looked everywhere from the start of the game in defense and attack, as he was a member of 6 of Olympiacos’ top 7 top 5 players in the +/- system! In fact, he made a big difference when he moved to the power forward position, as in this position the two best teams of the “Reds and Whites” were present: the first consisted of Williams-Goss, Larentzakis, Brazdeikis, Papanikolaou, Milutinov. (+8) and the second for Williams-Goss, Kanan, Walkup, Papanikolaou, Milutinov (+5).

But what really makes a difference in these formats? The simple way to put it is Papanicolaou’s ability to check all the boxes. What is more complicated is assessing what the Olympiacos captain does when he is off the ball, as he is one of the best defenders in Europe at defending the weak side. Here is an example:

Thompson prepares to go head-to-head with Fall, while Papanicolaou – who is marking Claiborne – drives to the basket.

Thompson digs deeper but Papanicolaou is there to help (along with Williams-Goss)

Thompson passes the corner to Claiborne but Papanicolaou immediately closes the distance.

Claiborne was surrounded and forced to throw the ball at Papanicolaou’s feet to avoid the foul

Papanikolaou is one of the best defenders in Europe in close defense – where he runs to close down the opponent’s three-pointer, not allowing him to shoot, but also not allowing him to dribble behind it. The above is the clearest evidence of this, which is further reinforced when one realizes that Efes is involved here with one of Europe’s best passers (Thompson) and one of Europe’s best Spot Up/Catch and Drive players (Clyburn).

Papanikolaou’s role in Olympiacos’ attack is pivotal. His consistent cuts to the basket and good point-to-point shooting draw the defense’s attention, while his runs into the open court give him a breather. All this opened up Olympiacos in attack. But as happened against Partizan a week ago, it was the way they defended that made the difference.

Security and tag

Thomas Walkup has done a lot of work already at the start of the season on offense and defence. The entrance of Williams-Goss and his various minor injuries is one of the reasons why this happened. However, the American goalkeeper is now back and once again showed how important he is to Olympiacos’ work, because he gives another dimension to the team’s match.

Williams-Goss is Olympiacos’ biggest shooting threat off the dribble, making him valuable in pick-and-roll situations. This is even more true against teams like Anadolu Efes, who have big bodies in the midfield position (Blaice, Zizic) and choose to defend using Flat or Drop in Pick and Roll, i.e. giving the shot to the opposition goalkeeper. This is something that Williams-Goss took advantage of in the match, as he constantly monitored the Turkish team’s positions in pick-and-roll situations. Here is an example:

Williams-Goss sets up a Pick and Roll with Milutinov, with Zizic staying back, playing Flat.

Milutinov blocks the ball hard from Larkin who loses half a second, making way for Williams-Goss.

Williams Goss hits a 3-pointer.

Williams-Goss provides much needed security to the Walkup. With his presence on the floor, the naturalized guard doesn’t have to do everything on offense. In fact, against Anadolu Efes, he didn’t even have to compete in the final, as Williams-Goss took the action, finishing with 14 points and 3 assists, from which Olympiacos got another 7 points. According to Hudl Instat, the American scored 7 of his 14 points in Pick and Roll, hurting Anatolou Efes. Here is his shot chart:

Olympiacos starts rolling

Olympiacos left no room to respond to Anadolu Efes. The “red and white” suffocated the Turkish team with their defensive pressure, found the runs they wanted (15 points in case of surprise), and created stages.

Olympiacos has adapted to such an extent that it has changed the way Walkapp and Kanan score. Normally, Kanan tags the handler and Walkup tags the off-ball player because he is the best player on the team at breaking screens.

However, against Efes, it was Walkup who marked the opposing player (Thompson) and Kannan who played off the ball (Larkin). This is also evidence that coach Bartzukas now feels more comfortable giving Kanaan such a role.

At the end of the day, Olympiacos showed – once again – that they are getting the ball rolling, especially on the defensive side. The five-on-five attack still needs work, but the hope is that it will come slowly as time goes on, the injured man returns and Brazdeikis adapts more.

Until then, Williams-Goss and Walkup will carry the ball from the perimeter, Milutinov and Fall will have a similar role in the post, Papanikolaou will do it all, and Kanan, Larentzakis and Peters will open the court with their shooting.

The main thing for Olympiacos is that they now have a 3-2 record in the EuroLeague and seem to be hitting the ground running well. A few days later, another derby will be held with Panathinaikos (30/11) within the Stockseman Basketball League, in a match with special conditions. A game in which he will once again have to show that he is continuing to improve.