The talk will be all about his offensive explosion in the fourth quarter. Emmet Ryan says that only tells half the story. The phenomenal workrate of Kendrick Nunn on both ends guided Panathinaikos past Maccabi Tel Aviv and into the Euroleague Final Four.
“I don’t have to say much. We just let our game speak.” Those were the final comments from Kendrick Nunn after an incredible display for Panthinaikos in Game 5 against Maccabi Tel Aviv. That performance was decisive in putting the Greens into the Euroleague Final Four for the first time since 2012.
Let’s talk about D
We’ll get to the scoring in a bit. The workrate of Kendrick Nunn in this game was on a different level. His role for most of the season has essentially been as dual-threat scorer. Nunn is equally adept at creating his own shot off the dribble as he is at finding open space and creating something off ball.
He did all that on Tuesday night against Maccabi Tel Aviv. What few were expecting was his superb workrate on the defensive end. Nunn was a terrier out there for the full 38 minutes he was on the floor. This was not the normal display and showed his understanding of the moment.
Way back when he signed with Panathinaikos, it became clear quickly that Nunn understood what was needed to adapt to the game on this side of the pond. There have been critics, some justified, but even his most ardent supporters didn’t see this coming. It was pure hustle and fury, putting his body on the line in a fantastic defensive effort.
Now let’s talk about scoring
Kendrick Nunn has been referred to as the best offensive player in Euroleague by Kostas Sloukas. Nunn tended to agree with his team captain but Dimitris Giannakopoulos went one step further in the hours before the game. The Panathinaikos president said he’s the best import in Europe since Dominique Wilkins.
That’s a lot of big talk so it’s important to back it up. For all of Nunn’s superb effort through the first three quarters, the scoring numbers were fine but not all-timer. Then, of course, he rose to the occasion.
That fourth quarter explosion received a few answers from Maccabi Tel Aviv. So Nunn kept on asking the question until the visitors just couldn’t respond. With history on the line, Nunn was calm and ruthless in ensuring a place in Berlin and his first trip to the Euroleague Final Four.
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A fine tally all round
The player of the series for Panathinaikos is still Kostas Sloukas. That’s no disrespect to Kendrick Nunn. The Greens were blessed with having both their backcourt stars deliver outstanding runs over the full five games.
For Nunn, his totals against Maccabi Tel Aviv were really impressive. He finished Game 5 with 26 points on 8 of 17 shooting with 5 rebounds and 4 assists. Across the full Euroleague playoffs series, he averaged 19.2 points on 50 per cent shooting, with 3.4 rebounds and 2.8 assists.
The calibre of performance from Nunn rose with each game. While he was below par in Game 1, that was all he needed to settle. The moment didn’t get to him. Indeed, he embraced it and fed off it in the end.
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A matter of relief
Kendrick Nunn will be owed a dinner or two by a few specific members of the Panathinaikos locker room. Ergin Ataman will undoubtedly be first in line. The coach had promised that he wouldn’t be with the club next season if they failed to make the Euroleague Final Four.
The other that jumps out is Mathias Lessort. The free throw issues that plagued him all series reached their nadir against Maccabi Tel Aviv on Tuesday. Lessort went just 3 of 14 from the line. Yet, his overall impact for PAO was unquestionably positive.
Those are rotten free throw numbers, and he averaged just 41.2 per cent from the line all series. Yet he drew fouls at an extraordinary rate, 9.4 per game, was dominant on the boards and a force on D. This was more a case of his free throw woes being the difference between a good series and one for the ages, rather than them leading to him having a bad series.
Kendrick Nunn’s workrate was simply extraordinary in a must-win game for Panathinaikos.
Onto the next one
At the time of writing, we still don’t know two of the teams that will join Panathinaikos in Berlin. We know for certain however that no team has less to lose in the Euroleague Final Four. The Greens, by clinching this series over Maccabi Tel Aviv, ended an agonising wait to return to the biggest stage of the season.
Ergin Ataman isn’t the type to turn up and be happy to take part. He knows now that in Kendrick Nunn he has a second closer alongside Kostas Sloukas. In the naturally nervy atmosphere of elimination games, that’s an enormous asset.
Many players come over to Euroleague from the NBA and expect to just dominate. Kendrick Nunn expected nothing. He has just gone out and done it.
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