BallinEurope is previewing all 18 Euroleague Basketball teams ahead of the start of the season. Today it’s the turn of an Olympiacos side seeking to make yet another trip to the Final Four. Can Georgios Bartzokas bring his team to the ultimate glory?
With Sasha Vezenkov back, Evan Fournier arriving to thundering acclaim, and much more, this is a stacked Olympiacos team. Can Georgios Bartzokes turn it into a champion in Euroleague Basketball?
Last season
Euroleague record: 22-12
Regular season position: 5th
Playoffs: Lost Final Four (Real Madrid)
GBL record: 20-2
Regular season position: 2nd
Playoffs: Lost finals vs Panathinaikos (3-1)
Other: Won Greek Cup (vs Panathinaikos)
Who’s gone?
Michalis Lountzis (Promitheas Patras), Ignas Brazdeikis (Zalgiris Kaunas), Isaiah Canaan (Crvena Zvezda), Giorgios Tanoulis (Marousi), Luke Sikma (free agent).
Who is new?
Sasha Vezenkov (Sacramento Kings), Keenan Evans (Zalgiris Kaunas), Evan Fournier (Detroit Pistons), Luca Vildoza (Panathinaikos), Tyler Dorsey (Fenerbahce).
Who stayed?
Thomas Walkup, Moustapha Fall, Nigel Williams-Goss, Georgios Larentzakis, Alec Peters, Nikola Militunov, Naz Mitrou-Long, Shaq McKissic, Filip Petrusev, Moses Wright, Kostas Papanikolaou.
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Need to know
This is a very easy roster to like for Olympiacos. The core that stayed, including what is likely the whole of the second five, is great. The pieces lost aren’t enormous for Georgios Bartzokas. Throwing in Vezenkov and Fournier in particular adds to the style he wants to play in Euroleague Basketball. The obvious aspect to watch is how they integrate Evans once he returns from injury.
What the bookies think
There’s little movement in the sportsbooks with Olympiacos. Some of them have them as co-favourites in Euroleague Basketball betting at 13/4. The longest you’ll find for Georgios Bartzokas’ charges is 5/1. The most common price is 4/1.
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What we think
This is a very good basketball team. That should be obvious to both Olympiacos fans and anyone they will face in Euroleague Basketball. Georgios Bartzokas has, in Vezenkov and Fournier, two pieces that fit Bartzokas-ball well. Neither needs much of the ball and both can create for themselves. That mixed with the talent already there makes this an intimidating line-up that belongs towards the top of the conversation.
Fearless prediction
This will be one of the best teams in Euroleague Basketball this season. It’s really that simple. Georgios Bartzokas has almost his perfect Olympiacos roster for his style of play. Anything less than home court in the playoffs and a Final Four trip is a wasted season.
Pick: 2nd in the regular season
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