Is it the end of a story? If not, the Greek squad will at least look way different from last years in September. With golden guards Diamantidis and Papaloukas missing, new coach Kazlaukas definitely faces a challenge to deal with out of the paint, and maybe just a challenge in itself.
When accepting the reins of the Greek national team last February, Lithuanian coach Jonas Kazlauskas said "the objectives of Greece have always been sky high". Indeed. How about now? Dimitris Diamantidis and Theodoros Papaloukas announced in July they would not be in Poland for EuroBasket. To say that the team is not the same without those two is a vast understatement.
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| Head Coach Jonas Kazlauskas |
Greece's recent success has been because they play like a team, yet, one cannot say that the qualities of Diamantidis and Papaloukas do not influence the whole process. Especially since those two play on the same part of the court. It is obvious that the greek squad will lack Papaloukas' vision on the game of his team and Diamantidis' best european defense.
Because of those key changes, this coming Euro could look like a turning point for Greece. After clinching first place at EuroBasket 2005 in Serbia and second place in Japan for the World Championship, the two last international Greek campaigns have shown a slowly but surely struggling team. In the last Olympics, being kicked out by Argentina in the Quarter-Finals in the last seconds was a big deception, Greece eventually finishing in the 5th place. Not shameful, but meaningful in showing that this may be a team that is past its prime. And the last EuroBasket in Spain two years ago had given hints about it as well, with a defeat against Lithuania in the game for the third place.
It is anything but easy to fill in those gaps in the backcourt, because of Diamantidis and Papaloukas. Nevertheless, Kazlauskas still has a few good "subs" on this part of the pitch, starting with Euroleague winner and MVP Vassilis Spanoulis. No doubt he has the character to counterbalance the two missing stars. By his side, there are a few other solutions, but they are not of Papaloukas and Diamantidis' level. Nikos Zisis for example remains a consistent player at the highest level of Europe. And lets keep an eye on young Nick Calathes (20 years old), Spanoulis disciple in Panathinaïkos. This former American college student could have a few things to show in these times of change in the Greek backcourt.
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| Nick Calathes |
If the Greeks may not seem as strong as in the past outside the paint, the frontcourt still shows enough solidity and experience to make things really complicated for the opponents. Guys like Antonis Fotsis and Yannis Borousis have nothing more to prove on the European scene - the latter even playing in the NBA. They are sheer examples of the Greek mentality, being the right pieces at the right place in the usual Greek game scheme. Sofoklis Schortsianitis' aka ‘Baby Shaq' has shown enough, even is it has been a bit irregular, to say that his nickname suits him. Coming from the bench, he can at some points definitely be an X-factor. Hopefully these front court forces can make Greek fans forget that Kostas Tsartsaris, one other usual star of the Greek squad, will be missing in Poland too.
Obviously, Greece still has a lot of collective game power with its current roster. Yet, for the first time, the bench seems less rich than in the past. A bunch of young players may come into power with this EuroBasket though. Kazlauskas' coaching and changes might also be crucial for Greece as they face the challenge of making the transition from the old guard to the next generation.
