Reviewing Greece’s group stage performance in EuroBasket 2022
The knockout round starts Sunday, and Giannis Antetokounmpo's Greek team is poised to make a run
Editor’s note: the following article was written by Gyro Step assistant producer Eugene Choursoutoglou. Follow him on Twitter for more of his Hellas thoughts straight from Greece as Giannis and Thanasis chase a gold medal this summer!
The Greek national team concluded its group stage appearances in Milan with a win against Estonia (90-69) on Thursday. Hellas remained unbeaten with a record of 5-0, finishing in the first place of Group C. Croatia ended up second, Ukraine third and Italy fourth. Estonia and Great Britain were fifth and sixth and failed to qualify to the knockout stage.
Greece had a perfect run but it didn’t come easily. The Greek team faced a strong Croatian team in the opener. As if playing against a team with players like Bojan Bogdanovic, Ivica Zubac, Dario Saric and Mario Hezonja wasn’t hard enough, Greece had to play without the likes of Georgios Papagiannis and Kostas Antetokounmpo, their main centers, due to injuries. In a very close game, Giannis had some magnificent moments late to help the Greek team achieve its first win in the tournament. Tyler Dorsey was also amazing, recording 27 points (the same as Giannis), shooting 6/10 from deep. Thanks to the great performance by the Greek duo, Greece beat Croatia 89-85.
Italy, a team led by the very passionate coach Gianmarco Pozzecco was Greece’s next challenge. This game took place in a packed Italian arena. In a very tight game, Giannis and Dorsey played exceptional once again (scoring 25 and 23 points respectively) leading Greece to another 4-point win. Both games were narrow wins, a little closer than most fans of the Greek team would like.
Fortunately, the next three games didn’t turn out to be big challenges for the Greek team. A 17-point win against Great Britain, a 20-point win against Ukraine and a 21-point win against Estonia were enough to secure Greece’s spot on the top of Group C.
Giannis was by far the most impactful player, averaging 29.5 points per game in less than 27 minutes. Dorsey’s contribution shouldn’t be ignored. In six games he averaged 15.2 points shooting over 46% from 3. Sloukas, Calathes, Papanikolaou and Agravanis were important pieces in the puzzle as well.
The difference in coaching has also been visible compared to past years. With coach Dimitrios Itoudis on board, Greece’s playing style looks way more neat and reliable. Who would have thought? Having an actual coach can actually help!
A closer look at Giannis
Giannis has been utterly amazing so far. Coming into the tournament, one of the questions that we had was whether he would be comfortable enough playing under FIBA rules and/or facing a constant wall of opponents in the paint. We didn’t have to wait long for the response. From day one, Giannis looked as comfortable as ever, playing at his own speed. He’s currently the leading scorer of the tournament without having to play more than 27 minutes per game.
Three-point shooting hasn’t been there yet, but his free throw percentage is as good as ever. He’s currently shooting 84.4% from the charity stripe on 11.3 attempts. He shot 72.2% from there last season in the NBA and it’ll be very interesting to see whether he can carry his form in the NBA this season. Shooting over 80% from the stripe is going to be huge for his overall game.
Giannis left the game against Estonia slightly limping. According to the Hellenic Basketball Federation, Giannis suffered a slight sprain on his right ankle. Coach Itoudis appeared reassuring after the game, saying that it’s not something alarming. Either way, we should be expecting daily updates on his status going forward.
What’s next for the Greek national team?
Greece will be facing Czech Republic in Berlin this Sunday (21.45 Greek/ 12.45 Central) for the round of 16. If Greece manages to beat Tomas Satoransky and company, the next opponent will be the winner of the Germany-Montenegro matchup for a place in the Semis. Czech Republic finished fourth in Group D, a group where Serbia finished first followed by Finland and Poland.
From the other title favorites, Slovenia has the easiest route to the semis. They’ll be facing Belgium in the round of 16 and the winner of Ukraine-Poland in the quarterfinals. On the other hand, Serbia and France might see each other in the quarterfinals. Serbia is playing Italy and France is facing Turkey in the round of 16. The two winners will be playing each other in the quarterfinals. You can see the analytical bracket here:
Czech Republic is not the most talented team but has caused a lot of pain to Greece in the past. Greece suffered a horrific 25-point loss to them in the Olympic Qualifying Tournament back in 2020. A very bitter memory, as that loss kept Greece out of the Olympics the following year. In 2019, Greece had to beat Czech Republic by at least 12 points to progress to the next round of the FIBA World Cup. Greece did win the game, but only by 7 points. Czechs have the bragging rights, but it’s a great opportunity for Greek revenge!
Here’s a quick comparison of the two teams before Sunday’s matchup: Greece has the fourth best offense, with 91.2 points per game. Czech Republic ranks ninth in this category, with an average of 83.2 points per game. Greece shoots 37% from three while their opponents shoot 43.6% beyond the arc. In fact, Czech Republic is the best three-point shooting team in the tournament, which will be something to watch on Sunday.
On the defensive end, Greece concedes 78.2 points per game while their next opponents concede about 87 points per game. To sum it up, Greece has the best offense and the best defense of the two, but is shooting worse from three.
Satoransky, despite coming from an injury, can still be very dangerous. He’s a completely different player with his national team. Other key players for the Czech team are going to be Jan Vesely (their leading scorer), Vojtech Hruban, and Martin Peterka with plenty of EuroLeague experience on their backs.
With only one win required in order to progress to the next round, anything can happen. That’s why the Greek team will have to be fully focused. From what we’ve seen from them so far, I consider their chances to be very good. They are far from perfect, but the chemistry is constantly building and the return of Georgios Papagiannis and Kostas Antetokounmpo has already impacted the Greek team in a positive way. Giannis looks like the EuroBasket MVP so far and if he keeps playing like this Greece will have the upper hand. The likes of Tyler Dorsey, Nick Calathes, Kostas Sloukas, and Georgios Papagiannis will also have to be on top of their games though, in order for the Greek team to go far. If Greece manages to beat Czech Republic, they’ll probably face Germany in the quarterfinals. Facing Germany in Berlin will be extra difficult, as the German population will fill the stadium to cheer for their team.
As coach Itoudis mentioned, Greece has created a lot of expectations, but I wouldn’t call them favorites just yet. Serbia has been superior in the statistics (even though in a weaker group) and they also have a packed roster. Slovenia is the other team I consider favorites. Luka Doncic is playing out of his mind so far, scoring 47 points against France. Germany, Lithuania, and France could also prove threats but they're a tier below Greece, Serbia and Slovenia in my eyes.
Either way, it’s going to be fascinating. Strap yourselves in, because it’s going to be a VERY interesting week.