LKL

For most of the game (since the 11th minute actually) Olympiacos was better, played tougher defense getting 14 steals out of it (Greens had 5) and had more passion and energy to its game. The Reds got 17 offensive rebounds (Greens had 5) and used that to score on many occasions that their initial efforts failed. Panathinaikos had a big trouble in controlling the game and in developing a good attacking system. These all led to their defeat and the Cup went to the hands of Theo Papaloukas and Linas Kleiza. 
Nikos Kousoulis

He can play at small forward, which is something that coach Giannakis likes a lot (especially with Vasilopoulos in the team), he can shoot from outside, he can drive to the basket, he can play with his back or his face to the basket, he can dunk, he can rebound a lot and he is very, very strong for most small forwards and very, very fast for most power forwards. A player that is a tough riddle for every coach to find ways to help his players guard him.
Nikos Kousoulis

Eurobasket is starting and Greece starts its journey there. This year, we have a brand new coach, Jonas Kazlauskas, that wants to put his signature to his creation. Of course, that is absolutely logical, since every great coach wants to do so.  But this also means that some of the things us Greeks were used to watch during the previous years, won’t be here at this tournament. For example, the defense (the defense that made every Greek feel… safe) won’t be the same, strangling every opponent to the point he can’t breathe, like it was with Giannakis. This Greek team plays good, “offensive”, defense, but only for parts of the game. 

Nikos Kousoulis

Anyway, Olympiacos have a big problem with Lithuanian players. It’s like a curse that can’t seem to break. Let us go back in time and see what I mean. First it was Arvydas Sabonis, the “Miracle of Nature” as we call him. Olympiacos wanted to sign him before he went to Real Madrid, but their coach back then, Giannis Ioannidis was unsure as he thought that Sabonis’s knees were too weak! Well, it seems that the Gods of basketball are punishing Olympiacos ever since when it comes to Lithuanians. Sabonis and Real Madrid won the Euroleague in 1995 against Olympiacos to show Ioannidis how wrong he was. 
Nikos Kousoulis

Well… he isn’t that lucky. Diamantidis just had a surgery to fix a problem at his abs and he is very doubtful for the Eurobasket. Plus, Diamantidis comes of the worst season of his career, not in playing terms, but injury-wise, since he missed a lot of games, whilst his nickname all these years was “Bionic” as he was playing non-stop, not missing a single game. Papaloukas is too tired after 6 seasons with CSKA and one with Olympiacos, the first six mostly meant physical tiredness (long and constant trips with planes) whilst the seventh was the most demanding season of his career in terms of psychological pressure. Papaloukas is also doubtful since he is thinking of taking a year off from the national team to “charge his batteries”.
Nikos Kousoulis