As Olimpia did repeatedly in recent seasons, the pre-season will be closed with the possible highest-level tournament, with three opponents, all from the EuroLeague, and essentially on the road. In Crete, starting on Saturday (the semi-final tip-off is at 6pm local time) the competition will be very tough, including two teams returning from the EuroLeague’s Final Four such as Fenerbahce and Olympiacos. The fourth participating team is Virtus Bologna, Olimpia’s opponent in the last four Italian league championship finals. If the two Italian teams were to face each other on Sunday (it would happen if they both won or lost the semi-final) the game would also become a potential “preview” of the Super Cup the following weekend in Bologna (where however for the first time after two seasons, Olimpia and Virtus will not face each other in semi-final).
FENERBAHCE – Let’s start with the game against Fenerbahce. A Final Four team in the EuroLeague last season, Fenerbahce had an impressive free agency campaign, signing guard Wade Baldwin, the fourth-best EuroLeague player for personal rating, the combo forward Bonzi Colson, Nicolò Melli, Devon Hall and Khem Birch. In other words, four players among the top 100 of last season’s EuroLeague for individual rating signed for Fenerbahce and the fifth has had a long career in the NBA. Conversely, Tyler Dorsey, Georgios Papagiannis, Johnhathan Motley and Nick Calathes have left the team. But Fenerbahce also retained a good part of the team’s core coached by Sarunas Jasikevicius, namely Scottie Wilbekin, Marko Guduric, Dyshawn Pierre, Tarik Biberovic, Sertac Sanli and Nigel Hayes-Davis. The latter scored 27 points in an exhibition win over Bahcesehir a few days ago.
OLYMPIACOS AND BOLOGNA – Olympiacos had one of the most explosive signing campaigns in recent years. Keenan Evans was signed (one of the three EuroLeague players in the top ten for personal rating who changed teams: the others are Wade Baldwin and Josh Nebo), Tyler Dorsey, Luca Vildoza, but especially Evan Fournier was signed. The veteran French shooter came from the NBA and on Olympic silver medal, after scoring more than 9.000 points in the NBA. Sasha Vezenkov, also, returned to Piraeus after just one season in Sacramento. They came to improve an already impressive rotation, so Coach Bartozkas has now a team of rare depth, even if he currently has to deal with some injury problems (Evans is not yet available; Moustapha Fall and Nikola Milutinov are out). Virtus Bologna has also changed quite a bit. One of the great names of European basketball of the last decade, Will Clyburn, from Efes, was signed to play next to many of the key returning players from last season such as Daniel Hackett, Alessandro Pajola, Marco Belinelli, Isaia Cordinier, Toko Shengelia and Ante Zizic. Matt Morgan, one of the best players of the last Eurocup, and Raijon Tucker, coming off a big season in Venice, have raised the level of perimeter athleticism.
OLIMPIA – The team, after playing three games over a five-day span, even if one of them was just a scrimmage, worked all week in the gym. The players who suffered some injuries during the first few weeks (Giordano Bortolani, Josh Nebo, Neno Dimitrijevic) recovered quickly and are all available. For Dimitrjevic, Armoni Brooks, David McCormack and Ousmane Diop it will be their first ever taste of the EuroLeague level. As Fabien Causeur said, “this is a great opportunity to find out where we are at. However, this is a new team, new group and patience will be key. Patience and keeping our confidence up.” The team left Milan after practicing at home on Thursday and landed in Crete late last night. Today the team will have a practice on site and tomorrow will face Fenerbahce.
