Decade Review: Panathinaikos BC, the demise of a EuroLeague power

AGONAsport’s Peter Katsiris continues our “Decade in Review” series with Panathinaikos BC and how the club continued its domestic dominance at the expense of further EuroLeague glory.

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2009/2010: EUROLEAGUE HANGOVER

Panathinaikos began the decade with a disappointing loss to archrivals Olympiacos in the Greek Cup, though the club claimed their revenge with an eighth straight Greek Championship courtesy of a 3-1 sweep in the A1 Finals. Despite continuing their domestic reign, Panathinaikos’ EuroLeague triumph from the year prior was quickly made an afterthought following an early exit from the competition in the Top 16.

2010/2011: THE SIXTH STAR

Panathinaikos quickly atoned for their early exit from the EuroLeague from the year prior when the club claimed its sixth EuroLeague title and third in the past five years during the 2010/2011 season. The Trifylli defeated Maccabi Tel Aviv in the Final at the Palau Saint Jordi in Barcelona with captain Dimitris Diamantidis taking home MVP honours. He was also named the competition’s Best Defender as well as being included in the All-EuroLeague First Team.

A ninth-straight Greek Championship made it a double-winning season for the club, though, the shot at a treble was denied by Olympiacos, who defeated their rivals in the Final of the Greek Cup for the second-straight season.

2011/2012: RED REIGN

While 2011 might have been Panathinaikos’ year with a EuroLeague and Greek League title, 2012 was certainly a year to forget for the Trifylli as the club’s archrivals enjoyed the lion’s share of spoils in Greece and on the continent.

Panathinaikos prevailed in the Greek Cup to end a two-year losing streak in the Cup Final, but the club’s Cup success did little to cover for a disappointing finish to the EuroLeague Final Four. A heartbreaking loss to CSKA Moscow in the semifinals saw Panathinaikos miss out on a chance to face Olympiacos in the EuroLeague Final, with problems further compounded for Panathinaikos when it was Olympiacos who prevailed in the Final against CSKA Moscow.

Olympiacos’ momentum seemingly transferred to the domestic scene as a legendary performance from Vassilis Spanoulis at the OAKA Olympic Indoor Hall propelled Olympiacos to a 3-2 series win in the Basket League Finals.

With Panathinaikos’ nine-year run of winning the Basket League title ending, changes came swiftly at the Athenian side as head coach Zeljko Obradovic and assistant Dimitris Itoudis left the club for new challenges on the continent. Losing one of Europe’s best-ever coaches and perhaps the most-sought after assistant at the time, Panathinaikos’ turned to Argyris Pedoulakis to steer Panathinaikos back on course.

2012/2013: UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT

With Obradovic’s 13-year reign at Panathinaikos now over, Pedoulakis steered Panathinaikos back to a domestic double courtesy of a win over Olympiacos in the Greek Cup and series sweep in the Basket League Finals.

While Pedoulakis’ first year in charge yielded domestic success, there were plenty of growing pains for the club in the EuroLeague. An early collapse in Game 5 of their playoff against Barcelona saw Panathinaikos stumble out in the quarterfinal round, putting an end to the club’s streak of back-to-back trips to the Final Four.

As if EuroLeague disappointment wasn’t enough for Panathinaikos, problems were compounded for the green side of Athens after archrivals Olympiacos successfully defended their EuroLeague crown.

2013/2014: NOW IT’S A DROUGHT!

Panathinaikos’ domestic success continued in 2014 as the club collected another Greek Cup title with a blowout win over Aris in the Final.

Panathinaikos were also able to defend their Basket League crown, but not before the club sacked Pedoulakis and installed former player Fragiskos Alvertis as the interim replacement. Panathinaikos’ struggles in the EuroLeague for the second straight season, was the catalyst for Pedoulakis’ dismissal as the club ultimately missed out on the Final Four for a second-straight season following yet another Game 5 collapse in the playoff round.

Pedoulakis’ dismissal didn’t prevent the club from repeating as Basket League champions as Panathinaikos edged Olympiacos 3-2 in the Basket League Finals.

2014/2015: PANIC AT THE… DUSKO!

With Dusko Ivanovic installed as head coach to start the 2014/2015 season, Panathinaikos aimed for a third-straight Basket League title while putting an end to their shortcomings in the EuroLeague.

Although the club was able to notch a fourth-straight Greek Cup by beating Apollon Patras in the Cup Final, that momentum didn’t translate to success for Panathinaikos in the EuroLeague. A turbulent season for the Trifylli on the continent ended with the club once again tasting defeat in the quarterfinals, losing to CSKA Moscow for the second-straight season. Pressure mounted on Ivanovic, who was quickly losing confidence from fiery Panathinaikos owner Dimitris Giannakopoulos, especially with Olympiacos advancing to the Final Four. Ironically, it would be a derby defeat to Olympiacos in the Basket League that spelled the end for Ivanovic as the Montenegrin opted to resign following the loss.

With Sotiris Manolopoulos in the Panathinaikos hot seat for the remainder of the 2014/2015 season, Panathinaikos pushed for a third-straight Greek championship but would be in for a rude awakening in the Finals against Olympiacos. Despite two tight encounters to open the championship series, Panathinaikos were defeated emphatically in the decisive third game as Olympiacos swept the series with their rivals to end Panathinaikos’ streak of back-to-back titles.

2015/2016: DIAMANTIDIS ERA ENDS

Forced to look for a coach for the second straight summer, Panathinaikos appointed Aleksandar Djordjevic as head coach ahead of the 2015/2016 season on the back of Djordjevic’s success with the Serbian national team.

Djordjevic led Panathinaikos to a fifth-straight Greek Cup triumph with a 101-54 demolition of surprise finalists Faros Keratsiniou, but the latter half of the season followed a similar script to the previous campaign.

Just one day after being swept 3-0 by Laboral Kutxa in the EuroLeague playoffs, Djordjevic was sacked by the club only to be replaced by Pedoulakis on an interim basis.

The coaching change didn’t improve matters at the club as Panathinaikos tasted further defeat in the Basket League Finals, falling to Olympiacos for the second-straight season.

While there was no shortage of disappointment for Panathinaikos domestically and abroad, the biggest loss would come when it was confirmed at the end of the 2015/2016 season that Dimitris Diamantidis would be retiring after a 17-year career. As expected, there was no shortage of tributes for Diamantidis who helped deliver three EuroLeague titles, nine Basket League championships, and 10 Greek Cup wins during his 12-year stint at Panathinaikos.

2016/2017: OLA… CALATHES!

With Diamantidis’ retirement leaving a massive gap in the roster, it was from within that the club found cover in the backcourt. Nick Calathes, who had already spent four seasons at the club, became the main focal point of the Panathinaikos offense as the club aimed to turn the tide in Greece and Europe.

Pedoulakis, who was appointed head coach on a permanent basis to start the season, offered his resignation by mid-October 2016 after an early-season defeat to Olympiacos in the Basket League. After a brief stint with Georgios Vovoras as interim head coach, Panathinaikos turned to former Barcelona bench boss Xavi Pascual as the club’s fifth coaching hire since Obradovic’s departure in 2012.

Pascual settled nicely in Athens as he steered Panathinaikos to a sixth-straight Greek Cup as the Trifylli prevailed in an interesting Final against Aris.

Despite tasting domestic success for the first time in his new role, Pascual still couldn’t manage to get Panathinaikos back into the Final Four in the EuroLeague. After a 19-11 finish to the regular season, Panathinaikos faced Fenerbahce in the playoffs with Obradovic marking his first return to Athens in a playoff series. Although Panathinaikos held home advantage for the series, a lopsided defeat in the opening game put Panathinaikos against the ropes early in the series, and the Trifylli couldn’t recover as Fenerbahce went on to win the series in a clean sweep.

Panathinaikos’ absence from the Final Four for a fifth-straight year certainly put pressure on Pascual and his staff. That pressure certainly increased when crosstown rivals Olympiacos managed to punch their ticket for the Final Four.

Perhaps Pascual’s saving grace was Panathinaikos’ return to the summit of Greek basketball after defeating Olympiacos 3-2 in the Basket League Finals despite being the lower seed and not having the benefit of home-court advantage in the series.

2017/2018: PERFECT (DOMESTIC) SEASON

With the Panathinaikos board showing patience, Pascual returned for a second season in charge of the club for the 2017/2018 campaign.

A shock loss to AEK in the semifinals of the Greek Cup threatened to derail Pascual’s tenure at the club, but the club’s impeccable form in the Basket League gave the Spanish coach some breathing room as Panathinaikos cruised to a perfect 26-0 in the domestic regular season.

nent, Panathinaikos finished the EuroLeague season with a 19-11 record for the second-straight, and a fourth-place finish meant the Athenians would face Real Madrid in the playoffs. Despite taking the lead in their best-of-five series with a commanding win in the opening game, Panathinaikos collapsed in the three following games to ultimately fall to a 3-1 series defeat.

Pascual’s saving grace would come in the Basket League. The Spanish coach racked up a second-straight Basket League title after beating Olympiacos 3-2 in the Finals, to cap a season that featured just two losses on the domestic scene (twice in the Basket League playoffs, once in the Cup).

2018/2019: PITINO TO THE RESCUE

After failing to reach the EuroLeague Final Four in his first full season at the club, Pascual was kept on a short leash to start the 2018/2019 season and it wasn’t long before the Spanish go was handed the sack.

Panathinaikos turned to longtime NCAA coach Rick Pitino to steady the ship as the Trifylli looked to climb out of an early deficit in the EuroLeague while also looking to defend their Basket League crown. While it wasn’t the prettiest basketball at times, Pitino helped Panathinaikos focus on the basics of winning and soon enough the club made an impact on the European stage.

A Greek Cup triumph was Pitino’s first trophy at the club but not before the competition was dealt a blackeye by Olympiacos’ decision to forfeit the second half of the semifinal between the clubs due to complaints with officiating.

On the continent meanwhile, a surge of form in the latter rounds of the EuroLeague season saw Panathinaikos clinch a playoff berth after a 16-14 finish to the season, only to face longtime foes Real Madrid in the playoffs. Despite showing good form in the EuroLeague and untouchable on the domestic scene, Panathinaikos crumbled under the pressure of their playoff series with the Spanish giants and were ultimately swept despite two close games in the series.

Having missed out on a spot in the EuroLeague Final Four, Panathinaikos returned their focus to securing more domestic silverware in the Basket League playoffs. There was a dark shadow cast on the Basket League season, however, as the corruption claims lodged by Olympiacos ultimately led to a further forfeiture from Panathinaikos’ archrivals.

With Panathinaikos progressing to the quarterfinals due to Olympiacos’ decision to forfeit the series, the Trifylli were afforded extra rest ahead of a semifinal series with Peristeri – which was over in a sweep in favour of Pitino’s men. A similar 3-0 sweep in the Final handed Panathinaikos the club’s third-straight Basket League crown.

TEAM OF THE DECADE

POINT GUARD: DIMITRIS DIAMANTIDIS

Honourable Mention: Nick Calathes

Perhaps the best player to ever suit-up for Panathinaikos, Dimitris Diamantidis, was at the very least the club’s best point guard of the decade. Part of the Trifylli side that won the EuroLeague in 2011, Diamantidis won 10 titles with Panathinaikos in the 2010s alone, while also being named EuroLeague MVP and EuroLeague Final Four MVP in 2011. Ultimately retiring in 2016, Diamantidis remains one of the best players to ever play in the EuroLeague with his trademark defensive style a scary prospect for opposing guards.

SHOOTING GUARD: MIKE JAMES

Honourable Mention: Drew Nicholas

While it would be tempting to opt for Calathes alongside Diamantidis in Panathinaikos’ Team of the Decade, there’s no denying how valuable Mike James was for the Athenians. In two stints in the Greek capital between 2016 and 2018, James dazzled on the domestic front to win two Basket League titles and a Greek Cup. James was also named the Basket League’s Most Spectacular Player in his debut season for the Trifylli. While his efforts on the continental scene didn’t steer Panathinaikos back to EuroLeague glory, James alongside Calathes made the Panathinaikos backcourt one of the most dynamic one-two punches in all of Europe.

SMALL FORWARD: IOANNIS PAPAPETROU

Honourable Mentions: Stratos Perperoglou, Jonas Maciulis

Ioannis Papapetrou’s move to Panathinaikos from Olympiacos in 2018 sent shockwaves across the European basketball landscape as another chapter was added to the feud between the two Eternal Rivals. But perhaps more importantly, at least in the eyes of the Trifylli, was that Papapetrou’s arrival added some much-needed stability to the starting five – something that hadn’t been seen since Stratos Perperoglou was the starting small forward at the start of the decade. Two years and change into his tenure with the club, Papapetrou hasn’t quite steered the club to the EuroLeague success that has eluded Panathinaikos in recent years, but his presence on the court has made the club more solid at both ends of the court as he remains a lock for the starting five on every occasion.

POWER FORWARD: ANTONIS FOTSIS

Honourable Mention: James Gist

Another of the positions that Panathinaikos never really lacked cover for, Antonis Fotsis was perhaps the most dominant power forward the Trifylli had over the past ten years – narrowly edging out James Gist. Fotsis started the decade in Athens as he helped Panathinaikos claim the EuroLeague title in 2011 before leaving for Milan only to return to the club in 2013 for another four-year stint. While there were occasions where playing time was being shared between Fotsis and Gist, the latter’s drug addiction problems paved the way for Fotsis to win the role of starting power forward. Overall, Fotsis helped Panathinaikos win nine titles in the 2010s.

CENTER: MIKE BATISTE

Honourable Mention: Stephane Lasme

For European basketball fans, the name Mike Batiste is synonymous with Panathinaikos for the way he dominated at the five position. Another of the players to spend two separate stints with the Trifylli, Batiste was a key cog in the club’s hegemony of Greek basketball in the 2000s and continued his dominance as a center in the 2010s. Finishing as the EuroLeague Finals top scorer in 2011, Batiste retired in 2014 but not before he staked his claim as one of the best bigs to ever play for Panathinaikos.

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