PAO assistant coach recalls 'incredibly embarrassing' night, explains Papagiannis' struggles / News - Basketnews.com

Thanasis Giaples, assistant coach to Dejan Radonjic, recounted in detail how Panathinaikos' players and staff experienced the team's six-game losing streak that ended with a win vs. Maccabi. He also broke down Giorgos Papagiannis' highly problematic season.

Credit: Vangelis Stolis Credit Vangelis Stolis

Panathinaikos Athens' win over Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv on Friday night ended two dismal streaks for the Greens.

Player of the Game EFF 23 Derrick Williams Points 17 Accuracy 6-9 Rebounds 5 Assists 1

First and foremost, it put the breaks on their six-game slump in this season's EuroLeague, improving their record to 7-12. Secondly, it interrupted the Israelis' three-game winning streak against the Greek side.

For a team like PAO, dropping six in a row is a capital sin, an unprecedented 'black hole' that was accompanied by some really bad performances that some would call embarrassing.

Look no further than Panathinaikos' assistant coach Thanasis Giaples. Referring to the consecutive losses, the Greek tactician revealed that the Greens' confidence had been tarnished by bad results.

"All this is a chain that created a problem, which is also psychological and I confess that we're all dealing with it," Giaples told Greek broadcaster NOVASPORTS after the game.

"You get it. No one is happy with how we looked in the last month and especially with how we played against Olympiacos. What we experienced [that night] was incredibly embarrassing," he admitted.

Giaples, 53, has been sitting on PAO's bench since 2020. He first served as an assistant to head coaches Giorgos Vovoras and Oded Kattash (2020-21) and then, when Vovoras returned to assume head-coaching duties again in April 2022, Giaples made a comeback of his own.

Credit Vangelis Stolis

As one of Dejan Radonjic's associates, the Chalkida-born tactician acknowledges that working at Panathinaikos was, is, and will be about handling pressure.

"The past month has not been good for us at all. We made a good start three days ago in the match against Fenerbahce, which we deserved to win," he said.

Georgios Papagiannis

MIN:23.14PTS:7.16 (53.91%)REB:5.68As:0.74ST:0.53BL:1.26TO:1.16GM:19ProfileEuroLeague2022/2023

"Even more pressure had accumulated in view of tonight's match, but all's well that ends well. Maccabi is a very athletic team, first in offensive rebounds in the EuroLeague. This win is a good injection of morale for the players so we can continue," Giaples went on.

Although Maccabi scored 37 points, they exploded in the second half scoring 49, and especially in the fourth quarter, when Bonzie Colson's career game allowed them to take the lead and almost snatch the win. But Derrick Williams ultimately prevented what looked like a deja-vu for the Greens, who had been on the losing side for too long.

"What happened tonight was similar to what had happened in the match against Fenerbahce," Giaples pointed out.

"We conceded 28 points in the last quarter. Fatigue is normal, but both teams made big shots. Usually, when a game goes down to the last shot, one detail can make the difference. A good extra pass, a three-pointer like the one Williams made, or a good defense after a switch."

Panathinaikos didn't defend well against Wade Baldwin in Maccabi's last possession but didn't pay for it, as the former Olympiacos player missed an open jumper from the high post.

However, the takeaway is far from negligible. For the second game in a row, PAO showed some bits and pieces of a team game which isn't exclusively dependent on Dwayne Bacon's heroics.

Credit Vangelis Stolis

What's more, Giorgos Papagiannis stood up to the challenge of facing an athletic frontline. Alex Poythress is down long-term with a serious wrist injury, but Josh Nebo and Roman Sorkin were there to cause some damage to the Greek big man.

After a (very) long time, PAO's captain looked dominant in the paint, especially on the offensive end. He tallied 16 points and 5 rebounds, including a decisive putback dunk that helped his team get a deep breath.

"We played very well. From the get-go, we made no mistakes. We are very happy about this win after a series of defeats. We lost so many games in the same way," the 25-year-old center commented.

"It was probably his best performance this year if we consider the importance of the game, the pressure, and how athletic his opponents, Nebo and Sorkin, were," Giaples thinks.

"He played a very good game, but because we all remember how Giorgos played last year and the year before, he still has a lot to give," he argued.

Papagiannis, named to the All-EuroLeague Second Team last year, is having a rough season.

On offense, he basically relies on his shooting, having recently added a pretty reliable three-point jumper to his repertoire. But, other than that, he's been unable to generate plays for himself, finish near the rim, or take advantage of his length. His teammates often seem to bypass him and prefer to challenge their luck from the perimeter.

On defense, Papagiannis doesn't remotely resemble the big man he used to be. Slower than ever before, and even indecisive at times, he's become easy prey for quick guards, explosive forwards, and anyone standing in front of him after a switch. From one point on, his problem is more of a mental issue than a purely physical one.

Sharing the amount of responsibility that each part should keep for itself, Giaples said that the coaches need to implicate Papagiannis in more plays. But the player is responsible for carrying out the rest of the tasks.

"One piece of responsibility is his: self-confidence, listening to instructions, following the tactics. That's what we're trying to achieve."

How will this be done? Giaples thinks it's difficult.

"We are at Panathinaikos and the pressure is big for everyone. The fans are sad and we understand it," he stressed.

"For the guys who are several years on the team, like Papagiannis, the pressure multiplies in relation to Derrick [Williams] or Dwayne [Bacon]."

Even if one could argue that Papagiannis had a busy summer that left him no room for development - and, to a large extent, prevented him from practicing- his having a slow start to the season makes sense.

But as we're heading into the final stretch of the EuroLeague regular season and the Greek international is still very far from his standards, Panathinaikos are liable to pay the price. In fact, they've already suffered the consequences of their captain's misuse.

"Giorgos was injured with the national team and missed two months. He then came to the team late, and played straight away, although maybe he shouldn't have," Giaples conceded.

"However, we needed him and that's why we played him so much. I think in time, he will be the player he needs to be."

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