If there was a headline in this Euroleague Final Four, it was the superb Papaloukas vs. Diamantidis matchup, featuring arguably the best two players in Europe who happen to be countrymen and play the same position on the court. For DraftExpress, it was obviously very important to follow the performance of Tiago Splitter, the only short-term first-round prospect on the floor.
The Veterans
THEODOROS PAPALOUKAS
CSKA, 1977, 6-7, PG
Looking for an unusual player? What about a 6-7 point guard? What about a Euroleague MVP that comes off the bench? What about a guy who almost always displays his best level in important and meaningful games? Thats Theodoros Papaloukas, arguably the reigning best player in Europe, the direct heir of guys such as Dejan Bodiroga and Sarunas Jasikevicius, a fierce and insatiable competitor, a winner, a perennial hero for his team. Papaloukas was coming back to Athens, his hometown, to try and win back-to-back Euroleague titles for CSKA Moscow. It just happened that he couldnt get it done this time despite putting one of the best shows of his life in the final against Panathinaikos.
Right after the semifinal win over Tau Vitoria, CSKA coach Ettore Messina showed his concern about Papaloukas taking too much responsibility for this event in his homeland (he joked about Theo organizing travel, tickets, practice, the hotel ), but it was what actually happened in the final, as a huge amount of his teams offensive load went through his hands, either with points directly scored by him, creating spaces for his teammates with his aggressive playing style or passing the ball to an open man.
Papaloukas is a difficult player to contest. Hes tall and quite strong for a guard, enjoying very good ball-handling skills to protect the ball despite his size, and displays decent quickness. Theo can drive and dribble in traffic, even with contact, which helps him overpower his match-ups. He perfectly uses his size to post up his defender, even beating guys as tall as him (like Siskauskas in the final). And then, its a matter of his great ability to finish near the basket (partially thanks to his size), magnificent court vision and an impressive mind to take decisions. The guy always knows when to push the ball and run (either because of a certain play situation or what the game demands), when to stop and play a more drawn out sequence, and when to resolve with a pick and roll play or an individual effort.
Actually were talking about a master of the pick and roll, a playmaker that perfectly feeds the teammate setting the pick and rolling towards the basket, often with high passes where he takes advantage of his size. If the defense doesnt stay honest, he will either go all the way to the basket to score himself or shoot the ball off the dribble. Here we find his main weakness in terms of offensive game though: hes not much of a shooter, although he will punish you if hes left wide open. His passing game is not only about two-on-two situations, but he finds his teammates on the weak side extremely easily, hes very dangerous distributing the ball from the low post (especially because he usually attracts defensive helps), and generally speaking, if theres any defensive mistake, chances are he will make pay by sending the ball instantaneously to the appropriate place. Its also interesting to note how he often passes while in the air, a high risk proposition, but he rarely turns the ball over, as his mind offers him quick solutions.
Theo helps in the rebounding department, usually igniting the fastbreak (also if he receives a quick outlet pass) to look for easy baskets. Hes an unspectacular, but solid defender; lets say he fills the bill. Obviously hes not the quickest guy around when it comes to moving laterally, which would hurt him in the NBA matching-up against point guards. Neither is he very athletic for a wing. But there arent many guys around with his combination of character and skills. In a world increasingly starving for true playmakers, hes the answer. Will the NBA feel the same way? Well find out this summer.
Right after the semifinal win over Tau Vitoria, CSKA coach Ettore Messina showed his concern about Papaloukas taking too much responsibility for this event in his homeland (he joked about Theo organizing travel, tickets, practice, the hotel ), but it was what actually happened in the final, as a huge amount of his teams offensive load went through his hands, either with points directly scored by him, creating spaces for his teammates with his aggressive playing style or passing the ball to an open man.
Papaloukas is a difficult player to contest. Hes tall and quite strong for a guard, enjoying very good ball-handling skills to protect the ball despite his size, and displays decent quickness. Theo can drive and dribble in traffic, even with contact, which helps him overpower his match-ups. He perfectly uses his size to post up his defender, even beating guys as tall as him (like Siskauskas in the final). And then, its a matter of his great ability to finish near the basket (partially thanks to his size), magnificent court vision and an impressive mind to take decisions. The guy always knows when to push the ball and run (either because of a certain play situation or what the game demands), when to stop and play a more drawn out sequence, and when to resolve with a pick and roll play or an individual effort.
Actually were talking about a master of the pick and roll, a playmaker that perfectly feeds the teammate setting the pick and rolling towards the basket, often with high passes where he takes advantage of his size. If the defense doesnt stay honest, he will either go all the way to the basket to score himself or shoot the ball off the dribble. Here we find his main weakness in terms of offensive game though: hes not much of a shooter, although he will punish you if hes left wide open. His passing game is not only about two-on-two situations, but he finds his teammates on the weak side extremely easily, hes very dangerous distributing the ball from the low post (especially because he usually attracts defensive helps), and generally speaking, if theres any defensive mistake, chances are he will make pay by sending the ball instantaneously to the appropriate place. Its also interesting to note how he often passes while in the air, a high risk proposition, but he rarely turns the ball over, as his mind offers him quick solutions.
Theo helps in the rebounding department, usually igniting the fastbreak (also if he receives a quick outlet pass) to look for easy baskets. Hes an unspectacular, but solid defender; lets say he fills the bill. Obviously hes not the quickest guy around when it comes to moving laterally, which would hurt him in the NBA matching-up against point guards. Neither is he very athletic for a wing. But there arent many guys around with his combination of character and skills. In a world increasingly starving for true playmakers, hes the answer. Will the NBA feel the same way? Well find out this summer.