Greece National Basketball Team, Spanoulis: When players “love” to play with you! | Blog – Antonis Calcavoras

Antonis Kalkavoras thanked with his soul the return of the national team to the SEF after 26 years and watched the solidity and quality of the international European leagues overcome the lack of homogeneity and lead to a triumphant debut for Spanoulis.

Regardless of the semiotic elements of the evening, which have to do with the new era of the “official favourite”, the “first” of the legendary European basketball player on the bench, but also with the entire “Peace and Friendship Stadium” In the first hosting of the “Blue and White” after the 98 World Cup, the first and most important question in these matches is the result. This is where all other relevant comments and analysis begin.

I say this because I look at the results of his first qualifying race European Basket 2025will help us figure out how “brutal” these mid-season matches are (with players already nervous) and what dangers they hide.

Don't go away… European champion Spainlost at home (75-79) from LatviaThere are 9 players per level EuroLeague In its formation (upon its return Rubio)!

the agriculture he lost (75-69) from Denmark (They didn't like him Zoros Which was taking them to the major leagues), despite having 27 points Singelia.

Our first potential opponent in the pre-Olympic tournament Athens (July 2-7), Croatian He entered their matches with his left foot (he lost to the Frenchman despite obtaining 22 points). Hisonia), the other Slovenianeeded them 25 minutes at home against Ukraine (He won 87-73), while the Turks achieved his victory Ataman They bowed (87-80) to Italy.

Let's start winning the victory (72-64) on hardening Czech Republic, which without high quality always creates problems for us! The result initially gives us the opportunity to rest for Monday's match (26/02, 20:30) with HollandThe three internationals who carried a huge burden on their teams (Papanicolaou, Mitoglu And walk towards) At the same time, they were the pillars of the victorious beginning.

this way, Vassilis Spanoulis He will use more and give time to players who have not played much (K. Antetokounmpo, Kalaitzakis And Kosloglu(or not at all)Metro Lounge, Lontzis And Menzocas) In the chef He will prepare with less pressure for what appears to be an easier match against 'Urani', who nevertheless made a very good impression on the team Newcastle against the Great Britain (lost 98-94).

Regarding our primary goal, mission accomplished! So the fact that the score was combined with the “Pan Army” is impressive for the entire Greek basketball chef (Her last match National At Valerico Stadium on July 31, 1998, when we won 68-57 Ha Senegal As part of its first phase mondo basket Ha Athens), with very nice photos (like the selfie the teens requested Olympiaco by Diamantides) And with one of the best basketball players this place has ever produced, carrying the baton, the new effort only promises better days.

Let's move on a little bit to the competition, which is always a little complicated at this level and point in time that these competitions are held. In the beginning, it was clear that our team was in a hurry and anxious with good intentions, as evidenced by the surrounding atmosphere that was not so toxic after a long time!

The union's cooperation with the two big clubs was flawless, the new union had almost all the players it wanted at its disposal, and the willingness of people to embrace this new beginning was a pleasant surprise.

In all of the above, the fatigue of the players (especially the nine of the 12 who play in the team) must be taken into account. EuroLeague) which comes just after the middle of the season, having entered the final stage, plus the nerve-wracking part of the lack of consistency that cannot be easily covered by 3-4 training sessions.

So this kind of explains the very numb image of the international players in the first period and the very poor offensive image in the first period, where we scored only 12 points on 6/22 shooting and 0/9 three-pointers! If we weren't playing defense, with those numbers, the margin could have been in double digits and it would have been a lot harder to try to come back.

The toughness we showed on the defensive end, the size we played, and the hands we consistently put on the ball helped us get into the open court early and find a rhythm with some easy baskets in the moment.

Experience at the highest level helped in this walk towards, Mitoglu And PapanicolaouWhich gave confidence in the construction and implementation decisions and know-how behind the scenes.

The fact that we went into the locker room at halftime leading (32-31), while at the same time shooting 1/12 of three-pointers, was definitely an encouraging sign and to some extent it was due to the effort I put in.”Kill Bill“To find the most efficient form, to give the necessary boost to the Greek team.

As the game didn't get away from us even in the first five minutes of the third period, when the Czechs hit three three-pointers, they got away with a score of -7 (33-40 in the 23rd minute) as if that wasn't enough. They missed two completely free goals that could have increased the lead even further, and it was only a matter of time before we asserted our dominance and reached victory.

The team defense we played for about 12 minutes (from minute 23 to minute 35) set the tone for our eventual victory, which served as a tutorial (12 steals and 4 blocks in modern basketball is an impressive combination) and set an example of what can be achieved when everyone puts their egos to rest. Under us they give their souls to their dispiriting tasks.

In the above-mentioned period, Czech Republic He had 4/16 shots, committed 7 of his 18 fouls overall, and went 33-40 61-52 (at 34'20″) with individual scores of 28-12, “setting fire” to the podium. After all, in a game where we shot 16% from three-point range and 66.7% from the line, we can't talk about anything other than defense.

in conclusion, National He has achieved nothing great for us in the sense that the quality, experience and “know-how” of many Euroleague players would have to be greatly diminished in order for them to be compromised by an opponent much lower in quality (than his players). OcampoJust Satoransky However, since every start is difficult (especially against a “wicked devil” like the Czech Republic), we should all be happy and look at the end result and the big picture.

At the individual level, beyond the three “bodyguards,” the leader “door(16 p., 8 p., 2 p.), from “me too(22p and 7p) with individual scoring record with coat of arms and walk towards (16p., 8r., 8as. & 5kl.), which in addition to… Computer, is a “beast” of adaptability, I really liked his maturity in basketball Charalamboulos (5p., 7p. & 1kl. with 15') and tsagano showed it Moraitis (2p., 3a. and 1 cup in 10').

Vassilis seemed to have gained confidence in Italy, freed himself from the excessive pressure put on everyone around him (perhaps on himself as well) and showed that he could develop into a useful and good player, while Dimitris looked extremely anorexic, drained of energy in defense and was excellent in the part. Creative (could finish the match with no less than 5 assists in 10 minutes of participation)!

I finally let him go Vassilis Spanoulis, who made his debut as a national coach and it was clear how much inspiration he radiates at the international level. He was a little nervous (which is completely understandable), but once the ritual and apotheosis were over, the game began, and the first few minutes passed and he had to shuffle the cards and find the solutions, showing that he had the whole pack to lead. National team high above …

Saying it Thomas Walkup In the press conference about how proud he was to play for this guy, he said it all about the atmosphere in the locker room, the hotel and training. Because it is certain that playing for the national flag is the first and most important element in being associated with the “official favourite”… but when it is, it is coupled at the same time with the utmost respect for the coach and the desire of the coach. Players “travel” with it, each equipped “sweet” has many opportunities to “set”.