Thomas Woookup has long been considered Olympiacos’ weak link. His failure in the three-pointer and his problematic image in attack in general made people doubt and when he injured himself, the discussion about his offer started. Mainly because his absence was combined with the great win over Efes.

So if one could predict the player who will give Olympiakos a little more in a title shot, one would say Dorsey, Slouka, Vezenkov rather than going for McKissick or Fal. Dorsey and Vezenkov were there throughout the game and had a huge offer, McKissick played an important role in the final minutes of the game but it was Thomas Wokap who made the real difference. The man no one expected.

From the moment he took Sloukas’ place at the end of the third period, Olympiakos immediately showed a completely different face. At that moment, Wookup, Dorsey, McKishick, Vezenkov and Martin were all on the floor and the American playmaker gave the signal to counterattack with a three-pointer. Yes, with his theoretically weak element, he managed to keep Olympiakos where everything went wrong.

A layup and two of his own assists immediately opened the game, the red-whites began to act exactly as Bartzokas wanted in attack. But even more important was his contribution to the defense. He took the baton from Papanikolaou, took over from Nemanja Nedovic and didn’t let him breathe. The highlight is the stopper he makes on the three in the fourth third.

It is obvious that a look at the statistics does not explain the overall offer of WooCup. However, his picture on the floor made many people vote for him as MVP of the finals. Yes, the award went to super forward Tyler Dorsey, many preferred MVP of the whole season – so far – Sasha Vezenkov, but Wokap actually made the difference. Maybe Sakil McKissick, who also provided solutions in both defense and attack, but also Hassan Martin, who played much better in the closing position in the center compared to Mustafa Fal.

Essentially, this defensive five with Wokap, Dorsey, McKissick, Vezenkov and Martin changed the course of the game to the point where Panathinaikos seemed to dominate. This formation forced Panathinaikos to 0/15 of the final period in child shooting after Bartzokas, when asked to choose his own MVP, refused to pick just one and stood in the formation that turned the match. In those five. But most agreed that even when Dorsey came out on top, Wookup played the most important role at the crucial moment.

After all, it is the fate of the less imaginative players to sometimes remain in the dark, their failure seems to cost more in some cases, but such games ultimately justify the really good ones. And Thomas Wookup recouped a large chunk of the sum he was handed this summer in Olympiakos’ most important game of the year so far. And he justified Bartzokas with how he managed the game in Heraklion from start to finish.

Team in and out of the ground

Somehow Olympiacos clinched the first title of the season and deservedly celebrated it. And how the Red and Whites celebrated that shows the mood that now prevails in the team. The bench image throughout, the fact that we ended up with Papanikolaou, Sloukas, Larentzakis, players who wanted to be on the ground for 40 minutes but had outside support, who played more than anyone else, is indicative of the situation. The victories over AEK (championship and cup), Baskonia and Efes (EuroLeague) healed all wounds, gave the Olympic team courage in the truest sense of the word and are good for the continuation. As long as there are no health problems.

PS: Panathinaikos was great for 30 minutes but they can’t win a big game without Nedovic. From the moment the Serb didn’t score in the second half (apart from the shots at the end), it was difficult to top him. However, Panathinaikos deserves congratulations, not just for the game but for his overall presence in Heraklion. He taught behavior classes and the way he accepted defeat shows the right path.

ΥΓ1: The EEC and Heraklion also stood out. Anyone who was on Crete from Thursday to Sunday experienced something really great. not a festival in the classic sense of the word, because the coronavirus is not gone and does not allow for luxury, but what happened is unprecedented. The fact that 3,000 people were in the stands and actually together – next to each other – fans of Olympiacos and Panathinaikos is a big step forward for Greek sport. In Heraklion, ALL the rules were followed from start to finish and everything else became easier. Basketball, the EWG, the EKASK pointed the way for all Greek sports.