Decade Review: Greece, a decade of transition for the Ethniki

AGONAsport’s “Decade in review” series continues as Peter Katsiris takes a look back at the decade that was for the Greek National Basketball Team, assessing the highs and lows of an eventful 10 years for the Episimi Agapimeni.

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2010: NOT THE ENCORE THEY WERE LOOKING FOR

The decade for the Greek National Team began on the world stage in Turkey as the Ethniki looked to go one-step further than their silver medal finish at the 2006 FIBA World Championship. Greece’s bronze medal finish the previous summer at EuroBasket 2009 ensured Jonas Kazlauskas’ men were directly qualified for the final tournament as the Ethniki were eventually paired with China, Ivory Coast, Puerto Rico, Russia, and hosts Turkey in the group stage.

Opening up the tournament with narrow wins over China and Puerto Rico, Greece stumbled with a defeat to Turkey before bouncing back with a lopsided win over group minnows Ivory Coast. A narrow 73-69 defeat at the hands of Russia on the final day of preliminary round action meant Greece’s knockout round path would have to go through reigning champions Spain in the Round of 16 – a long-awaited matchup after having lost to the Spanish in the semifinals of EuroBasket 2009.

 While the contest in Turkey was much closer, Greece’s struggles in the fourth quarter meant that the Ethniki would concede yet another knockout round defeat to the Spanish. Nikos Zisis led all Greek scorers with 16 points while Spain legend Juan Carlos Navarro tallied 22 points in the win. Greece’s 3-3 run in Turkey would see the Ethniki finish in 11th in the final standings, setting Greece’s worst-ever performance at a World Championship.

2011: LITHUANIAN LET DOWN

The Ethniki’s failure to live up to expectation at the 2010 World Championship led to the end of Kazlauskas’ tenure as head coach with Ilias Zouros appointed to the helm ahead of EuroBasket 2011 in Lithuania.

A favourable draw for the first group stage meant Greece were favourites to emerge from a section that also included Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Finland, Montenegro, and FYROM. Greece started brightly with two wins to begin the tournament but a shock loss to FYROM on matchday three of the opening sounded alarm bells – a defeat that would eventually come costly for the Ethniki despite a 4-1 finish to the opening round.

That defeat meant Greece would start the second group stage on the backfoot against the likes of new group rivals Russia and FYROM. An important win over Slovenia suggested Greece had turned the corner to start the second group stage, but Greece were dealt a blow with a defeat to Russia before wrapping up the second group stage with a defeat of Georgia.

Greece’s 2-1 run in the second group stage meant the Ethniki finished in third place behind the likes of Russia (5-0) and FYROM (4-1) to setup a quarterfinal date with France. A fourth quarter collapse against the French would see Greece crumble under the pressure of closing out the game as France strolled to a 24-13 run in the final frame to secure a come-from-behind 64-56 victory in Kaunas. Poor three-point shooting was the achilles heel for Greece as the Ethniki shot a dismal 3-for-21 from beyond the arc.

A win in the consolation bracket over Serbia following by a defeat to Lithuania meant Greece would finish the tournament in sixth, marking Greece’s worst finish at a EuroBasket tournament since 2001.

2012: LONDON CALLING…

After missing out on clinching a berth for the 2012 Olympics the previous summer at EuroBasket 2011, Greece were one of four European nations to be included in a 12-team wild card tournament in Caracas, Venezuela for the final three spots at the London Olympics.

Paired with Jordan and Puerto Rico for the preliminary round, Greece cruised to lopsided wins to finish atop their group before setting up a quarterfinal round meeting with Nigeria.

Greece looked to be on track for the semifinals until yet another fourth quarter collapse derailed the Ethniki’s push to reach London as Nigeria stunned the Ethniki to ensure their journey to London continued.

2013: A NEW LOW

Greece’s failure to qualify for the 2012 Olympics sparked plenty of change within the Ethniki, though most of the blame fell on the shoulders of head coach Ilias Zouros. The Hellenic Basketball Federation (EOK) moved swiftly to appoint Andrea Trinchieri as head coach ahead of EuroBasket 2013.

Based in Koper, Slovenia, Greece were paired with Finland, Italy, Russia, Sweden, and Turkey for the first round at EuroBasket 2013. A 3-0 start to start the tournament had Greece in good shape early on but a clumsy defeat at the hands of Italy followed by another against Finland saw Greece wounded heading into the second round.

Greece seemed to have rebounded with a narrow win over Spain to open the second group stage, but that progress was unraveled with a defeat to Slovenia followed by another to Croatia in double overtime.

That overtime defeat to the Croatians meant that Greece’s tournament was over early as the Ethniki missed out on the knockout stage of a EuroBasket tournament for the first time since the competition shifted to the double group stage format in 2007.

2014: GIANNIS ARRIVES

After the disaster of EuroBasket 2013, the EOK moved quickly to terminate Trinchieri’s two-year contract and replace the Italian coach with Fotis Katsikaris ahead of the 2014 FIBA World Championship.

Katsikaris wasn’t the only new face in the Ethniki fold as Giannis Antetokounmpo also made his senior debut for the Ethniki in the summer of 2014, representing hopes of a bright future for Greek basketball.

Amid much controversy from the international community, Greece were invited as one of four wild cards to round-out the 24-team field at the 2014 FIBA World Championship. Despite being placed in the lowest pot, Greece received a favourable draw for the group stage after being paired with Argentina, Croatia, Philippines, Puerto Rico, and Senegal.

A 5-0 run in the group stage had Greece’s entering the knockout round with high hopes of medal contention, but those hopes were dashed with a blowout defeat at the hands of eventual runners-up Serbia. Despite finishing the tournament in ninth place, there was signs of optimism among Greek basketball fans by the end of the tournament.

2015: SIGNS OF PROGRESS

Katsikaris remained in the Ethniki hotseat heading into EuroBasket 2015 as Greece looked to improve on the disappointment of two summers ago.

With an improving Antetokounmpo among an experienced core that featured the likes of Vassilis Spanoulis and Nick Calathes, there were real hopes of a podium finish for Greece heading into the tournament in 2015.

Greece were paired with Croatia, FYROM, Georgia, Netherlands, and Slovenia in the group stage, and similarly to the previous summer the Ethniki cruised to a 5-0 finish to top the group and setup a Round of 16 meeting with Belgium.

After dispatching Belgium quite handedly, Greece faced their toughest test of the tournament against Spain in the quarterfinals. A back-and-forth contest saw Greece erase a halftime deficit in the third quarter to setup a tense final frame at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy in Lille. Spain would ultimately pull away in the fourth quarter with Pau Gasol’s game-high 27 points steering the Spanish into the semifinals.

A win over Latvia in the consolation bracket ensured Greece finished in fifth to clinch a spot at the qualifying tournament for the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

2016: TROUBLE IN TURIN

With Katsikaris still at the helm Greece were paired with the likes of Croatia, Iran, Mexico, Tunisia, and hosts Italy at the 2016 FIBA World Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Turin.

Greece’s campaign at the tournament started with group stage wins over Iran and Mexico as Antetokounmpo led the Ethniki into the knockout round with impressive performances in both outings.

Greece were handed a reality check in the knockout round, however, as a dreadful start to their semifinal clash with Croatia saw the Ethniki fall behind by as many as 18 points in the opening quarter. An improved effort in the second and third quarter saw Greece cut the deficit to just three points heading into the final frame, but Bojan Bogdanovic’s 20-point performance ensured that Greece would miss out on a trip to the Olympics.

2017: THE GIANNIS SAGA BEGINS

Hoping to put the disappointment of missing out on the Olympics behind them, the EOK appointed Kostas Missas as head coach in the leadup to EuroBasket 2017. But the main headlines around the Ethniki ahead of the tournament focused on an injury to Antetokounmpo and a feud that was developing between the EOK and the Milwaukee Bucks.

With Antetokounmpo ruled out of the tournament due to injury, the pressure fell on the shoulders of Calathes, Kostas Sloukas, and Georgios Printezis. Despite a winning start to the group stage against Iceland, defeats to France, Slovenia, and Finland put the Ethniki in a must-win situation on the final day of group stage action.

Greece managed to regroup ahead of their clash with Poland as Missas’ men cruised to a lopsided victory to avoid elimination and clinch a spot in the Round of 16. A shock defeat of high-fliers Lithuania saw Greece progress to the quarterfinals only to be knocked out by Russia after a narrow 74-69 defeat.

A run into the quarterfinals couldn’t spare Missas from being dismissed as head coach with Thanasis Skourtopoulos appointed his successor. It wasn’t long until Skourtopoulos’ first challenge in the Greece hot seat as he steered the Ethniki into the first round of qualifying for the 2019 FIBA World Cup against the likes of Estonia, Israel, and the United Kingdom.

An ongoing feud between FIBA and the EuroLeague made it difficult for coaches like Skourtopoulos to make their call-ups for international duty, with Greece missing out on several key players due to their obligations to clubs like Olympiacos and Panathinaikos.

Despite a nervy night in Leicester, Greece outlasted the United Kingdom in overtime to open their qualifying campaign with a win before pulling-off a more comfortable victory on home court against Israel.

2018: THE ROAD TO CHINA CONTINUES

Starting 2018 with a 2-0 record in qualifying, Greece continued their unbeaten run to wrap-up the first round of qualifying with a perfect 6-0 record – a feat that almost certainly guaranteed Greece a spot at the final tournament by July.

With the new qualifying format including a second group stage, Greece were paired with the likes of Georgia, Germany, and Serbia in the crossover for the second round of qualifying with the likes of Israel and Estonia rounding-out the group following their progress from the first round.

Greece cruised to three-straight wins to open the second round and became the first side from Europe to book a spot at the final tournament by mid-September.

2019: WORLD CUP BUST

Greece wrapped-up the formalities of qualification for the World Cup with wins over Georgia and Germany in February to finish qualifying with an 11-1 record – joining Lithuania in a tie for the best record out of the European zone.

While the depth of Greece’s roster pool proved its value during qualifying, it came down to Greece’s more regular squad players to shine in China. Antetokounmpo ended nearly two years of speculation surrounding his future with the Ethniki as he returned to the fold alongside his brother Thanasis, while the likes of Calathes, Printezis, and Sloukas were also available for selection after being frozen out of international duty due to the FIBA-EuroLeague feud.

Greece were paired with Brazil, Montenegro, and New Zealand for the first group stage at the World Cup. The Ethniki opened their campaign in comfortable fashion with a thrashing of Montenegro before disaster struck in their second outing against Brazil. A shock upset at the hands of Brazilians saw Greece fall 79-78, a result that put Greece in a win-or-go-home scenario ahead of a meeting with New Zealand. Despite an unconvincing performance, Greece passed the test against New Zealand to secure a spot in the second group stage though the damage of that defeat to Brazil was still being felt.

The stakes were much higher for Greece in the second round with the likes of United States and the Czech Republic the new foes for the Ethniki, and after an ugly defeat to the United States, Greece were once again on the verge of elimination on the final day of group play.

Needing to beat the Czechs by 12 points, Greece could only muster a seven-point victory against one of the tournament’s dark horses. With Antetokounmpo again fouling out, Greece fell just short of a spot in the knockout round as the Czechs joined the Americans in the quarterfinals; leaving Greece to finish in 11th – the worst-ever finish at a World Championship or World Cup in the history of the national team.

Greece’s early exit in China raised plenty of questions about the coaching staff, the heart of the players, and the future of many long-serving members likes Calathes and Printezis.

The EOK seemingly backed Skourtopoulos despite the criticism that even came out of the United States following Giannis Antetokounmpo’s MVP-winning campaign with the Milwaukee Bucks. Although Skourtopoulos was backed by the EOK to stay on as head coach, the complexion of that decision changed by mid-autumn.

The EOK announced almost out of the blue that Rick Pitino would serve as head coach for major tournaments, starting with the qualifying tournament for the 2020 Olympics. The two-coach model, similar to the one used by the United States in recent years, means Skourtopoulos will stay on as head coach for the qualifying campaign for EuroBasket 2021 starting in February.

THE HIGHS

2013 – EuroBasket 2013 was one to forget for Greece but the absolute destruction of Turkey in an 84-61win in the first group stage was one to savor. The Ethniki thrashed their Aegean neighbours on the back of a 21-point performance from Ioannis Bourousis.

2013 – Spain quickly became one of Greece’s biggest archrivals in basketball during the 2000’s. Beating Greece in various tournaments was highlighted by a blowout win over the Ethniki in the Final of the 2006 FIBA World Championship, so it was somewhat satisfying for the Ethniki to beat the Spanish in the second group stage at EuroBasket 2013.

2014 – Greece might not have lived up to expectations at the 2014 FIBA World Championship in Spain, but the debut of Giannis Antetokounmpo for the Ethniki is an important part of the history of the national team. One of the NBA’s most dominant players, Antetokounmpo’s arrival on the international scene makes Greece one of the most-feared teams every time No. 34 dawns the Greek shirt.

2015 – EuroBasket 2015 would eventually go down as Greece’s best showing on the European stage of the last decade and while a fifth-place finish is a fraction of what Greece achieved in the 2000’s, it’s the closest the Ethniki got to a podium in the 2010’s.

2017 – After a rocky start to EuroBasket 2017 Greece were heavy underdogs for their Round of 16 clash against Lithuania. Having just dispatched Poland in a must-win game to wrap-up the group stage, Greece carried the momentum of their recent win to stun Lithuania for a 77-64 win and a spot in the quarterfinals.

THE LOWS

2011 – A shock loss to FYROM during the first group stage of EuroBasket 2011 had a lasting effect on Greece’s campaign at that summer’s tournament. Basketball aside, the defeat also took a toll on national pride as the Ethniki conceded a defeat that meant more than just a basketball game considering the relationship between Athens and Skopje of the era and how that would play out over the next several years.

2012 – A failure to qualify for the 2012 Olympics in London appeared to signify the beginning of the end of Greece’s claim as one of Europe’s top basketball nations, a reign that was established by a golden generation of players likes Theo Papaloukas and Dimitris Diamantidis in the previous decade.

2013 – If Greece’s slide from European powerhouse began in the previous summer when the Ethniki missed out on the Olympics, the downturn continued the following summer when the Ethniki finished 11th at EuroBasket 2013.

2014 – Serbia might have finished as runners-up at the 2014 FIBA World Championship, but the way Greece collapsed in the second half of their Round of 16 meeting in Madrid was perhaps one of the Ethniki’s most disappointing performances of the last decade.

2016 – During a summer that felt like a rerun of 2012, Greece once again missed out on qualifying for the Olympics after an injury-plagued Greece fell to Croatia in Turin.

2017 – The feud that broke out between the EOK and the Milwaukee Bucks over Giannis Antetokounmpo’s involvement with the Greek national team made headlines in both Greece and in Wisconsin. The bitter feelings might have simmered in the summer after the feud originated, but nonetheless it put the entire Antetokounmpo family, including Giannis and his brother Thanasis, in a compromised position in the public eye. It’s yet another example of something that should have been addressed by the EOK and the Bucks behind closed doors and not in the press since the risk included alienating the Ethniki top asset.

2019 – The decade closed on a low for Greece as a worst-ever finish at a World Cup meant even with Antetokounmpo in the squad further proved that the EOK never really set the Ethniki up for success. Appointing a coach unfamiliar with the best way to use Antetokounmpo’s natural talent and abilities, saw the then reigning NBA MVP a shadow of himself.

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