Greece goes EuroBasket: The 'Giannis effect', X-Factor and a resurgent nightmare / News - Basketnews.com

As the Greek national team is ready to plunge into EuroBasket 2022, BasketNews takes a look at the strengths and weaknesses of the squad coached by Dimitris Itoudis.

Credit: InTime/Hellenic BF Credit InTime/Hellenic BF

Greece satiated their basketball-thirsty audience, winning all five of their friendly and official games before the EuroBasket.

Greece / Schedule

Croatia GreeceFri15:00 Greece ItalySat19:00 Great Britain GreeceMon15:00 Greece UkraineTue15:00

If the attendance at the OAKA arena in the game vs. Spain on August 9 wasn't enough, two more sold-outs followed. The first one against Turkey, in a contest with many ups and downs for both sides, and the second against Belgiumplayed in front of 19.443 spectators - a new record for a World Cup qualifying match in the European zone.

But all of this is a thing of the past right now, as coach Dimitris Itoudis is preparing his squad for a competition that can keep everyone on their toes for more than two weeks, in case Greece goes all the way.

The one wish Itoudis would make ahead of the future is to have all his players healthy.

The injuries

Starting center Giorgos Papagiannis had been absent and unable to practice with the rest of the squad throughout the entire preparation period. His backup, Kostas Antetokounmpo, hurt his knee in the match against Serbia.

At one point, it looked like Greece was heading to EuroBasket without a single big man, if one excludes Giannis Antetokounmpo and Dimitris Agravanis, who are basically and predominantly forwards and not centers.

Ioannis Papapetrou got injured in a friendly game against Poland and, as he recently stated, is feeling well to start practicing again. Guard Kostas Sloukas had to leave the court in Belgrade during the clash with Serbia, adding one more problem to Itoudis' list.

Of course, things could have turned out even worse - big man Kostas Gontikas was knocked out in the game against Georgia with a fracture in his wrist and required surgery.

In view of the departure for Milan on August 31, the Greek coach wants to talk with his coaching staff associates and use all the time left to make the best decision regarding the final roster.

After all, it's not one or two role players who might not make the cut. Papagiannis and Sloukas were likely to play at least 25 minutes, while Papapetrou and Kostas Antetokounmpo are the team's sixth man and backup center, respectively.

Three of those four players (excluding Antetokounmpo) have missed all or most of Greece's pre-EuroBasket games.

Whatever happens, it will be up to the doctors and physiotherapists to give Itoudis the green light for him to finalize the 12-man squad. Even so, Greece's chances are somewhat hindered because of the schedule in the group stage.

The two-time EuroBasket champs face Croatia on September 2 and host Italy the day after. That's as tough as it can get right from the start.

If Itoudis chooses all four uncertain players, Greece will play their group's most challenging and important games, having at least three athletes not 100% ready. Maybe that's a risk worth taking because it can promise some payoff when the knockout stage begins.

So far, the new Fenerbahce tactician has tried all sorts of alchemies, different schemes, and lineups to make up for the missing players. His main goal is to gradually introduce the returnees to the group, using all the group games as a preparation for the knockouts. However, that can be the case only if Greece win at least one of their two first outings.

Kostas Antetokounmpo has been the team's most pleasant surprise until now, as he overcame a largely mediocre rookie EuroLeague season with LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne and produced significant numbers: 9.8 points, 4.1 rebounds, 1.1 blocks per game. That's probably way more than everyone expected.

Giannis is everywhere

The 'Giannis effect' was palpable in Greece's home games, on and off the court, as thousands of fans and tourists paid a visit to OAKA to watch the two-time NBA MVP in action.

The local crowd, which usually doesn't show much love for NBA merchandise, proudly displayed their Milwaukee Bucks jerseys with the number 34, the one Giannis is wearing. The name 'Antetokounmpo' was imprinted on almost every back, enhancing the vibe.

Judging from his body language, it was clear that Giannis wants to show everyone that he's back for good, capable of leading the squad all the way to a memorable 2022 EuroBasket run.

For Greece, the question over the last five years has been how to best integrate and utilize Giannis' skills in the team's best interests.

Given Greece's depleted roster, the use of Giannis Antetokounmpo as a center for 10-15 minutes seems inevitable since he will be the man to start the team's engine after a successful defensive effort.

He can play all the positions and fill in the gaps until all the missing players return. But that doesn't mean he will keep being as effective as he's been so far. If neither of the two bigs (Papagiannis, Kostas Antetokounmpo) can give some minutes at '5', Giannis and Greece will be in trouble.

In the four games he played, Giannis averaged 30.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.5 steals, and 2.0 turnovers in less than 28 minutes. In addition, he shot 73.9% 2-pointers, 41.2% in 3-point shots (7/17), and only 61.5% in free throws (32/52).

Credit FIBA Media

His very high 2-point percentage is because 30 out of his total 34 baskets were scored in the paint, while the other four were off midrange jumpers. Furthermore, 23 of his 41 field goals were assisted, usually by Nick Calathes or Tyler Dorsey. The two Greek-American guards account for 15 of Giannis' assisted buckets.

Over those four games, the Bucks superstar spends an average of 4.5 possessions in transition situations and gets 7.5 out of his 30.3 points by running the court. The transition offense is responsible for 21.4% of Giannis' total possessions.

The 28-year-old forward gets 2.5 points per game off isolation and one-on-one plays. His least effective way of attacking is the post-up, where Giannis scores one point every two possessions.

The player who succeeded Nikos Galis as the first Greek to have scored 40 points in an official game and, after 33 years, is far more efficient when finishing plays after a catch and drive (2.1 points per possession) or a pick n' pop (1.9 points).

Itoudis is trying to put the ball in Giannis' hands as much as possible. This is manifested in the fact that hihis usage beinggh, considering how previous versions of the team used to operate. The two-time NBA MVP took 63 field-goal attempts of Greece's total 251, equating to 25%.

Maybe the most impressive of all his stats is that he took 50 of his team's total 99 free throws in those four contests. That's more than half. Not long ago, Tyler Dorsey's postgame interview regarding Giannis and free throws reached all of Europe after the heated game in Belgrade.

That leads us to one of Greece's biggest weaknesses so far.

Terror lies on the charity stripe

Those who have followed Greece NT in their last two ventures recoil in terror, thinking about how the squad's hopes in their previous couple of efforts went to waste.

In the crucial knockout match of EuroBasket 2017, Greece lost to Russia (69-74), having thrown 10 out of their 20 free-throw attempts out of the window, finishing in the 23rd position on the relevant list with the meager percentage of 64%.

In the 2019 World Cup held in China, the blue-and-whites prevailed over the Czech Republic in a closed game (84-77) but didn't win by 12 to qualify for the knockouts simply because they went 10/18 from the line that afternoon.

Greece's current version has some experienced and quality players who have played many big games in their careers. Giannis in the NBA playoffs, or a EuroLeague Final Four, like Kostas Sloukas, Kostas Papanikolaou, and Nick Calathes. Still, the free-throw issue is daunting and worrisome.

In the five friendly games that preceded Greece's two official games for the World Cup qualifiers, Dimitris Itoudis saw his men waste 49 free-throw attempts (74/123). If that 60% is a low percentage, things got even worse against Serbia and Belgium, where Greece went 23/41 (56.1%) from the stripe.

Kostas Antetokounmpo has shot 15.3%, making only two of his thirteen attempts.

Those missed points didn't affect the team's results, but at EuroBasket, when everything matters, players must be calmer and more concentrated.

Dimitris Itoudis was clear on this issue.

"Shooting is not a problem that can be solved in a month. The solution is to shoot 1000 shots every day. But can we afford to do that?" he asked.

The Greek coach also revealed that he had revived the old FIBA rule of 1+1 free throws during practice for players to focus more on the execution. However, the results are still to come.

Credit Vangelis Stolis

Tyler Dorsey as the X-Factor

As Giannis Antetokounmpo looks ready for his best tournament ever with Greece, another player will be a EuroBasket rookie in his first-ever major tourney with the national team. That's Tyler Dorsey.

The former Maccabi and Olympiacos shooting guard can give what previous versions of Greece teams lacked in terms of a perimeter threat. Dorsey is one player who knows how to create for themselves and execute directly.

He can get the team out of a difficult possession when everything else has failed and unlock the opposing defense.

As he has shown throughout his career in Europe, the naturalized guard doesn't shy away from responsibility and will be Itoudis' first option in several cases where a game-winner or a clutch shot is required.

Against Greece, opponents will be focused on taking Giannis off the game, containing him, irritating him, and, ultimately, wearing him down. Although his in-court decisions can be debatable, Dorsey's ignorance of danger can be a powerful weapon.

The 26-year-old Greek-American averaged 19 points and 3 assists per contest in the two games against Serbia and Belgium while shooting 52% from the field and breaking his scoring record with the national team.

The new Mavericks player will be the team's starting shooting guard, especially after Sloukas' uncertain status. Dorsey, on several occasions, doesn't even need a screen to execute, but he's at his best when others set it up for him.

Against Belgium, he chose to shoot after a pick&roll he played. In this way, he scored six points. He's also very fond of facing his opponent in isolation, which he also showed in that last game, scoring on both of his one-on-one plays.

Those who remember Dorsey in his first games with Greece can't help but notice his undeniable progress. He and Giannis are the two players who can make the difference for their team in the upcoming tournament, provided they're healthy.

Players settling for less

If Dorsey and Giannis' latest performances owe little to their previous form, there are a few players currently standing on the other side of the spectrum.

The bell tolls mainly for Giannoulis Larentzakis. In the FIBA World Cup qualifiers, the guard of Olympiacos went scoreless, shooting 0/7 from the field overall, while collecting only three rebounds in two games. Although the 29-year-old is not destined to be a starter, it doesn't mean he can't be a star in his role.

Larentzakis had an impressive Pre-Olympic Tournament last summer when he averaged 13.8 points over four games in Greece's missed chance to make it to Tokyo.

Conversely, things are not working this summer, as he tries to carve out a new role for himself next to Calathes or Sloukas, but most importantly, as Dorsey's backup. Rick Pitino entrusted him with confidence and playing time, and Itoudis seems willing to do the same.

Credit FIBA

Another player who will probably make the cut but hasn't performed up to par is forward Dimitris Agravanis. This tournament can present him with a unique opportunity.

First, with him available on the market after spending three seasons with Promitheas Patras, the EuroBasket offers him the kind of visibility and exposure any free agent would like.

Secondly, as Dinos Mitoglou is still waiting to learn his punishment for the use of an illegal substance last March and Greece's main power forward over the previous decade, Giorgos Printezis, has retired this summer, Agravanis has reason to believe he can be the team's starting player at the '4' position.

However, in Belgrade, he was fouled out after putting up 5 points while scoring 6 points on 1/4 field goals vs. Belgium. The downside to any free agent is their fragile mental state, as they always risk an injury that could end their season before it even starts.

For Agravanis, whose role with Promitheas was utterly different than what was expected of him at Olympiacos until 2019, a smaller role than the one he was used to has taken a toll on him.

In the same way that Larentzakis has to learn how to co-exist with Dorsey (that was the case at Olympiacos last season), Agravanis is trying to get accustomed to playing second fiddle to Giannis Antetokounmpo.

On most teams, when some starting players step up (Dorsey) or return (Giannis), their backups must come to terms with settling for less.

Credit Hellenic BF

Another example is Michalis Lountzis. In the beginning, most would say that his main rival for a roster spot, Lefteris Bochoridis, is more experienced. Even if the guard of Panathinaikos doesn't enter the equation, Panagiotis Kalaitzakis' excellent season in the Lithuanian LKL and the EuroCup should have sufficed to render him the frontrunner.

However, Kalaitzakis looked entirely out of place in Greece's games, even his defensive duties, and was cut before the squad departed. Bochoridis, on the other hand, has kept his chances intact so far, but that doesn't put him in pole position.

Lountzis, a high-flying guard who has all the skills to take himself to the next level and often seems to be held back by his lack of aggression, was Greece's best guard at the Acropolis Tournament, playing behind Calathes, Sloukas, and Dorsey.

Making use of his length, he had some stops on defense while helping on rebounds and creation.

Credit FIBA Media

Conclusion

Having four players in a precarious condition ahead of a major tournament is not what Dimitris Itoudis had signed up for. But, like his predecessor Rick Pitino, the Greek coach needs to buy himself and his team some time in the group stage so that all (or most of) the previously injured get back in shape and game rhythm.

Inconsistent 3-point and terrible free-throw shooting can turn into serious issues when the time comes, but no one can deny that the Greek NT has the experience, the depth, and the quality to go all the way until the knockouts.

Many factors will come into play in single-elimination games, and Greece has been particularly keen on exploring different ways of losing such 'must-win' contests.

A winning hand from the bench in Itoudis and some Greek Freak magic might do the trick, but the need for wins will get everyone involved. Only then can the best roster Greece ever had, as Svetislav Pesic said, aspire to one of the top spots.

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