# Acropolis tournament in Athens



## qwertyu (Dec 29, 2002)

So what does everyone think of this tournament?
The participants are Greece, Israel, Poland and Slovenia. So far Greece and Slovenia have a 2-0 record and they're playing against each other in less than half an hour.

I have only wacthed the games of the greek team so I can't comment on the slovenian team until I see them today.

In the first game Greece won Poland quite easily. Tsakalidis had some problems against Trybanski (who isn't very good by the way) and the other polish big man, but when Fotsis and Rentzias got into the game Poland had a really hard time. Papaloukas had a bad first half but in the second half recovered.

Last night I saw the game between Greece and Israel. The Greek players seemed bored on defense and Israel was getting all the rebounds in the first half but when Greece played with Kakiouzis, Dikoudis and Tsakalidis in the frontline (who know each other from AEK) and with Papaloukas feeding them the ball Greece won easily. Fotsis in the last few minutes put a show with some dunks and some attempts for dunks.
If the greek team doesn't get more focused during the games they will have a lot of problems in Sweden. Ioannidis hasn't decided about the last two spots, he will most likely decide after tonight's game. Papanikolaou has no business starting when there are players like Kakiouzis or Fotsis on the bench.

Israel has a tough team and Katzurin tries to find the combinations of players that will work better but doesn't have much luck yet. The player I liked better was the blonde center, Gordon. He did a good job. Tapiro is also an interesting point guard. I doubt Israel will do much in Sweden though.


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## Matiz (Jun 5, 2003)

Please inform me as soon as the game is over...


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## qwertyu (Dec 29, 2002)

well first half is over and the score is Greece-Slovenia 41-19!

I'm convinced that Greece canwin the games now. Ioannidis started Fotsis instead of Dikoudis and the team started with a lot of energy. The team played great defense against a very good team, Papaloukas and Diamantidis prove once again that they're great point-guards. 
I don't understand why some people say that Greece doesn't have good point-guards. Papaloukas is 1.99m tall and Diamantidis 1.95 with very long hands and they have a huge height advantage over any point guard.

Ioannidis has used these players
Papaloukas/Diamantidis
Hatzivretas/Sigalas
Papanikolaou/Alvertis
Fotsis/Dikoudis
Tsakalidis/Rentzias

Kakiouzis and Tsartsaris haven't played yet. Kakiouzis has secured his spot on the team and Tsartsaris is the favorite for the 12th spot but Papamakarios still has some chances to be on the team.

Slovenia is a better team that they seemto be tonight. The have the talent and the fundamentals but they lack a good front-line and a leader. Nachbar (I can't understand why he's in the NBA and Fotsis isn't) and Gorenc aren't leaders and Lakovic who I have seen him doing some incredible stuff with Panathinaikos can't do anything against the two headed monster that is Papaloukas and Diamantidis. I know him though and I think he will do a better job against shorter point guards like Parker. 
I know that France has 4 NBAers and Italy is always a tough team but with a little luck Slovenia can surprise them and win the group.

Tonight though Hellas is playing much better. If we play like this in Sweden I think ira will win a lot of money 

Slovenia has used these players
Lakovic/Petrov
Gorenc/Duscak
Nachbar/Milic
Tusek/Jurak
Cralievic/Golemac


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## qwertyu (Dec 29, 2002)

> Originally posted by <b>Matiz</b>!
> Please inform me as soon as the game is over...



You can't see the games?


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## qwertyu (Dec 29, 2002)

> Originally posted by <b>Matiz</b>!
> Please inform me as soon as the game is over...


hey man, you played a better game in the second half. The final score was 76-58.
You have a good team but you need to improve your rebounding. I think that's why Subotic starts Cralievic, because he's a veteran and he can fight inside. Brezec who is the third center played 20 minutes in the second half, had 6 points and 6 rebounds but looked clueless and made Rentzias look like Michael Jordan. 
Lakovic disappeared tonight but he had too much pressure from the greek point guards. 
Jurak and Milic are good players and I'd give them more playing time based on tonight's game, they do all the dirty work and they look better than Nachbar and Tusek.

Gorenc found some opportunites in the second half to score and he showed why he's considered a scoring machine. 
Subotic is a very resourceful coach and I don't think he will allow something like this happen to your team at the games. You were very improved in the second half. The big problem though for your team is rebounding and I think that will be a problem especially against Italy who has a tough frontline with Ciagig and Markonato.


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## Matiz (Jun 5, 2003)

Rebounding is our problem since Brezec isn't playing the way he was before going to the Nba and sinc we 're missing Rasho and Smodis. 



> Subotic is a very resourceful coach and I don't think he will allow something like this happen to your team at the games.


I prefer losing before the EC and no at it  . Before last EC we lost only to Yuga and beat Gemany, Russia... and it didn't work out at all.
It's the last game they can loose, it's just up to them to improve bad sections till EC. 




> You can't see the games?


Our tv has an interesting politics like: 28th Iranian soccer league= interesting ( :laugh: ), basketball game between Greece and Slovenia= even more interesting... but soccer is the most popular sport in the world, so f*** basketball and show soccer. I know it's hard to understand that ( I don't get it :no: "jebiga"), If you can't understand it, imagine the most stupid version of what i've wrote now- that would be about it.



> Ciagig and Markonato


I consider Tsakalidis, Rentzias and Fotsis much more dangerous rebounders, so I am personaly not afraid of Italian rebounding capabilities- afterall we beat them twice in this year without any serious problems...

I really hope such things as loosing (although it might be good for team) won't happen too often at EC... I compromised myself too much with my EC predictions for ending 10th in EC


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## qwertyu (Dec 29, 2002)

man I thought basketball was more popular in Slovenia.

The iranian league sounds so interesting though


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## Matiz (Jun 5, 2003)

> man I thought basketball was more popular in Slovenia


Hey it is! everywhere except by press- which is soooooo happy because we were good at football I don't even know how many years ago... 
No seriously, Olimpija this year made people in love with basketball again, after long rule of Zmago Sagadin we saw offensive basketball again- and almost got to final 4 (well it wasn't that far!)



> The iranian league sounds so interesting though


 :no: 
Thanks for the report!


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## Gousgounis (Jul 24, 2003)

Why isn't Beno Udrih or Vujacic on the team????Your NT seems to need some more work...If you play like you did yesterday you will not be a top 4 team.......You do lack some mean and aggresiive guys under the basket...I hope your team will be ready for Eurobasket...


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## Matiz (Jun 5, 2003)

> Why isn't Beno Udrih or Vujacic on the team????Your NT seems to need some more work...If you play like you did yesterday you will not be a top 4 team.......You do lack some mean and aggresiive guys under the basket...I hope your team will be ready for Eurobasket...


Jp!:yes:


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## qwertyu (Dec 29, 2002)

> Originally posted by <b>Matiz</b>!
> 
> Jp!:yes:


what does jp mean?


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## Matiz (Jun 5, 2003)

> what does jp mean?


I meant he said it all, I had to response and I didn't know what to write, cause we DO lack agressive players under basket- we only have Jurak- he is a fighter, I don't kno what really is with Udrih, Vujacic is in the team but didn't play... I can't really comment anything cause I haven't seen that game... obviously we sucked for some reason...:sour: again.
It'll be better!


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## qwertyu (Dec 29, 2002)

I think the main reason you "sucked" as you say, is because the greek point guards didn't allow Lakovic to play his game.


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