2009 Greek National Team

[KWSN-Men]

http://www.talkbasket.net/news/17-for-the-greek-nt.html

Panagiotis Vasilopoulos
Andreas Glyniadakis
Dimitrios Diamantidis
Nikos Zisis
Kostas Kaimakoglou
Nick Calathes
Ioannis Kalampokis
Kosta Koufos
Loukas Mavrokefalidis
Ioannis Bourousis
Theo Papaloukas
Stratos Perperoglou
Georgios Printezis
Vassilis Spanoulis
Sofoklis Schortsanitis
Dimitrios Tsaldaris
Antonis Fotsis

Looks like they called Calathes instead of Pelekanos. I would say that is a mistake at this time.

Vasilopoulos and Diamantidis might not play because they are injured. Papaloukas might not play because of age and fatigue. Poor Vasiliadis. He still could not make it even with a new coach.

[Toxicity]

Nice team as always...

I remember Mavrokefalidis as a bad player when he played in Rome... he's now any better? Plays PF or C?

[KWSN-Men]

Nice team as always...

I remember Mavrokefalidis as a bad player when he played in Rome... he's now any better? Plays PF or C?

He can play power forward or center. Yeah, he's a better player now.

[kuhane gace]

For me Greece is totaly unknown team because they changed coach. I just don't see how they will play under Lithuanian coach. It will be interesting to se will they play typical run and shoot Lithuanian basketball and how they will adapt to this style or will they keep slow disciplend style that they play under Gianakis!? What do you guys think?

btw.
Any news about Papalukas and Diamantidis, will they play?

[KWSN-Men]

For me Greece is totaly unknown team because they changed coach. I just don't see how they will play under Lithuanian coach. It will be interesting to se will they play typical run and shoot Lithuanian basketball and how they will adapt to this style or will they keep slow disciplend style that they play under Gianakis!? What do you guys think?

btw.
Any news about Papalukas and Diamantidis, will they play?

Papaloukas hurt his ankle and he is saying he is very tired and fatigued because of age so he might not play. And as I said, Vasilopoulos and Diamantidis are both injured and just had surgeries. So there is a good chance that none of the 3 play.

As for Kazlauskas taking over for Giannakis, well now some players with good scoring/shooting ability like Spanoulis, Kalampokis, Perperoglou, Tsaldaris and players like that would do much better and/or get a chance.

[kuhane gace]

Yeah I agree. I expect totaly difrent Greek team than it was over last couple of years

[AdamTheGreek]

The youth movement is officially taking over.
Gia na doume...

[Mumbles]

Alas, Kosta Koufos will now begin an illustrious career with the senior Greek National team. Perhaps the next young seven footer to get a call from NT down the line will be Zisis Sarikopoulos? He is currently playing for the U19 team, and will begin his collegiate career at Ohio State this fall. He had favorable pratice reports from Columbus before he left for New Zealand.

Good article from last week. http://www.columbusdispatch.com/live/co ... ml?sid=101

[KWSN-Men]

Alas, Kosta Koufos will now begin an illustrious career with the senior Greek National team. Perhaps the next young seven footer to get a call from NT down the line will be Zisis Sarikopoulos? He is currently playing for the U19 team, and will begin his collegiate career at Ohio State this fall. He had favorable pratice reports from Columbus before he left for New Zealand.

Good article from last week. http://www.columbusdispatch.com/live/co ... ml?sid=101

Maybe. But Greece is overloaded with big men and Koufos has not made the team yet. We will see if he makes it. With 3 rotation players possibly not playing because of injuries he should though.

[Apollo64]

Alas, Kosta Koufos will now begin an illustrious career with the senior Greek National team. Perhaps the next young seven footer to get a call from NT down the line will be Zisis Sarikopoulos? He is currently playing for the U19 team, and will begin his collegiate career at Ohio State this fall. He had favorable pratice reports from Columbus before he left for New Zealand.

Good article from last week. http://www.columbusdispatch.com/live/co ... ml?sid=101

I don't think Sarikopoulos will amount to anything special.

[Greek]

Well i am not very optimistic about the team. The talent production of the Greece is falling considerable and the best Greek players are aging. Except from Greek/Americans and maybe Sarikopoulos that i dont believe that is something special we have nothing to hope. Maybe living in Cyprus killing my chances to have closer look to the Greek talent pool but still...if it was there something special i am sure that i could heard of it.

[KWSN-Men]

Well i am not very optimistic about the team. The talent production of the Greece is falling considerable and the best Greek players are aging. Except from Greek/Americans and maybe Sarikopoulos that i dont believe that is something special we have nothing to hope. Maybe living in Cyprus killing my chances to have closer look to the Greek talent pool but still...if it was there something special i am sure that i could heard of it.

The best Greek players are aging? Papaloukas (age) and Diamantidis (starting to have physical problems) you mean right? It was mostly Greek media hype that completely overrated them. Honestly, guys like Spanoulis, Fotsis (he isn't breaking down physically), Vasilopoulos, Koufos, Zisis, Bourousis, Printezis, Calathes, etc. the next generation guys will do fine.

[Greek]

Well i am not very optimistic about the team. The talent production of the Greece is falling considerable and the best Greek players are aging. Except from Greek/Americans and maybe Sarikopoulos that i dont believe that is something special we have nothing to hope. Maybe living in Cyprus killing my chances to have closer look to the Greek talent pool but still...if it was there something special i am sure that i could heard of it.

The best Greek players are aging? Papaloukas (age) and Diamantidis (starting to have physical problems) you mean right? It was mostly Greek media hype that completely overrated them. Honestly, guys like Spanoulis, Fotsis (he isn't breaking down physically), Vasilopoulos, Koufos, Zisis, Bourousis, Printezis, Calathes, etc. the next generation guys will do fine.

Yea mostly i mean that they have physical problems from the over use, but again i dont see anything from ages 15-18

[Joana]

Well, there's a reason why the Greeks are the current U-18 European Champions. I think they have some solid values in their youth teams. Verginis, Koufos and Calathes being some of them; but also some younger guys: PAOK's Charis Giannopoulos is a terrific shooter, Nikos Pappas is a very good, albeit extremely unathletic, young guard and a proven winner (who, unfortunately, didn't progress a lot last season), a decent wing in Vladimir Jankovic and a solid prospect at the point in Kostas Sloukas.

As of now, it's difficult to see anyone on the Papaloukas/Diamantidis level, but I think some of those guys will be just a notch bellow, on the Spanoulis category if you will.

[KWSN-Men]

Well, there's a reason why the Greeks are the current U-18 European Champions. I think they have some solid values in their youth teams. Verginis, Koufos and Calathes being some of them; but also some younger guys: PAOK's Charis Giannopoulos is a terrific shooter, Nikos Pappas is a very good, albeit extremely unathletic, young guard and a proven winner (who, unfortunately, didn't progress a lot last season), a decent wing in Vladimir Jankovic and a solid prospect at the point in Kostas Sloukas.

As of now, it's difficult to see anyone on the Papaloukas/Diamantidis level, but I think some of those guys will be just a notch bellow, on the Spanoulis category if you will.

Well then if any of them are as good as Spanoulis who is by far the best Greek player we will do fine. BTW, you are living in 2005 still if you think Spanoulis is not clearly the best Greek player these days.

[Greek]

Well, there's a reason why the Greeks are the current U-18 European Champions. I think they have some solid values in their youth teams. Verginis, Koufos and Calathes being some of them; but also some younger guys: PAOK's Charis Giannopoulos is a terrific shooter, Nikos Pappas is a very good, albeit extremely unathletic, young guard and a proven winner (who, unfortunately, didn't progress a lot last season), a decent wing in Vladimir Jankovic and a solid prospect at the point in Kostas Sloukas.

As of now, it's difficult to see anyone on the Papaloukas/Diamantidis level, but I think some of those guys will be just a notch bellow, on the Spanoulis category if you will.

Well i hope that you are right. Every time that a Greek youngster got a hype he failed to meet the expectations (Fotsis, Sofo, Tapoutos, Retzias etc), but everytime that they got the opportunity to mature and develop slowly, without lots of puplicity always had great results (Bourousis, Diamantidis, Papaloukas etc)

[Joana]

Well then if any of them are as good as Spanoulis who is by far the best Greek player we will do fine. BTW, you are living in 2005 still if you think Spanoulis is not clearly the best Greek player these days.

Jesus, do you have to turn every thread in a Spanoulis lovefest?

[Greek]

Well, there's a reason why the Greeks are the current U-18 European Champions. I think they have some solid values in their youth teams. Verginis, Koufos and Calathes being some of them; but also some younger guys: PAOK's Charis Giannopoulos is a terrific shooter, Nikos Pappas is a very good, albeit extremely unathletic, young guard and a proven winner (who, unfortunately, didn't progress a lot last season), a decent wing in Vladimir Jankovic and a solid prospect at the point in Kostas Sloukas.

As of now, it's difficult to see anyone on the Papaloukas/Diamantidis level, but I think some of those guys will be just a notch bellow, on the Spanoulis category if you will.

Well then if any of them are as good as Spanoulis who is by far the best Greek player we will do fine. BTW, you are living in 2005 still if you think Spanoulis is not clearly the best Greek player these days.

Ok who u think that is the best Greek player right now?

[KWSN-Men]

Well, there's a reason why the Greeks are the current U-18 European Champions. I think they have some solid values in their youth teams. Verginis, Koufos and Calathes being some of them; but also some younger guys: PAOK's Charis Giannopoulos is a terrific shooter, Nikos Pappas is a very good, albeit extremely unathletic, young guard and a proven winner (who, unfortunately, didn't progress a lot last season), a decent wing in Vladimir Jankovic and a solid prospect at the point in Kostas Sloukas.

As of now, it's difficult to see anyone on the Papaloukas/Diamantidis level, but I think some of those guys will be just a notch bellow, on the Spanoulis category if you will.

Well then if any of them are as good as Spanoulis who is by far the best Greek player we will do fine. BTW, you are living in 2005 still if you think Spanoulis is not clearly the best Greek player these days.

Ok who u think that is the best Greek player right now?

Obviously, it's Spanoulis.

[KWSN-Men]

Greece's starting small forward Panagiotis Vasilopoulos will miss the Eurobasket due to injury.