Greek NT 2024

[Victorious]

I don't know if Giannis will want to play with the players who will stay in the Greek national team for the next few years, what would the best possible squad look like?
By removing Sloukas and Calathes who won't last much longer but keeping Papanikolaou who seems to be playing hard for the national team

Dorsey-Toliopoulos
Rogkavopoulos-Kalaitzakis-Larentzakis (ouch)
Papanikolaou-Papapetrou-Charalampopoulos
Giannis-Mitoglou-Thanassis (ouch)
Papagiannis-Kostas (ouch)

Yes I think it doesn't look very good for Greece in the next 5-7 years, maybe in the post-Giannis period things will improve but Spanoulis won't be able to work miracles as a coach with such a team.


But otherwise good tournament from Greece, but there could not be a miracle, Sloukas was clearly missed, but reaching the quarters is not so bad.

I disagree. Greece was knocked out against the World champions Germany. In the group phase Greece played three medalists in the last Olympic circle. The only two other teams which were probaby better than Greece were Serbia and USA. While the Greeks beat Australia, who almost beat Serbia.

One can safely argue that this Greece is now TOP 6 in the world. And out of all these elite teams Greece is the only team with a new coach and a new programm.
As I argued before many times, in order to win medals one can not afford to miss key players.

Greece still has some talent to strengthen the team: Sloukas, Kostas, Dorsey, Papapetrou, Thanassis and Rogkavopoulos. Just two or three of these players could help give Greece that extra edge. I believe Greece could have been even stronger. Not sure if they would have made the semi's, but they could have been even more compepitive.

So I would argue that Spanoulis should keep working on this team. The replacement of Sloukas and Calathes are a problem for the next World Cup three years from now and the Olympics four years from now. Who is to say how the players would have developed by then?

And one more thing. Sloukas was already not there. Calathes was not at his best. Even if we argue that these two players will not be there next year, then how will Greece be much weaker? Calathes was not at his prime anymore ieven n this tournament.

[Toruko]

One can safely argue that this Greece is now TOP 6 in the world. And out of all these elite teams Greece is the only team with a new coach and a new programm.
As I argued before many times, in order to win medals one can not afford to miss key players.

I would put a big question mark behind this statement. The problem is simple. Greece cant score, its really that simple and this although you have a top five player who attracts 3 player in order to stop him and its not going to be better because being a rotation guy on a team and to carry a team are two different things. Without Sloukas and Calathes there will be a big drop of quality in the decision making.

Greece still has some talent to strengthen the team: Sloukas, Kostas, Dorsey, Papapetrou, Thanassis and Rogkavopoulos. Just two or three of these players could help give Greece that extra edge. I believe Greece could have been even stronger. Not sure if they would have made the semi's, but they could have been even more compepitive.

Sloukas was even in Canada 21 not available due to injury. Dorsey means always a tradeoff between offense and defense but this team needs Dorsey without a doubt. Rogkavopoulos is a similar case. He is a very good shooter but his defense is shit but both could give the team an offensive boost.

Papapetrou I wouldnt even consider using him tbh. Just Papanikolaou is an amazing guy and manages to impress me. Replacing him will be an issue. Nevertheless, he will be with the Greek team in Eurobasket 25

So I would argue that Spanoulis should keep working on this team.

Yeah he did a very good job.

The replacement of Sloukas and Calathes are a problem for the next World Cup three years from now and the Olympics four years from now.

Nope, Calathes will retire for sure after this Olympic cycle. You should have seen why. The problem with these old guys they need a certain time after a peak to find rhythm. Sloukas might play a last time but Calathes is done.

Who is to say how the players would have developed by then?

Well, the hope dies at last but there is no light at the end of the tunnel. The time for Giannis is also ticking. Hell be 30 at the end of the year. He looks really solid so I expect to keep this shape for more two years then the decline of athleticism will grab him slowly but steadily. After the Eurobasket 25 the next tournament will be 2027 so we will watch Giannis one last time in his prime with the Greek NT if he comes playing.

And one more thing. Sloukas was already not there. Calathes was not at his best. Even if we argue that these two players will not be there next year, then how will Greece be much weaker? Calathes was not at his prime anymore ieven n this tournament.

Who is gonna replace them? Mouratos? You will have to naturalize a scoring first guard who can handle the ball and shoot.

[Andy Capé]

I say this from an outside perspective, I'm not Greek, but while Greece was a very talented team, it failed to win medals at times when it had the chance in the last 15 years (2013 and 2015 it was clearly among the favorites), then players retired quite early in their careers, or avoided competitions for whatever reason, all because of the stupid stories of enemy clubs that really seem to ruin careers.
Then since 2016 I already find Giannis very badly surrounded by players who are quite talented but who can't shoot, and I have the impression that things are not necessarily ready to improve, who are the young hopes of Greek basketball?

At one point I thought that some U20 players from 2017 were going to have good careers but they seem to have disappeared once they arrived at a Greek club...
Spanoulis seems to me to be a good coach, but it seems complicated for the future.

I hope I'm wrong and see Greece surprise me in the coming years, but I have little hope in the current situation.

[Victorious]

I say this from an outside perspective, I'm not Greek, but while Greece was a very talented team, it failed to win medals at times when it had the chance in the last 15 years (2013 and 2015 it was clearly among the favorites), then players retired quite early in their careers, or avoided competitions for whatever reason, all because of the stupid stories of enemy clubs that really seem to ruin careers.
Then since 2016 I already find Giannis very badly surrounded by players who are quite talented but who can't shoot, and I have the impression that things are not necessarily ready to improve, who are the young hopes of Greek basketball?

At one point I thought that some U20 players from 2017 were going to have good careers but they seem to have disappeared once they arrived at a Greek club...
Spanoulis seems to me to be a good coach, but it seems complicated for the future.

I hope I'm wrong and see Greece surprise me in the coming years, but I have little hope in the current situation.

There were always a couple more talented teams. Greece usually was eliminated by those teams. But truly, ever since Giannis matured Greece only assembled one full squad. That team which lost to Germany two years ago. The Germans found out just today what is is to be favorites against a good team in their home court. And they are eliminated.

Greece could reach a better level in next Eurobasket. That’s all I can say. Perhaps after that the level will decline. We will see about that.

I for one am not in favour of rushing for renewals. I would want Calathes to give some minutes off the bench perhaps. Or play less minutes. But he can still be there. Together with Sloukas.

Also, it’s not easy to be at the top. Why does Greece need to have this burden? Just keep knocking on that door.

The players below are the top scorers in EL play offs and Final Four. Look at how many scorers were left out. As a result, against elite Olympic competition, the absence of some players put more pressure on the few talented players on the Greek squad.

Sloukas 27 mins, 15,2 points, 5,7 assists
Calathes 29,5 mins 11,8 points, 4,8 assists
Mitoglou 27,5 mins, 9,8 points
Papanikolaou 23, 5 mins, 10 points
Rogkavopoulos 21 mins, 13.7 points
Papapetrou 22,5 mins, 10 points
Dorsey 18,5 mins, 9,6 points, 1 assist
Walkup 25 mins, 4 points, 4,8 assists
Papagiannis 22 mins, 6,8 points
Kalaitzakis 5 mins, 1,6 points
Larentzakis 7,5 mins, 1,8 points
Kostas 3,5 mins, 1,2 points

It’s not a miracle that Kalaitzakis, Larentzakis and Moraitis could not assist Giannis. They didn’t do it in the important games in the EL either.