Greek giants clash: Have Panathinaikos caught up with Olympiacos? / News - Basketnews.com

On the occasion of the first Greek league derby of the season, BasketNews takes a look at the progress made by Olympiacos and Panathinaikos since the last time the two teams faced each other.

Credit: Olympiacos BC; Panathinaikos BC Credit Olympiacos BC; Panathinaikos BC

In their only second official game of the season, Olympiacos Piraeus seemed to pick up from where they left off last year.

Points this season

49%84,0Points made:84,0Accuracy:49,1%Place in standings:5Record max:97Record min:71Best scorer:Aleksandr VezenkovTeamEuroLeagueStatisticsSchedule

Giorgos Bartzokas' squad had the engine running and started the 2022-23 campaign with another trophy, winning the club's first-ever Greek Super Cup after beating archrivals Panathinaikos Athens in Rhodes in early October.

In that game, where the Reds dominated in the second half thanks to their excellent defense, Moustapha Fall did a little bit of everything (12 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists), and Sasha Vezenkov gave a glimpse of what he was about to showcase this season (12 points, 11 rebounds).

On the other hand, PAO looked ill-prepared and paid a heavy price for their inability to shoot (17/52 FG), although Paris Lee (12 points, 4 assists) and Derrick Williams (10 points) tried to prevent a 52-67 loss.

But that's just water under the bridge now as the two teams prepare to lock horns at the Peace and Friendship Stadium, which became Olympiacos' place for celebrations last season.

The three-time EuroLeague champs beat AS Monaco in their playoff decider to return to the Final Four, in addition to sweeping Panathinaikos 3-0 in the Greek league playoffs finals.

The two sides' first meeting came very early in the season. Olympiacos was already a team with clearly defined roles, along with some necessary additions which made the squad look stronger on paper compared to last season.

Panathinaikos had to undergo a total makeover following the departures of key players like Nemanja Nedovic and Ioannis Papapetrou. At the same time, coach Dejan Radonjic took over the project, in only his second job outside his comfort zone of the Balkan region.

Panathinaikos Athens / Schedule

Zalgiris Kaunas Panathinaikos Athens67-81 Panathinaikos Athens EA7 Emporio Armani MilanThu19:00

Olympiacos will head into this derby with a feeling of superiority after having racked up eight wins in a row against their main rivals.

The Reds are first and undefeated in the Greek league (7-0). However, they come off a midweek defeat (71-82) at the hands of Anadolu Efes in Istanbul. Overall, Olympiacos are on a 32-0 domestic streak, with their last loss dating back to November 22, 2021.

For Panathinaikos, the stakes are equally high, as the Greens have a 5-1 record and a five-game winning streak after their unexpected loss to Aris in Thessaloniki. Dejan Radonic's team seems to be in very good shape in recent weeks, showing considerable improvement compared to the start of the season and having five consecutive victories across all competitions.

It's a game that can decide who gets the home-court advantage for the playoffs, especially if the hosts prevail. Should that happen, Olympiacos will have a two-win lead over their opponents that PAO will be almost impossible to overturn.

As the Greek league features very few (if any) teams that can pose a real threat to the two powerhouses, this derby can decide who will enter the title race from the pole position.

So far, Olympiacos have scored 96.4 points per game while dishing out 28.8 assists per contest. These numbers are a testament to their superiority but also to the fact that no Greek team has been able to put on a real fight.

Some of the basic elements of coach Bartzokas' philosophy are quick ball movement from the strong to the weak side, attack in closeout situations, limited dribbling, off-ball plays, and a balanced offensive game that potentially allows for everyone to become a factor.

Olympiacos score 71.6% of their points off assists, a percentage that indicates how efficient the Greek champs have been in that department.

The Reds' main offensive choice is the pick and roll since they use the play in 23.4% of their offensive possessions, scoring 1.11 points per possession and 15.1 points per game. Kostas Sloukas has the lion's share, running most of those plays.

The flow of Olympiacos' offense creates many open looks, translating into many catch-and-shoot situations for Sasha Vezenkov, Kostas Papanikolaou, and Giannoulis Larentzakis, who shoot the ball very well this season.

Of course, the Bulgarian forward is having a career-best year, registering 19.9 points per EuroLeague contest, on top of incredible shooting splits (87.5/67.1/41.9). In many cases, he doesn't even need to dribble, as his off-ball game is probably the best in Europe.

It's no coincidence that he's No.1 in PIR (26.6) and total rebounds (8.2) in the league. His consistency is remarkable since Vezenkov hasn't had any single-digit scoring game thus far.

Another important part of Olympiacos' offense is off-ball cuts. Bartzokas has instructed his players to work without the ball and put them in a position where they can either score or assist through constant movement.

As Vezenkov has admitted, it's also thanks to Sloukas' court vision and intelligence that he's been able to showcase his scoring prowess. The two work together with the precision of a Swiss watch, with Vezenkov operating both as a screener and as the one who opens some more space for Sloukas.

Another important factor for the hosts is Moustapha Fall, who seems to have taken the best of Giorgos Papagiannis in their match-up. The Frenchman is very strong in the low post and can pass with considerable ease, while the Greek center has the ability to counterbalance Fall's advantage with his reliable mid and long-range shooting.

Papagiannis has been taking steps forward in terms of being a perimeter threat to be reckoned with, especially this season, and - although his defensive performances have been lackluster - he remains PAO's barometer on the rear end of the floor.

In terms of Panathinaikos' weapons on offense, there are three names that can make a difference.

First comes Nate Wolters, who can create some balance and flow. The American guard is PAO's main creator and the backbone of the team's smooth function on both sides.

Since both teams seem to lack second-unit guards that could untie their coaches' hands (Lefteris Bochoridis and Michalis Lountzis make the 12-man squad but will hardly turn into important factors), Wolters and Lee, as well as Sloukas and Walkup, will be instrumental.

Before referring to Dwayne Bacon's contribution, one should take notice of Marius Grigonis' absence. The Lithuanian guard went 0/9 from the field in the Super Cup final, and his overall presence with the Greens has been nothing short of disappointing, except for a few flashes.

Since PAO have decided to proceed without Andrew Andrews (although the American guard is still under contract, his stint with the team is over) and Grigonis struggled with overdribbling and many contested shots, Bacon's arrival has changed the picture.

By and large, Bacon is the kind of player Bartzokas chose not to have on his team this year, a significant deviation from last year's lineup that featured Tyler Dorsey. That's one of the reasons why the former Monaco swingman can be effective.

His ability to knock down shots from the elbow makes teams defend him with more than one player. Bacon is one of the best isolation players in Europe, producing a high-scoring volume (almost 30% of his total) in that way. His presence has raised PAO's points off iso situations by almost 500% (from 0.8 to 4.4 per game).

Bacon tends to attack off the pick and roll, mainly because he keeps the ball in his hands making decisions. In the Greens' five-game winning streak, Bacon has been the one to provide the most points. After his arrival, the team presents an overall 6-2 record improving their playoff chances.

His 18.9 points per game are accompanied by average shooting percentages (42.2% FG and 34.3% 3-point shooting), but no one can argue that he's given Panathinaikos the boost they needed.

Bacon's individual quality has been matched with Derrick Williams' career-best season to give PAO more options from the perimeter. The six-time EuroLeague champs are a team that plays at a high pace and relies a lot on transition points. If they don't get the defense off-guard, they will rely on Williams and Bacon to come up with some last-second shots.

The second NBA Draft pick in 2011 is in great shape, and his battle with Sasha Vezenkov will require a great deal of energy. What's even more impressive is Williams' consistency, a feature that the former NBA forward had never displayed in the past.

It's somewhat ironic that his career-best averages in points (15.7), rebounds (4.9), and 3-point shooting (44.4%) aren't combined with a solid free-throw percentage (66%).

To a large extent, Williams' outstanding accuracy from distance is a product of his ability to produce in catch-and-shoot situations, where he scores an outrageous 1.6 points per possession.

Williams takes advantage of the transition game with almost 1.5 points per possession, in addition to being very energetic on the offensive glass whenever required.

His performances have rendered his inability to pose a threat back to the basket almost irrelevant. But as Nikos Chougkaz and Lefteris Mantzoukas don't get much playing time, it's a matter of time until Radonjic looks for a solid backup for Williams.

Going into the first Greek league derby of the season, it's clear that Panathinaikos have little if anything to do with the team that played and lost the Super Cup final but facing a superior team in a packed stadium will definitely make their job harder.

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