Greek A1 Season Preview

One more season for the Greek A1 Basketball already started and looks like a good chance for the North to be back into the basketball scene. Except some rare good seasons of the North teams during the last years, here in North Greece we are waiting the “counter attack” from our teams, PAOK and Aris, to live again the old good classic basketball times. Of course we have to be realists, but to this season it is obvious clear that there is four strength groups.

To the first group, i can only put there Champions Panathinaikos, and very improved team of Olympiakos. I don’t think that they will have any enemies this season and that the first two table positions are already captured by them. simple, they are far the best teams to the league, with big quality difference from all other teams, at all levels that we can compare them. To the second strength group, i think that five teams will fight for the 3th place that leads to next season’s Euroleague. Panionios (got the 3rd place last season), Marousi (they fought it till the end last season), Aris (had changed a lot), Panellinios (strengthen enought) and PAOK (total revitalised with stronger team than the previous tragic season). TO the third strength group, i place the teams that in my opinion they can’t have any fears for relegation, but they also can’t move higher in my opinion. AEK, still have problems, Olympia Larisas and Kolossos for the 8th to 11th places. To the 4th group (relegation battle), AE Larisa will struggle, so many unexperienced and young players, Aigaleo who has not rich roster, and the two newcomers to the league, Kavala (not sure yet if they will participate to the season), and Trikala who are totally unexperienced team to this league. All in all, these are how i see the teams to go on for the season :

1st and 2th : Olympiakos, Panathinaikos
3rd to 7th : Panionios, Marousi, Aris, Panellinios, PAOK
8th to 10th : AEK, Olympia Larisas, Kolossos
11th to 14th : AEL, Aigaleo, Kavala, Trikala

Let’s take a detailed look to the six teams that will play important role to the league.

Panathinaikos

Coach : Zelimir Obradovic
Playmakers : Sarunas Jasikevicius, Dimitris Diamantidis, Vasilis Spanoulis, Aris Tatarounis
Shooting Guards : Dusan Kecman, Drew-Lawrence Nicholas, Nikos Chatzivrettas
Small Forwards : Stratos Perperoglou, Dusan Sakota
Power Forwards : Fragiskos Alvertis, Costas Tsartsaris, Antonis Fotsis
Centers : Nikola Pekovic, Mike Batiste

Official Website : http://www.paobc.gr/

Without any doubt, they are conquering the Greek League with 8 titles to the last 9 years, and they will be for sure to the first two places for another season. Zelimir Obradovic is continuing his philosophy of the solid roster, and did again very few new quality moves to sign new players. Their only real opponent will be Olympiakos. Fotsis is a great addition, he needs to time to adapt as he is already an old member of the team, Pekovic is a ‘monster’ into the field and Nicholas is a very good shooter with big experience to Euroleague.

Olympiakos

Coach : Panagiotis Giannakis
Playmakers: Igor Milosevic, Teo Papaloukas, Lynn Greer, Milos Teodosic, Kostas Sloukas
Shooting Guards : Jotam Halperin
Forwards : Mihalis Pelekanos, Josh Childress, Giannis Karathanasis, Haris Giannopoulos, Panayiotis Vasilopoulos, George Printezis, Zoran Erceg
Centers : Nikola Vujcic, Giannis Bourousis, Ian Vougioukas, Sofoklis Schortsianitis

Official website : http://www.olympiacos.org/

This time Olympiakos is more ready than ever to be again to the top. They really made great moves that will lead them to the title this season after 12 years. Only six players from last season’s roster wasn’t released, so we are talking almost for a new team, but had enough time to work together. Papaloukas is returning to the team that made him famous, and he will be a guarantee for the organisation of their play. Of course the sign of Josh Childress was a bomb for the European basketball scene, and he will be the attraction for all greek basketball fans.

Aris

Coach : Andrea Mazzon
Playmakers : Keydren Clark, Dimitris Tsaldaris
Shooting Guards : Nikos Argyropoulos, Savvas Iliadis, Anton Gavel, Spyros Mourtos
Forwards : Sean Marshall, Kostas Papanikolaou, Nikos Barlos, Spencer Nelson, Linos Chrysikopoulos
Centers : Blagota Sekulic, Gaios Skordilis, Lazaros Agadakos

Official website : http://www.arisbc.gr/

After the huge blow last season where they missed Euroleague participation, their target isn’t something else than getting back the 3rd place. Mazzon is back to the coach position, while Tsaldaris, Iliadis and Agadakos remained to the team. The play of Aris will be different this season, as Mazzon is a huge fan of defense, and will not risk so much. The team’s star this season will be keydren Clark , came from Scavolini. As usual we can expect a very strong Aris at home with their great fans support. Probably they can repeat a good season and try for the 3rd place. Prediction about their finish : 3th to 5th.

PAOK

Coach : Argiris Pedoulakis
Playmakers : Harisis, Tony Akins
Shooting Guards : Kavkis, Kiritsis, Giannakidis, Simcak, Demertzis, Galazoulas
Forwards : K’Zell Wesson, Vasiliadis, Tsiaras, Mamoutou Diarra, Kenny Gregory, Kalampakas,
Centers : Dejan Tomasevic, Marmarinos

Official website : http://www.paokbc.gr/

After the tragic season last year, a new Era for PAOK begins. Dimitris Drossos is now the owner of the club, invested huge money and finishing all the subjects that have to do with team’s financial problems, and brought enough and strong players (also experienced technical staff) to the team. The problems are past for PAOK, and everyone is looking forward to this new season, where almost everything changed to the club, making them finally a healthy club. The response of the fans is hot, already sold 3.000 season tickets, and we can expect a very strong side, especially at PAOK Sports Arena. Most important players who came are Dejan Tomasevic, the return of Vasiliadis (Olympiakos), Harisis (Prokom), and Kavkis (Olympiakos). Prediction about their finish : 3th to 5th.

Panionios

Coach : Alexander Trifunovic
Playmakers : Ivan Zorowski, Xanthopoylos
Shooting Guards : Georgalis, Kalampokis, Aaron Miles, Kanonidis
Forwards : Branko Cvetkovic, Levon Kendall, Goran Nikolic, Dreliozis, Parayios
Centers : Giannoulis, Lony Baxter, Miroslav Raicevic

Official website : http://www.panioniosbc.gr/

Having already the ticket for the Euroleague in hand, Panionios starting the season very optimistic. They kept the main five, adding some good additions, Raicevic, Miles and Nikolic. Time will tell us if they can handle two competitions at the same time (euroleague and greek league). Their main target is to progress to the round of 16 at Euroleague, and give their best for the 3rd place for the Greek League. Prediction about their finish : 4th to 6th.

Marousi

Coach : Soulis Markopoulos
Playmakers : Stefanidis, Papantoniou
Shooting Guards : William Kiss, Charalampidis, Nikolai Pantius, Koumpouras
Forwards : Jeront Stevenson, Son Haff, Kalathis, Kaimakoglou, Noeas
centers : Mavroidis, Mavrokefalidis, Gliniadakis, Tountziarakis

Official website : http://www.maroussibasket.gr/

One of the most stable teams in Greek A1 during the last five years. They finished 4th last season, that was the fourth time that they finish 4th during the last five years. The coach is the same, Markoupoulos, one of the best greek coaches in my opinion. Nikolas Pantious will help them a lot this season, and the character of the team remains ‘Greek’, with the foreign players to be only 4. I do not think that they can repeat such a good season like before, Bryant and Milisavlievic who left may bring spaces to their roster. Prediction about their finish : 6th to 7th.

Season Preview Done By Isaiah