2009 Greek NT

[g.g]

I hope so. Bourousis had a great year, although I don't like him as a character. I don't think we need Sofo for this year's Eurobasket (or any Eurobasket in the future), but I think Koufos would be great, and so would be Glyniadakis. I also think that after the matches with Siena, Tsartsaris has really gotten in shape.
About the shooting guard. Hm...Yeah, I suppose Tsaldaris would be a good choise, but so would be Charalampidis. And to my mind it would be a good idea if Kazlauskas convinced Diamantidis shoot more often, although it wouldn't be wise to position him as Shooting guard.
Anyway, Kazlauskas has more experience from us, he knows better. We shall see...

Am 100% with you. I believe when he said a bit more long range shooting he didnt actualy meant only introduction of a "Hot hand" player but as you said other capable shooters like Diam to do it more often..

[Minotavros]

So this year, Bouroussis, Fotsis and Printezis will be our main inside players.

[Trifilli]

I think the logical core of the team should look like this:

G: Diamantidis - Papaloukas
G: Spanoulis - Zisis
F: Perperoglou - Vassilopoulos
F: Fotsis - Printezis
C: Bouroussis - Koufos

That's 10... so 2 more open spots, most likely one for the backcourt, one for the frontcourt (while there's still also the possibility that Kazlauskas will call 6 players for the PF/C positions, like Giannakis did last summer).

Not that there's a lot of choice on these positions...

Possible candidates for the last backcourt spot, imho:
- Nick Calathes
- Kostas Vassiliadis (although he can't spell the word defense...)
- Michalis Pelekanos

Guys like Kalambokis or Charalambidis are too old for a first-time-appearance in a big tournament, just having a minor role. And Tsaldaris had no really good season, also because of his reduced role. These spots should be given to guys with a future in the NT imo, players who could gain experience on that level, just like Vassilopoulos and Bouroussis did in 2005 - or to somebody who already played a tournament with the team and knows how things work.

Possible candidates for the final backcourt spot, again imho:
- Loukas Mavrokefalidis
- Kostas Kaimakoglou
- Andreas Glyniadakis

Mavrokefalidis is in the lead there, but in the end it is going to come down to what kind of player the last big man is supposed to be. I don't think that we'll see a comeback of an "old" former NT-member like Dikoudis or Kakiouzis. And unless something amazing happens until then, Sofo should be far away from the NT this summer.
As for Tsartsaris: it's better that he retired / took a break. It's obvious that his body broke down this year, and even in the few good games he had this season, it seemed as if he had no energy. It's sad, as he's still a valuable team defender and he has a unique game style, but in this shape others can help the NT more than him.

Of course there are still a lot of question marks. We don't know whether Diamantidis and Vassilopoulos will really need to undergo a surgery this summer or not. And we don't know if Koufos and Calathes will really show up. Kazlauskas said that he'll see Koufos play in the Summer League and that he'll talk to both of the two guys then, so we'll just have to wait and see.

[g.g]

I think the logical core of the team should look like this:

G: Diamantidis - Papaloukas
G: Spanoulis - Zisis
F: Perperoglou - Vassilopoulos
F: Fotsis - Printezis
C: Bouroussis - Koufos

That's 10... so 2 more open spots, most likely one for the backcourt, one for the frontcourt (while there's still also the possibility that Kazlauskas will call 6 players for the PF/C positions, like Giannakis did last summer).

Not that there's a lot of choice on these positions...

Possible candidates for the last backcourt spot, imho:
- Nick Calathes
- Kostas Vassiliadis (although he can't spell the word defense...)
- Michalis Pelekanos

Guys like Kalambokis or Charalambidis are too old for a first-time-appearance in a big tournament, just having a minor role. And Tsaldaris had no really good season, also because of his reduced role. These spots should be given to guys with a future in the NT imo, players who could gain experience on that level, just like Vassilopoulos and Bouroussis did in 2005 - or to somebody who already played a tournament with the team and knows how things work.

Possible candidates for the final backcourt spot, again imho:
- Loukas Mavrokefalidis
- Kostas Kaimakoglou
- Andreas Glyniadakis

Mavrokefalidis is in the lead there, but in the end it is going to come down to what kind of player the last big man is supposed to be. I don't think that we'll see a comeback of an "old" former NT-member like Dikoudis or Kakiouzis. And unless something amazing happens until then, Sofo should be far away from the NT this summer.
As for Tsartsaris: it's better that he retired / took a break. It's obvious that his body broke down this year, and even in the few good games he had this season, it seemed as if he had no energy. It's sad, as he's still a valuable team defender and he has a unique game style, but in this shape others can help the NT more than him.

Of course there are still a lot of question marks. We don't know whether Diamantidis and Vassilopoulos will really need to undergo a surgery this summer or not. And we don't know if Koufos and Calathes will really show up. Kazlauskas said that he'll see Koufos play in the Summer League and that he'll talk to both of the two guys then, so we'll just have to wait and see.

I doubt Vasilopoulos would play this summer. As for Calathes/Koufos they have already made themselves available but Kazlauskas in his last interview said that he is not sure that Calathes would be experienced enough as yet. I guess both players would be invited to start with. Glyniadakis however was with Kazlauskas, side by side in the interview so I presume he must be in.
IMHO Printezis with Bourousis would be the main force this year and I hope Diamantidis would be there because he is the man that all the team is built around him and without him GR is not the same team.

[Trifilli]

I doubt Vasilopoulos would play this summer. As for Calathes/Koufos they have already made themselves available but Kazlauskas in his last interview said that he is not sure that Calathes would be experienced enough as yet. I guess both players would be invited to start with. Glyniadakis however was with Kazlauskas, side by side in the interview so I presume he must be in.
IMHO Printezis with Bourousis would be the main force this year and I hope Diamantidis would be there because he is the man that all the team is built around him and without him GR is not the same team.

Actually I doubt that Diamantidis will play this summer. Diamantidis' latest statements at least point into that direction. And I agree about Vassilopoulos - then again there's still a lot of time until the prep begins, so we don't know how things will develop until then.
Same applies to Calathes/Koufos - yes, they said that they'll be around. Doesn't mean that it's sure though. We don't know the Jazz' plans with Koufos, while in Calathes case a lot might depend on whether he'll try to go to the NBA or not (atm it doesn't look like it though). Calathes imo is not ready to help on that level yet, he should be the 12th man if selected, being there to gain experience and to get used to the level.
As for the big men: I'd be surprised if Fotsis wouldn't be the main PF. Same applies to Bouroussis on C. Like Minotavros said, it looks like Bouroussis, Fotsis and Printezis will be our main inside players this year. Then we'll possibly have Koufos as 4th big... and possibly Glyniadakis as 5th. I really don't like Glyniadakis too much, but looking at the rest of the frontcourt, a big body and dirty defender might me needed as addition. Otherwise I'd prefer Mavrokefalidis over him any day.

[g.g]

Actually I doubt that Diamantidis will play this summer. Diamantidis' latest statements at least point into that direction. And I agree about Vassilopoulos - then again there's still a lot of time until the prep begins, so we don't know how things will develop until then.
Same applies to Calathes/Koufos - yes, they said that they'll be around. Doesn't mean that it's sure though. We don't know the Jazz' plans with Koufos, while in Calathes case a lot might depend on whether he'll try to go to the NBA or not (atm it doesn't look like it though). Calathes imo is not ready to help on that level yet, he should be the 12th man if selected, being there to gain experience and to get used to the level.
As for the big men: I'd be surprised if Fotsis wouldn't be the main PF. Same applies to Bouroussis on C. Like Minotavros said, it looks like Bouroussis, Fotsis and Printezis will be our main inside players this year. Then we'll possibly have Koufos as 4th big... and possibly Glyniadakis as 5th. I really don't like Glyniadakis too much, but looking at the rest of the frontcourt, a big body and dirty defender might me needed as addition. Otherwise I'd prefer Mavrokefalidis over him any day.

I think Glyniadakis is quite good, maybe not as the main man but he is very stable player, wins plenty of fouls and scores from the line...

[Trifilli]

I think Glyniadakis is quite good, maybe not as the main man but he is very stable player, wins plenty of fouls and scores from the line...

Glyniadakis is a mediocre bball player. His main advantage is his big body, his will to play dirty D, and - like you said - his ability to draw fouls and to score with a high percentage from the charity stripe. All this could make him a valuable backup selection for the NT, as his style could add up to the flexibility of the team.
On the other hand he's slow, kinda soft on the offensive end and has no range outside the zone - he's a classical (others would say old school) C.

Mavrokefalidis is the better player, no doubt (although he's not great either - good, but not great). He's more versatile on the offensive end, has range even up to the arc, quicker feet and is faster than Glyniadakis. He's not a worse rebounder and his FT shooting is very good for a big man as well.
The problem is that he doesn't have a similar body to Glyniadakis, he's not the guy who could defend well against a strong C and he's more of a PF/C than a true C.

That's why I said that Glyniadakis might be more suitable to the team, although Mavrokefalidis is the better player. Atm I still see Mavrokefalidis in the lead though - not that this'd mean anything.

[g.g]

Is there any truth to the rumors that Batiste wants badly to get Greek passport so he can play for NT?

[Markoishvili]

I you already have two Cs in Bouroussis and Koufos, than Mavrofekalides makes more sense since he can play both frontcourt positions.

[wardjdim]

Well...

As notified before by Trif, the core is pretty obvious. Or, at least the key players

In Bold Letters are the greatest guys for the Greek NT right now

Theo Papaloukas and Dimitris Diamantidis, along with Nikos Zisis and Vasilis Spanoulis will likely remain in charge of the guard positions for the 6th year in a row. This is no good timing for the 32-year Papaloukas to leave, mainly because of the coach change, but also due to the lack of decent guys to fill in when the other three will be left alone. Nick Calathes looks like the most talented guy besides the Big Four, given Nikos Hatzivrettas' resignation a year ago. Young lads like Pappas and Sloukas are only projects now, wings like Costas Vasiliadis, Giannis Kalabokis, Dimitris Tsaldaris are no national team material imo, Mihalis Pelekanos was a guy that coach Panagiotis Giannakis was trusting for key roles in limited mins, but wouldn't be much effective on Kazlauskas' uptempo style

Stratos Perperoglou and Panagiotis Vasilopoulos (if healthy enough to play) are the clear-cut selections in the SF position, even if coach Jonas Kazlauskas decides to follow Giannakis' 3-guard recipe for long stretches. Perperoglou is not the best athlete you will find (in fact, he is below average by this aspect), but he suits the Lithuanian style much and he has a fine offensive game, which has also been improved in his two Panathinaikos seasons. Vasilopoulos is much more than a defensive stopper. Limited offensively, he is a huge spark for the defensive game and an emotional leader, always helping his team to get the best outcome possible. Both are role players, able to fill needs, but can only carry an elite team in very certain occasions. In case Vasilopoulos is out, then Pelekanos or Vasiliadis could join in

Antonis Fotsis and Giorgos Printezis (again, I agree with Trifilli here) are the two best Greek PFs. Both of them were half-forwards a couple of seasons ago, but now they are closer to the modern power forward standard and can run the floor very well. The athletic Fotsis is a magnificent talent, with low basketball IQ, but still great skills, a lot of experience, a great shooting touch and a lot of athleticism to make the package look more solid. Printezis is less athletic, but is strong, never gives up, is powerful and still mentally growing. A very important guy, ready to get his burning mins with the NT. Kazlauskas suits his style also. Both of them excel offensively more than in defense. Neither of them is a go-to player, so they will get many good shooting opportunities and they are more than capable of killing an opponent

The center position, led by Europe's hottest name right now, in Giannis Bourousis, may be the strongest for the Greek NT, besides the PG one of course (where Papaloukas and Diamantidis still form an amazing duo, while both Zisis and Spanoulis can play the position for long stretches). Bourousis is a rebounding machine, a great stats filler and one of the most effective offensive bigs in Euroball. Per minute, you won't find a better offensive player, while his athleticism is above average and makes him a fine defensive stopper. Increasing leadership, often shown during the running season, as well as a team-oriented mentality make his presence vital for the NT, since he is now the team's most important player. Kosta Koufos, the most talented and physically gifted guy in this roster is a 20-year old 7-footer with limited international experience and a great determination. Whether his team (Utah Jazz) will let him play is still to be determined, as its most important frontcourt players (Carlos Boozer, Mehmet Okur, Paul Millsap, CJ Miles) are either free agents or could be opting out from their contract this summer. An improved Loukas Mavrokefalidis (Maroussi, possibly returning to Olympiacos next year) could be filling in as the team's last big, or playing a more vital role if Koufos is left out. Mavrokefalidis' teammate, the hard working, but offensively limited Andreas Glyniadakis (7-1, 28 years old), the once considered as an elite talent, 24-year old, food addict Sofoklis Schortsanitis, inexperienced Ian Vougioukas (24, hard worker, Olympiacos) and veterans (still undetermined whether they will decide to play again for the NT) Kostas Tsartsaris (30 years old and already having announced that he will not play this summer), Dimos Dikoudis (once a top European PF, now clearly declining at 32) and Lazaros Papadopoulos (once the country's top big, old school and bold, still 29 and coming off a fine season in Italy) could be candidates as well, but with limited possibilities to join in

[Turkish Airlines Euroleague]

Nice post wardjdim!
I totally agree btw. I imagine the 12th men roster like that:

PG: Dimitris Diamantidis, Thodoris Papaloukas
SG: Nikos Zisis, Vasilis Spanoulis
SF: Stratos Perperoglou, Kostas Vasiliadis (Panagiotis Vasilopoulos will have a surgery this summer)
PF: Antonis Fotsis, Giorgos Printezis, Loukas Mavrokefalidis
C: Giannis Bourousis, Kostas Koufos(?), Andreas Glyniadakis (or Sofoklis Schortsianitis)

What do you think guys ?

[Zaxopoulos]

Sofoklis Schortsianitis? Yeah, I suppose he would be useful to give us some laughs...

Anyway, I really hope 3D is going to be there because, as trifili says, we can highly doubt about it given the fact of been injured so many times this season.

[Ifthenelseend]

Hello everybody 1st
Now, to come back to topic... I can see Greek national team will be again joke this year... if Koufos and Diamantidis dont play, they will drop out in 2nd group stage

[rikhardur]

Hello everybody 1st
Now, to come back to topic... I can see Greek national team will be again joke this year... if Koufos and Diamantidis dont play, they will drop out in 2nd group stage

Again you wrote? Could you explain that further?

[Ifthenelseend]

Again you wrote? Could you explain that further?

What do I need to explain? Its all clear
They will lose one match to Croatia, and all 3 following matches in next stage, because this year each team is better but Greek looks the same so there arent going to be some new players that could surprise teams like Russia, Germany or France/Italy(any other qualifier would be a real sensation)... its simple math That is ofc, if those 2 guys i mentioned, dont play or dont play well enough(which i doubt)