Giannis Antetokounmpo, assists Spanoulis’ tricks and prepares for Paris

From the (good) performance, performance and new applause of the team, we retain Vassilis Spanoulis’ statement at the end: “The children came for one goal…” which is to qualify for the Olympic Games, which is… Since the end of the friendlies, and with the Olympic preparatory tournament approaching, the desire of everyone at the SEF has been a “date in Paris”.

I hope yes. To find the team in the best possible condition, respecting the proportions and the limited time for preparation. To put everyone’s ego under the common goal, a first major distinction like the ticket to Lille (where the first leg will be played) and the Bercy Palace (the finals, where we all hope the second and most important will be). I hope they are all well, to avoid any setbacks and to be dedicated, as their coach says, to play, for the third time in the history of Greek basketball, in an Olympic tournament.

John’s addition may have caused some confusion at first. Makes sense, because as Dinos Mitoglou said “we all have to adapt our game to him” to show the mentality of the entire team, now that they have found the star of the NBA again. Nick Calathes was the first to get him in the mood, offering him two baskets and the Greek grits looked almost ready.

It is clear that he will also need training sessions in the next few days so that he can step up his rhythms and keep up with the others. He played less than fifteen minutes, scored 14 points on 5/6 shooting and 4/6 shooting, easily collected 5 rebounds, distributed the ball well in double and triple teams of the opposing defense, took advantage of assists from the periphery, went to the low post, dropped the ball and showed For the most part, he’s not bothered by his injury.

With Giannis calm, calm and improving day by day, we can be optimistic. The pre-Olympic tournament remains a tournament that carries surprises and avoids mistakes. It requires surgical precision in appearances, especially in victories. Opponents have already gathered. With the Slovenians, Doncic has been integrated, who, despite suffering from excessive fatigue in the NBA Finals, makes his presence known again this year, while Croatia, coached by the former… crazy Slaven Rimac, looks particularly dangerous.

We will not be afraid of them, after all, they will eat their moustaches among themselves, but we will not underestimate them either. The national team will play with their minds in their heads, without fuss or empty talk!

Joy of creation

In theory, the Bahamas were the strongest team we could face in the “Acropolis”. In practice, the enthusiastic and American-based competitors found it much more difficult than Montenegro, playing classic one-on-one basketball, with fewer passes and more shots, to find rhythm and “kill” the opponent.

Greece was ready. While the Bahamas were suffocating under the extremely strict defense of their international players, the Greek group put on a truly creative display. The 38 (!) assists recorded by the counter is an extraordinary number, but it indicates first the team’s intentions and then its ball handling abilities!

supernatural? Not much. As we wrote from the first friendly match against Poland, the coexistence of two of the best goalkeepers, whom Spanoulis places in the same five, is a real blessing for the national team. Nick Calathes had 11 assists and Thomas Walkup another 9 in nearly 20 minutes of playing time each.

Giannis is clearly a superweapon, doing dozens of things on the court, but the two playmakers are perhaps the most notable difference on this team. Spanoulis, like another… Giannakis, who not only believed but imposed 20 years ago the Papaloukas-Diamantidis duo, had the idea of ​​showing them together, winning in defence, creativity and rhythm. And if…they are underestimated, don’t worry. They will also score three-pointers if necessary.

Yes, just as Diamantidis and Papaloukas were meant to look too similar to fit into the same figure, so Calathes-Wokaps may combine and prove excellent together or separately. Spanoulis shows them a great deal of confidence, not without reason, which – during this minimal period of preparation – is a trick we might not have expected…

The shots that (all) went in

With so many assists, it was logical that the team that showed, in this third game in a row, that it is not afraid to shoot. This time it made two-pointers (29) more than three-pointers (26) with a percentage rising to almost 80% from close range and approaching 50% from long range. A perfect combination, but it is clear that in games with better opponents we would not have such numbers.

However, the national team, as we saw from the premiere of the friendly matches against Poland, does not hesitate to take as many shots as the opponent’s defense gives it. He does not hesitate to execute, and with the rapid movement of the ball, he begins and dispels the myth of Greece’s suffering from the long shot.

We will make reservations, otherwise you will shoot in friendly matches and in matches that award titles or qualification, but this element is also one that Spanoulis and his teammates were able to put into the national team match. It seems that the team is not only focused on their goal, but also knows how to reach it. The experience and quality of players like Papanikolaou and Mitoglou add to all the encouraging signs we have seen a few days ago and everyone is waiting for it to be translated into practice and on the pitch of the historic home of SEF.

It seems that the scores, if nothing changes dramatically in the next few days, have already been formed, the Federal coach sees that he can also get solutions from the bench and everyone slowly begins to dust off the… French.