Pitino: “A lot of things depend on Giannis’ participation”

Head coach of the Greek national team, Rick Pitino, shared his impressions from the 2020 Olympic qualification tournament draw.

Watch LIVE GREEK TV including full GREEK SPORTS coverage with Go Greek TV! 

The draw for the 2020 Olympic qualification tournament took place on Wednesday afternoon, with Greece placed in Group A of the Canadian competition alongside the host nation Canada and China. Uruguay, Turkey and the Czech Republic will play in Group B, with the top two teams of both groups qualifying to the semi-finals. 

The winner of the competition then qualifies for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan.

There are four separate qualification tournaments, with the winning team of each competition progressing to the Olympics.

Greek boss Rick Pitino revealed his feelings after the draw: “Canada have an advantage because they are the hosts,” said the 67-year-old American manager. “They have the most amount of NBA players after the USA. Nevertheless, Victoria is home to a lot of Greeks, and it’s a beautiful place. We will try to have the strongest group of players possible.”

“We will see what happens with Giannis Antetokounmpo,” continued Pitino. “Of course, we want him to make it as far as possible in the playoffs, but we will see what happens. It depends on his NBA schedule. A lot of things for us depend on Giannis’ participation. His team has the best record in the NBA, and if they make it through to the final series our task will be more difficult. Nevertheless, I have confidence in my players. Turkey and Canada have the most NBA talent, but in tournaments like this it doesn’t really count.”

The situation concerning Giannis is certainly a difficult one. The Olympic qualification tournament will begin on June 23, but if the Milwaukee Bucks go deep into the NBA playoffs, Giannis potentially won’t be available until mid-June. However, if Greece do qualify for the Olympic Games in Japan, the most Valuable Player of the 2018/2019 NBA campaign will be there.

by Shaun Nicolaides

Image Source: sportfm.gr

Thank you for visiting AGONAsport.com, the only English based website for Greek sports fans across the world! Like us on Facebook, follow us on Instagram, and Twitter for all the latest news in Greek Sports!