What did you have Panathinaike, what did I always have

What do Panathinaikos friends see in this year’s EuroLeague earlier this year? A team full of problems and shortcomings. She did not calm down from injuries, she certainly did not correct her spelling mistakes, and small flashes of positive results are easily forgotten, since defeats and disappointments usually prevail.

The match against Zalgiris in the informal runners-up derby was no exception. The problems were there as the ‘Greens’ were without the injured Papapetrou, Bohoridis, Jovic, Hugaz, who was ineligible (he went to PAO before the regular game date), Okaro White unprepared and Papagiannis came on to play two games in 48 Hours, because on Monday afternoon he gave everything with the national team.

There was also a lack of competition. With two guards and a Mandzouka three, no matter how much Nedovic overdid it at some point or Papagiannis ended up winning and the fatigue, it was very difficult for Zalgiris to counter. Now you will say “Zalgiris was the last team in the table and not…Barcelona”.

That may have been what Dimitris Priftis thought, starting with Kavvada (replacing the suffering Kaselakis) and Mantzouka Key, but he didn’t expect the difference to explode to 19 points with Guten Morgen. Before Panathinaikos realized what was happening on the ground, he lost (in the tenth minute) 10:29, defending with his eyes, losing balls and seeing the Kaunas team run on the field with characteristic comfort.

Yes, Zalgiris was a dick, but all the players were present, certainly his chemistry with Zdovc is better than at the beginning of the year, it found Panathinaikos without beginning or end, the game didn’t want to miss much. This 12:0 of ​​the Lithuanians at the end of the first half essentially determined the game. The guests passed with +19, they even got the difference with +23, no matter how much effort Panathinaikos put in after that, they always found a way to keep him away and finally achieved the victory with almost 100 points.

Zalgiris’ accuracy (26/42d and 11/26tr) shows that Panathinaikos’ defense only bothered him significantly on a very few occasions. Either the man’s man or the belt played by Priftis, Zalgiris read it very easily with the fast guards (mainly the Lekavitsios looking like… Stockton), the Ulanovas-Milaknis having a party in the Periphery (the first he also remembered the strange chariots that sent him to Fener, although he had no similar appearances there) and Lovern in the basket.

While Panathinaikos sailed, his opponent did the simple things of basketball as best he could. Correct distances, good ball movement, reading misses and a few moments that don’t go according to plan.

How long will Nedovic hold out?

Once again Panathinaikos remained in the hands of Nemanja Nedovic. The Lithuanian defense was chasing the Serbian Guard, who struggled in the first half and broke out in the third as he scored 16 points in a third, with 4/4 three points. Even…the Panathinaikos goalscorer threw a stopper, tried everything but was left alone and empty.

So far he seems to be holding out, although a clash with Lovers angered people in OAKA as Nedovic grabbed his knee while grimacing. He had nothing. But we’re talking about a player with an incriminating history who can’t play thirty or forty minutes without help. Sant Ross was consumed in the point guard role, which he’s not, he’s had moments but is known not to have… the shot.

We wrote it last week too. Unlike the first half of the year, Daryl Macon continues in shallow water. Even in that match, which provided 7 assists, most of his decisions were wrong, especially when the match “prompted” him to get baguette from Nedovic. In the absence of Jovic, who was “catching up” anyway (until he sustained a fracture), the problem in the PAO region is huge.

Papagiannis also wants support

Panathinaikos decided to leave Giorgos Papagiannis to the national team for the two games against Turkey, thereby risking the two games of the tournament. Kavvadas helped the most against the Red Star, rampaging in the two sluggers. Obviously repeating the same performance against Zalgiris was difficult.

Still, Papagiannis wants help. If Kavvadas can give him more breaths than he’s been doing so far, he’ll stay fresh for the sequel.

The statement of St. Ross

Sant Ross, meanwhile, conveyed the atmosphere of the Panathinaikos dressing room: “The new players of the team don’t know how to deal with the defeats“said the Cuban and added”In the changing rooms there is whining and discomfort“of the continued unsuccessful results.

But that is also the difficulty for Panathinaikos to get out of the Euroleague regular season. Even against the bottom of the table, if he’s not focused, if he doesn’t have the flame of victory, such defeats will be repeated. The attrition is great and the forces (in the dressing rooms) are small.

This is another point that Panathinaikos must pay attention to in order not to suffer other shocks.

Since the situation has developed with the upcoming departure of the Russian teams, it can serve him that he has three games less. To get rid of it an hour early to be able to attend to his commitments in Greece. Namely in the championship.