With Tuesday’s miracle comeback falling short, Panathinaikos are on the brink of elimination from Euroleague. Mathias Lessort has to find another level if they are to save their season, writes Emmet Ryan.
The vibes king of the Greens needs to find them within himself if Panathinaikos are to save their season. Despite being a key part of Tuesday’s comeback against Maccabi Tel Aviv, there’s obvious room for improvement with Mathias Lessort.
Make the line matter
Mathias Lessort is getting to the free throw line in this series. He’s just not doing an awfully great job when he gets there. Lessort is 13 of 28 (46 per cent) from the line through three games of this series. His 28 attempts lead all players in this series and it’s not close. Similarly, he has managed to draw a whopping 30 fouls across the three games, with just 5 committed. Those are peak Keith Langford numbers.
It’s not like Lessort has been a good free throw shooter this season. He’s only averaging 63.4 per cent from the line but even that level would make a difference in this series. The Panathinaikos man leads Euroleague with 6.1 attempts per game, with only Wade Baldwin IV of Maccabi Tel Aviv within 1 FTA of him.
Similarly, Baldwin is the only player close to Lessort when it comes to drawing fouls. The Frenchman leads Euroleague with 6.5 per game. Lessort is a dominant force that causes problems for whoever he faces. Maccabi will testify to that, yet he isn’t making it count in the easiest way possible.
Still an obvious contributor
The issues at the line for Mathias Lessort may be frustrating for Panathinaikos fans but there’s no denying that he has still been a positive in this series. The big man has been the motivating heart of PAO, leading by example with his ferocity on the floor. While the scoring was relatively quiet through the first two games, he exploded when it mattered in Game 3.
What’s required now is even more of the same. In the simplest terms, Mathias Lessort needs to be a menace to Maccabi Tel Aviv. The scoring and board grabbing must continue but he must also get annoying. The best way for him to do that is through those little added flourishes of workrate.
That may sound strange when discussing one of the hardest pounding players in basketball . Yet in Euroleague, Lessort is almost too fair a player. The nasty streak needs to come out and get in the faces of Maccabi players almost pointless. Essentially, he needs to remind them that he doesn’t get tired. Lessort is here to cause annoyance all game long.
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Impacting the rest of the game
Let’s get back to those fouls drawn. Even without the free throws, it’s a huge asset for Panathinaikos. Ergin Ataman can’t even lean into it more than he already does. Mathias Lessort is plug and play for the head coach.
The sheer presence of Lessort creates space for the rest of the Panathinaikos side. Considering how gloriously physical this series has been, that’s a rarity. The more fouls he draws, the more Oded Kattash and Maccabi Tel Aviv have to change their line-up. Lessort is forcing Kattash to go deeper into his rotations earlier than he’d like.
Combine that with the near unmatched emotional energy he brings and it’s a truly potent force. While Kostas Sloukas is the leader, and often saviour, for the Greens in Euroleague, Lessort offers something different. Sloukas makes PAO’s players believe in the moment. Lessort makes them believe anything is possible.
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But we’ve got to get back to the line
All of this is to say that there’s really one way Mathias Lessort can change this series for Panathinaikos. It’s at the free throw line. Bringing up his percentage will cause more headaches for Kattash. The Hack a Mat approach simply won’t suffice if he can punish Maccabi Tel Aviv with free throws.
The impact will extend beyond that into more ways for PAO to attack. The clock is nearing midnight for the Greens. Ataman has stated that he won’t be with the team next season if they don’t make the Euroleague Final Four. While that shouldn’t be taken as gospel, it’s still a bold claim about his goals.
The one man, more even than Sloukas, that can ensure Ataman doesn’t have to worry about that promise is Lessort. Thursday evening in Belgrade is where it all must come together. There’s an opportunity for the vibes king to write his immortal legend in the history of Panathinaikos. He just needs to be clinical.
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