# Kostas Papanikolaou



## 29380

Height: 6' 8"
Weight: 230 lbs
Birthday: 07/31/1990
(21 Years Old)​


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## roux

:chappelle:


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## TheAnswer

roux2dope said:


> :chappelle:


This.

And he isn't even gonna be coming for a while, wonder what the FA plan is.


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## 29380




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## 29380

> A productive role-player for the Greek National team and European powerhouse Olympiakos, Kostas Papanikolaou has been a steady contributor at the EuroLeague level for two years. After a tremendous showing this past week at the Euroleague Final Four in Istanbul, making all five of his 3-pointers and scoring a Euroleague career-high 18 points in the championship game victory, Papanikolaou's stock has risen to the point that it wouldn't be surprising at all to see a team take a shot on him in the second round on draft night.
> 
> An average athlete with an excellent feel for the game, good fundamentals, and terrific maturity, Papanikolaou's profile may not jump off the page on first glance, but his size, defensive prowess, experience and productivity at the highest levels of European basketball make him one of the most intriguing 1990-born international prospects automatically eligible for the 2012 NBA Draft.
> 
> Standing 6'8 with a solid frame, Papanikolaou has excellent size for a NBA small forward, though he sees time at both forward spots for the Euroleague champions Olympiacos. He runs the floor with purpose, and is able to play above the rim when he has a head of steam, but is otherwise an average athlete. He isn't explosive from a stand-still and his limited agility makes it difficult for him to create his own shot in one-on-one situations, but his non-stop motor and willingness to initiate contact allow him to make some plays by virtue of his physical tools in the European game.
> 
> On the offensive end, Papanikolaou spends most of his time out on the perimeter, even if quite a few of his possessions end at the rim as a result of his off-ball movement. Not a terribly assertive scorer, Papanikolaou functions as a complementary player, seldom forcing the issue and making smart reads playing off his teammates. He's turned the ball over just 30 times so far this year in nearly 1000 minutes, about once for every 40 Euroleague minutes he plays.
> 
> Nearly half of Papanikolaou's touches come in spot-up situations according to Synergy Sports Technology, and the lefty has been a sporadic catch and shoot player in recent seasons. He is the definition of a rhythm shooter, seldom making a contested shot or a long jumper that he doesn't simply step into, but he's knocked down 39% of his catch and shoot jumpers this season. Showing a quick release and solid shooting mechanics, he's been a little streaky at times this year, making just 34% of his 3-pointers on the season. Considering how heavily his contributions offensively revolve around this part of his game, he'll need to continue improving his consistency to reach his full potential in the European game or otherwise, but his showing this past weekend at the Final Four was clearly a major and very visible step forward.
> 
> Apart from his touches as a spot-up shooter, most of Papanikolaou's shots come right at the rim. He isn't adept at creating his own shot, and is only a decent ball-handler, even if he does occasionally push the ball up the floor himself or beat his man and get to the rim with a straight-line drive. Extremely active off the ball, Papanikolaou proves to be a capable finisher at the rim, using his body well and showing good touch. He struggles to finish over and around athletic shot-blockers, but gets the job done in the paint at this level with timing and smarts, converting 60% of his field goal attempts inside the arc.
> 
> Defensively, Papanikolaou is rock solid at the Euroleague level. By no means is he a lock down defender, but he competes every possession, always boxes out, makes some plays in the passing lanes thanks to his anticipation, and does a terrific job pestering his man off the ball. Spending time defending both forward spots, Papaniolaou is better suited to defend the three, as his lack of size and tremendous physical strength can be a challenge for him in the post. His average lateral quickness may render him slightly less effective at the NBA level, but his fundamentals and basketball IQ would surely help him hold his own against better athletes. He's also a solid rebounder, particularly on the offensive end due to his activity level.
> 
> One of the most mature and polished players in this year's group of automatically eligible international prospects, Papanikolaou is by no means a glamorous player. He may not be an aggressive enough scorer for certain NBA coaches, but his size, defensive prowess, ability to accept and fill an important role, knack for playing low-mistake basketball, and reputation as a winner at every level he's played at make him one of the most intriguing role-playing prospects available in the second round.


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## R-Star

TheAnswer said:


> This.
> 
> And he isn't even gonna be coming for a while, wonder what the FA plan is.


Who exactly were you guys going to take at that pick that was going to come on and be a rotation player next season though?


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## 29380

> Steve Popper ‏@StevePopper
> For Knicks fans: Luka Bassin, International Scout and Coach on Papanikolaou: "Could be the steal of the draft."


...


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## 29380

*Strengths:
** Solid athleticism with good explosiveness and quickness
* Strong leaper and a solid rebounder
* Great hustle and aggressiveness
* Lefty, can score inside and outside
* Can play both the 2 and the 3
* Works very well off the ball

*Weaknesses:
** Lateral quickness needs improvement
* Needs more consistency from long range
* Hasn’t shown much ability to create shot off the dribble

*NBA Projection:
*Papakikolaou could be a mid-late second round pick. If he wants to find a place for himself in the NBA will need to work on his outside shot (find consistency and some off dribble ability) and figure out the defensive concerns around him. Some athletic improvement is possible. With some strides and the proper development, we can see Papanikolaou in the rotation of a NBA franchise in the future.

*2011-2012 season:
*Papanikolaou’s season was a disappointment until his amazing performance in leading Olympiacos past CSKA Moscow in the Euroleague Championship game. He scored a season high 18 points on 3-for-3 three-point shooting in leading Olympiacos back from an 18-point deficit to the thrilling 62-61 victory. Other than that, his year was very similar to 2010-11 and did not show much development.
Key statistics:
7.4 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 0.6 apg, 1.0 spg, 19.4 mpg, .596 FG, .340 3PtFG, .687 FT (Greece)
6.1 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 0.6 apg, 0.5 spg, 19.4 mpg, .603 FG, .333 3PtFG, .688 FT (Euroleague)

*Reminds me of:
*A cross between Manu Ginobili and Luke Jackson, he’ll never be as good as Ginobili but he’ll be better than Jackson.

*What Insiders say:*
Nick Gibson, SLAM On-line
"I was instructed by both an NBA and a Euroleague official to take a peek at this kid that had impressed them in limited time vs. San Antonio. It didn’t take long for Kostas to make an impression; he dove for loose balls, grabbed boards, and what struck me most was the way he cut fearlessly across the middle, hands up and ready to receive. In a few minutes against LeBron and Co. the following day, same story. If he expands his already diversified offensive game and keeps the attitude on track, we could see him reach Carlos Delfino levels in just a few years."

Luka Bassin, International Scout and Coach
"He raised his stock a lot during Euroleague Final Four where he showed not only his technical and tactical attributes but the most important thing in sports – to have a heart and that he is not affraid of big games. Could be the steal of the draft."

Alejandro Gonzalez, International Scout, NetScouts Basketball
"Papanikolaou has the position size and ability to be successful in the NBA. His ability to work and produce off the ball may make him more suitable to the European style but the NBA potential is definitely there."

Rafael Uehara, The Basketball Post
"After the Euroleague final, Papanikolaou will possibly be a commodity in the second round. He’s shown the ability to perform in the grand stage against elite class competition. With his combination of terrific defensive hustle and instincts and an offensive skill set of intuitive cutting and quality shooting NBA teams have to take notice"


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## TheAnswer

That's good to hear. ^ (Edit - that tweet is good to hear)

And @R well not gonna say a name (due to not knowing anyone left at the time they picked other than Machado)
But it would've been nice if they picked a guard to back up Lin since Douglas isn't reliable, or a SG if Smith doesn't return. Not saying it would be a gem pick, but atleast chance it.


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## 29380

Maybe Machado goes undrafted


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## 29380

> *WHAT IT MEANS:* Likely favorites Scott Machado (Iona), Darius Johnson-Odom (Marquette) and Hollis Thompson (Georgetown) were available to the Knicks with the 48th pick, but they probably felt none of them could make an impact next season. Instead, they went with forward Kostas Papanikolaou (Greece), who probably won't be available until the 2013-14 season. That's because his contract with Olympiakos has two years left on it. It does, however, have a reasonable buyout option next summer.
> 
> *BIGGEST POSITIVES:* The lefty Papanikolaou (6-8, 225) is a little bit of a cross between foreign NBA players Manu Ginobili and Carlos Delfino. He has some craftiness like Ginobili -- he has crossover moves, can split defenders and knows how to finish -- but he's not as good of a passer. Papanikolaou is a pure scorer, who also demonstrates defensive intensity like Delfino. In fact, he'll hustle back and make blocks in transition. Like both of the current NBA players, Papanikolaou's best asset is arguably his 3-point shot.
> 
> *BIGGEST NEGATIVE:* That he likely won't play next season. The Knicks were coming off back-to-back wins in the second round (Landry Fields in 2010 and Josh Harrellson in '11). With what was available, there was a sense they could've done it again.
> 
> *WHAT'S NEXT:* What this draft pick represents is that the Knicks are really focused on re-signing their own free agents (Jeremy Lin, Steve Novak, J.R. Smith and Fields) and adding about two new veteran players in the offseason. The Knicks' biggest prize will be winning the early Bird Rights ruling and then using their mid-level exception of $3 million to sign one of the top four point guards available come July 1: Steve Nash, Andre Miller, Jason Kidd or Raymond Felton.


http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york/knicks/post/_/id/21319/rapid-reaction-kostas-papanikolaou-at-48


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## 29380

*“Pap” can be drafted in the 1st round
*


> He will live the NBA dream, sooner or later. The question is with which team Kostas Papanikolaou will play at the NBA? The best player of Euroleague’s final will watch the draft from Brazil, where he is for the preparation of the Greek National team for the FIBA pre-Olympic tournament and he is really anxious. He has still a long way to go, before he makes the big move, but after the 28th of June he will be able to imagine himself in the NBA courts, with a specific team. Which one?
> 
> Memphis Grizzlies were the first team that expressed their interest for him during the season. They watched him closely in many games and were followed by San Antonio Spurs who had shown interest since last season, but appeared again at the forefront during Euroleague’s Final Four at Istanbul.
> 
> Olympiacos 22 years old forward impressed everyone against Barcelona and CSKA Moscow and drew the attention of many teams as his agent, George Sfairopoulos, says: “After Euroleague’s Final Four and Greek finals several teams increased their interest and many scouts said even that Kostas is perhaps the best eligible international player this year”.
> 
> Indeed, a lot of teams have asked to see him personally, to participate in work outs and do medical tests. Due to the preparation of Greek National team, this was impossible, but Papanikolaou went to Eurocamp in Treviso for one day, Sunday 10th of June and met with representatives of various teams (Memphis Grizzlies, San Antonio Spurs, Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat, Philadelphia Sixers, Milwaukee Bucks, Brooklyn Nets, Detroit Pistons, Toronto Raptors, Minnesota Timberwolves and Houston Rockets) for personal interviews.
> 
> Only three players Greeks have been selected in the top 30 draft picks (at No23 Efthimis Rentzias in 1996 and Kostas Koufos in 2008 and No25 Iakovos Tsakalidis in 2000). However, Papanikolaou’s Greek representative, George Sfairopoulos in collaboration with his U.S. partner, Marc Cornstein of Pinnacle management predict that the 22 years old forward can also be selected even in the first round.
> 
> “According to our contacts with the teams, we are waiting to be selected either at the end of the first round or at the first picks of the second”, says Sfairopoulos explaining that “everything will depend on which team will want to choose him this year and have him after next season, but also on how the situation will be after the trades”.
> 
> His contract with Olympiacos doesn’t include an NBA buy out until the summer of 2013. And as he has *said*, he wants to make the step to the NBA when he will be ready…


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## 29380

> In closing, here's Papanikolaou's official statement about being picked (translated from Greek):
> 
> 
> 
> 
> "I watched the whole procedure through the internet. My situation being picked in draft opens up a new window of opportunity for my career if I decide to chase it and go after the opportunity. The New York Knicks are a team I like but for the time being I am under contract with Olympiakos and am totally focused on the games I have in front of me with the national team and our effort to qualify for the Olympic Games in London.’’
> 
> 
> 
> Chase that opportunity, Kostas! Chase it!
Click to expand...

...


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## Diable

Olympiakos is one of the few really high payroll teams in Europe and it's not uncommon for them to pay around five million a year for their top players. If this guy is important to them it's going to be hard for the Knicks to outbid them with all of the restrictions on what they can pay.


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## 29380

It'll come down to how well he plays and if he really wants to come over, the Knicks will be able to give him the $3 million miniMLE next year and pay half of his $1 million buyout. Currently the highest payed player on Olympiacos make 2.5 million euro.


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## 29380

Big Papa doing an interview in English after winning the Euroleague title.


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## 29380

*Fraschilla: Knicks pick Papanikolaou is a 'junkyard dog'
*


> Fran Fraschilla was expecting boos even if he did not agree with them.
> The former St. John’s coach was giving his commentary on Knicks draft pick Kostas Papanikolaou on Thursday night, but it was mostly drowned out by booing fans at the Prudential Center.
> “They did the same thing for (Danilo) Gallinari, and he turned out to be pretty good,” Fraschilla told The Post on Friday.
> 
> But Fraschilla, who serves as ESPN’s international basketball expert, warned not to expect those type of immediate returns from Papanikolaou.
> 
> “I don’t know if he’ll ever be a starter, we are talking about the 48th pick now,” Fraschilla said. “We are not talking about the eighth pick, but if he decided to come over I’d be very surprised if he was not a rotation player because he’s a guy that fits (Knicks coach) Mike Woodson’s philosophy: He plays defense first. This kid is a junkyard dog. He’d have trouble guarding Kevin Durant or some of the elite scorers, but he’ll be able to be a high-energy guy that could play in the Knicks rotation in a couple of seasons.”
> 
> First, Papanikolaou has to come to the NBA. He has a $1 million buyout with his Greek team, Olympiakos, after this season. As he’s under contract, Papanikolaou can’t even play for the Knicks’ summer-league team next month.
> 
> “This is a 22-year-old that’s already played at a very high-level of basketball in high-pressure situations,” Fraschilla said. “He was one of the heroes of Olympiakos surprise Euro League championship this year. He did not miss a shot over the weekend: the EuroLeague Final Four is a lot like the NCAA Final Four, but played at a higher level. If the NBA is the major leagues, college is Double-A then the Euro League is the Triple-A.”
> 
> That will not do much to placate Knicks fans hoping that a recognizable name would be taken instead of EuroStash player they may or not see in their team’s uniform. But Fraschilla is confident that Papanikolaou would be handle the pressure of the NBA or New York.
> 
> “Pressure is defined a little differently in Europe: You have fans throwing hot coins at you, shooting off fireworks and riots taking place in the Greek League,” Fraschilla said. “It’s real pressure and this kid performed at a high level. He is a 6’8 small forward with good athleticism, he plays with an extremely high amount of energy, does a lot of dirty work, defends, gets to the rim and has a lot of tangible qualities that should some day make him a solid NBA player.”
> 
> Fraschilla compared Papanikolaou to former Spurs forward Bruce Bowen, who was an integral part of three of San Antonio’s NBA titles. But for Papanikolaou to reach that level he has to improve his shot.
> 
> “Although he did not miss a shot in the Euro League semifinals or finals, he is not a great outside shooter,” Fraschilla said. “That’s an area he could really improve on, but for the 48th pick he is a great value pick for the Knicks.”


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## 29380

*Agent: Papanikolaou will play for Knicks in a couple of years
*


> Marc Cornstein, the New York-based agent for Greek small forward Kostas Papanikolaou, said he expects his client will play for the Knicks in 2013-14, despite a two-year contract with Olympiacos.
> 
> “He definitely wants to play in the NBA, it’s a lifelong dream of his,’’ Cornstein told The Post. “He’s playing at the highest level in the Greek League and it’s the next step. He’s anxious to play sooner than later. He wanted the right fit with the right team and the Knicks we would’ve handpicked.’’
> 
> The 6-foot-8 Papanikolaou was selected 48th Thursday, his selection roundly booed at Prudential Center. Knicks general manager Glen Grunwald said the 21-year-old would play this season in Greece with joining the Knicks in 2013-14 a possibility.
> 
> Papanikolaou has a $1 million buyout in his Greek League contract for that season. The Knicks could pay about $650,000 of the buyout and he would have to foot the rest. Because the NBA minimum is $500,000, it might not be worthwhile financially for Papanikolaou to come over unless the Knicks offered one of their exceptions. It could get complicated.
> 
> “It’s a manageable buyout,’’ Cornstein countered.
> 
> Nevertheless, Athens journalist Nikos Papaioannou of Sport 24 said it’s not always about money.
> 
> “Greek players are always hesitant,’’ he said. “He’d need a guarantee he’ll have a chance to play and be a vital part of the team. If has a one-year deal, he’ll have a greater chance for more money after that. He’s a hard-working kid but more of a streaky shooter. He’s not a good shooter from 3, but this year was his coming-out party.’’
> 
> Papanikolaou is with the Greek National Team, which is attempting to qualify for the London Games starting Tuesday in the qualifier in Venezuela. He was a key cog on Olympiacos’ Euroleague championship team, guarding Andrei Kirilenko in the finals and scoring a career-high 18 points.
> The Knicks have no plans to make him available to the press because he will not play summer league. But the Greek Basketball Federation released a statement from him in Greek.
> 
> Translated, it read: “I watched the whole procedure through the Internet. My situation being picked in the draft opens up a new window of opportunity for my career if I decide to chase it and go after the opportunity. The New York Knicks are a team I like, but for the time being I am under contract with Olympiacos and am totally focused on the games I have in front of me with the national team and our effort to qualify for the Olympic Games in London.’’
> 
> Papanikolaou is Olympiacos teammates with another player who is Knicks property, veteran power forward Georgios Prientesis, who is seeking a three-year, 3 million Euros deal which is out of Grunwald’s price range.
> 
> Cornstein said his client, however, will fit right in.
> 
> “As a native New Yorker, I know the fans base will like his lunch-pail mentality. He’s such an intense competitor,’’ Cornstein said. “The style he plays, they will love.’’


:yesyesyes:


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## 29380

Kostas Papanikolaou stats vs Jordan: 19 points 70 FG% 5 rebounds 3 assist 19 minutes


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## 29380

> There's more! In an encouraging development, Papanikolaou told Puerto Rican reporter Raul Alzaga today that he'll spend just one more year in Greece before joining the Knicks (to improve his game, but also because he has to), and that he'll meet with New York later this summer. That's just him talking a year before an actual decision is to be made, but it's nice to hear, no? Thanks to Alexander Chernykh for finding all that.


...


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## 29380

Greece vs Jordan highlights

Big Papa dunk @ 3:48
Papanikolaou Lob dunk @ 4:06


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## 29380

*Knicks hope to bring back Papanikolaou*

:yesyesyes:


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## Bogg

Gotta be honest...if all Portland is asking for is a swap of a late first for an early second in order to get what appears to be a worthwhile foreign player back, I'm not sure it's all that much of a downgrade. Just take another Euro and stash him for a year or two again.


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