Eurobasket 2022 (daily OP updates), day 11, all quarter finals teams known, Italy shocks Europe, eliminates Serbia

[Pachinko_]

Sloukas is way better fit, but don't write off Calathes just yet.

Nope, I'll write him off right now, he sucks. I'd play Gianni's mother before him, but they will play him anyway. Just one of those things that Giannis has to overcome.

[Ruma85]

Nice move by Nurkić, and good block by Franz hope to see more of that from him in the near future.

[Bob8]

Sloukas is way better fit, but don't write off Calathes just yet. He played for Jasikevicius, that coach kills any creativity from his guards, Calathes is still one of the most creative and precise passers on this planet, and that hasnt go away. I am not saying his positives outweight negatives, but he still has things to offer.

Saras paid 1 mio+ to get rid of him.

Calathes was always atrocious shooter, but he had good body, was decent defender and was excellent driver, which opened his passing ability. Now he lost more or less everything, what makes him almost unplayable, especially, if he's not surrounded with great shooters.

[UcanUwill]

Sloukas is way better fit, but don't write off Calathes just yet. He played for Jasikevicius, that coach kills any creativity from his guards, Calathes is still one of the most creative and precise passers on this planet, and that hasnt go away. I am not saying his positives outweight negatives, but he still has things to offer.

Saras paid 1 mio+ to get rid of him.

Calathes was always atrocious shooter, but he had good body, was decent defender and was excellent driver, which opened his passing ability. Now he lost more or less everything, what makes him almost unplayable, especially, if he's not surrounded with great shooters.

If Calathes sucks next season, I will eat crow, but as of right now, I wouldn't care what Saras did, that guys coaching style only fits when you have nothing but scrubs, but he has best players in europe, and put them in system where zero individual creativity is allowed, it is an awful system.

[basketballRob]

Payback by Franz.

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[Bob8]

Sloukas is way better fit, but don't write off Calathes just yet. He played for Jasikevicius, that coach kills any creativity from his guards, Calathes is still one of the most creative and precise passers on this planet, and that hasnt go away. I am not saying his positives outweight negatives, but he still has things to offer.

Saras paid 1 mio+ to get rid of him.

Calathes was always atrocious shooter, but he had good body, was decent defender and was excellent driver, which opened his passing ability. Now he lost more or less everything, what makes him almost unplayable, especially, if he's not surrounded with great shooters.

If Calathes sucks next season, I will eat crow, but as of right now, I wouldn't care what Saras did, that guys coaching style only fits when you have nothing but scrubs, but he has best players in europe, and put them in system where zero individual creativity is allowed, it is an awful system.

I partly agree with you about Saras. But Calathes was really bad, not only because of Saras.

Calathes was 1/13 in playoffs games when he was leading Pao. RS is something else, but he's unplayable, when it matters, because coaches are prepared for him and just leave him open, exactly like they played Simmons.

[basketballRob]

Franz 18 and 5 in only 22 minutes.

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[CharityStripe34]

Sloukas is way better fit, but don't write off Calathes just yet. He played for Jasikevicius, that coach kills any creativity from his guards, Calathes is still one of the most creative and precise passers on this planet, and that hasnt go away. I am not saying his positives outweight negatives, but he still has things to offer.

He can create off the dribble, but his scoring/shooting has cratered. He hesitates and passes up open looks. Calathes can pass but can't shoot, Dorsey can shoot but can't pass well and Sloukas can do both but he's playing hurt. Good times.

[Evenacus]

Not a travel

Right, like the rest of the stuff is not enough. Giannis is already great, no need for refs to give him a boost too, but that's how it is with superstars. Hezonja sucked defensively tonight, and just before that beautiful reverse dunk at the end you can see Giannis pushing him in the back.

That kind of push won't get called in FIBA basketball though. Look at Hezonja's reaction. At no point does he even look at the refs, even after the dunk and after the inbound, cause he knows it simply isn't a foul. Even the Croatian bench doesn't react at all. Everyone knows that's not a foul.
A referee will usually call a foul there, if your team already got 1 or 2 technical fouls and you've been annoying him all game long. That's when he'll unleash the F you starter pack.

It's play number 2 in the video at the 2:51 mark.

Watch on YouTube

Doesn't change the fact that it is a push. For me, the only reason for it to be called is the timing of it. That move killed of the game, Giannis with style, but still.
Please, don't make me comment on Hezonja and his game performance against Greece. Besides those few good shots in the first half, his defense was atrocius. Hezonja's reaction shows me the level of his interest here, I'd be livid if we were to lose so cheaply like this after coming back from that deficit. Croatia's bench were very aware of the status that Giannis has.
Talk about perspectives

[Brit in Araby]

Lithuania lighting up the hapless French.

[Bodiroga13]

Sloukas is way better fit, but don't write off Calathes just yet. He played for Jasikevicius, that coach kills any creativity from his guards, Calathes is still one of the most creative and precise passers on this planet, and that hasnt go away. I am not saying his positives outweight negatives, but he still has things to offer.

Saras paid 1 mio+ to get rid of him.

Calathes was always atrocious shooter, but he had good body, was decent defender and was excellent driver, which opened his passing ability. Now he lost more or less everything, what makes him almost unplayable, especially, if he's not surrounded with great shooters.

Calathes was not just decent defender, he was the best defensive Euroleague guard for many years, however i tend to agree with you that he doesn't look good nowadays. Doesn't look like a player who ages like wine.
As a Greek fan, generally i don't feel much optimistic about team's chances for a medal.

[pufonD]

looks like JV rolled back 10 years with those pump fakes

[UcanUwill]

looks like JV rolled back 10 years with those pump fakes

I dont get why he doesnt shoot those open 3s, it is so infuriating, he is not even a bad shooter in any sense, freaking Vezenkovs and guys like that launching 6 threes a game, but JV is outlawed it seems, it must be a coach thing, and I dont get it. You playing against Gobert and Fall, you must take them out of the paint.

[pufonD]

looks like JV rolled back 10 years with those pump fakes

I dont get why he doesnt shoot those open 3s, it is so infuriating, he is not even a bad shooter in any sense, freaking Vezenkovs and guys like that launching 6 threes a game, but JV is outlawed it seems, it must be a coach thing, and I dont get it. You playing against Gobert and Fall, you must take them out of the paint.

I think its a sign of him not being comfortable/anxious/ not knowing what to do. I though even at raptors he dropped the habit of pump faking.. but it seems like here the old habits are resurfacing.

[lambchop]

Right, like the rest of the stuff is not enough. Giannis is already great, no need for refs to give him a boost too, but that's how it is with superstars. Hezonja sucked defensively tonight, and just before that beautiful reverse dunk at the end you can see Giannis pushing him in the back.

That kind of push won't get called in FIBA basketball though. Look at Hezonja's reaction. At no point does he even look at the refs, even after the dunk and after the inbound, cause he knows it simply isn't a foul. Even the Croatian bench doesn't react at all. Everyone knows that's not a foul.
A referee will usually call a foul there, if your team already got 1 or 2 technical fouls and you've been annoying him all game long. That's when he'll unleash the F you starter pack.

It's play number 2 in the video at the 2:51 mark.

Watch on YouTube

Doesn't change the fact that it is a push. For me, the only reason for it to be called is the timing of it. That move killed of the game, Giannis with style, but still.
Please, don't make me comment on Hezonja and his game performance against Greece. Besides those few good shots in the first half, his defense was atrocius. Hezonja's reaction shows me the level of his interest here, I'd be livid if we were to lose so cheaply like this after coming back from that deficit. Croatia's bench were very aware of the status that Giannis has.
Talk about perspectives

The bench would complain regardless of status the same way euro benches can be seen calling traveling on team USA fast break dunks. These are instant reactions, there's no time to contemplate status.

No one is calling that foul, especially in that situation referees prefer not to interfere and in FIBA those parts of the game can get almost unreasonably physical.

[kosmonauts]

What a fun game - France and Lithuania. Obviously as a Latvian I root for my southern neighbours

Grigonis is really crafty dude - not an NBA dude(no clear role in the league for his player type I guess), but can play against anybody in Fiba. And Jokubaitis destroying Albicy on every occassion is hilarious to watch Curious to see how he will fit in the NBA.

[UcanUwill]

Fall is a star center in a game that has Domantas SAbonis, Rudy Gobert and Jonas Vlaanciunas.

What happened to Korkmaz, did he get hurt?

[Bodiroga13]

I am happy because Grigonis is playing next year for my team but i feel simultaneously kinda sorry for him, because Panathinaikos, former Euroleague powerhouse, looks nowadays like a pile of dog poop.
Anyway, we have also Gudaitis, Derrick Williams, Nate Wolters etc, i hope that they will be good teammates for such a good player like Grigonis.

[UcanUwill]

What a fun game - France and Lithuania. Obviously as a Latvian I root for my southern neighbours

Grigonis is really crafty dude - not an NBA dude(no clear role in the league for his player type I guess), but can play against anybody in Fiba. And Jokubaitis destroying Albicy on every occassion is hilarious to watch Curious to see how he will fit in the NBA.

I think Grigonis could have NBA role, because he is really good shooter from 3. in the past few seasons, he always finishes above 40%, even though he takes ton of step backs and contested ones. I mean is he really much worse than Grayson Allen for example who makes over 10 mil?

But who knows, cause everyone translates different in such higher level. I really thought Marko Guduric would be fine in the NBA, but he was garbage, so who knows, I am not a scout.

[UcanUwill]

I am happy because Grigonis is playing next year for my team but i feel simultaneously kinda sorry for him, because Panathinaikos, former Euroleague powerhouse, looks nowadays like a pile of dog poop.
Anyway, we have also Gudaitis, Derrick Williams, Nate Wolters etc, i hope that they will be good teammates for such a good player like Grigonis.

Panathinaikos for sure gonna be my second favorite team in EL, as a fan of Grigonis, I will be pulling for them hard.