One of the best revelations in last season's Euroleague is ready to pack his things and wear green. Serbian-Australian centre Aleks Maric will leave Partizan and head to Greek champions Panathinaikos for a buyout of 800 thousand euros. Contract length and salary are still not known. Maric is likely to make use of his Serbian citizenship, leaving the team the possibility to sign one more American player. Turkish giants Fenerbahçe were also in the race to acquire the 24-year-old and were said to very close to an agreement in the last few days. The Australia international had a breakout season in the Euroleague, being one of the leaders of Partizan and helping the Black and Whites get to the Final Four. He averaged 14.6 points, 8.4 rebounds, 1.2 steals and the same number of assists throughout 18 games. Previously he played for Granada and NCAA's Nebraska Cornhuskers. The news comes after information placing also centre Sofoklis Schortsanitis in Panathinaikos.
Greece national team centre Sofoklis Schortsanitis will wear the clover jersey next season. After some speculation and agent claims that there were no talks, the 25-year-old followed the example of Vassilis Spanoulis and changed sides, leaving Olympiacos to play for the rivals. The news seem to put an end to the possibility of Big Sofo joining the Los Angeles Clippers, adding to the fact that he didn't impress the managers of the team in the summer league. The Greens will now have a replacement for Montenegrin Nikola Peković, who left to join the Minnesota Timberwolves. Schortsanitis was the MVP of last season's Greek All-Star game and averaged 7.2 points and 2.5 rebounds in the Euroleague. He previously played for Aris, Cantù and Iraklis.
Supposedly Olympiacos and the Dallas Mavericks were interested in Romain Sato, but the now former Siena player opted for Panahtinaikos. After intense negociation, the current Greek champions will finally sign the Central African Republic forward for the next three seasons with an expected salary of around 5.4 million Euros. The agreement was reached after the manager of the 29-year-old landed in Athens yesterday to discuss details with PAO managers. The MVP of the Italian league last season, Sato polished his basketball skills while playing for NCAA's Xavier Musketeers for four seasons. Later he moved to Italy (Jesi) and Barcelona to finally wear the jersey of Siena for four years. Last season he averaged 13.6 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.5 steals and 1.3 assists in 16 Euroleague games.
Panathinaikos claimed its eighth consecutive title in a game that forcibly ended with 1:03 left on the clock due to interruptions provoked by flares and objects thrown to the court. (O Panathinaikos venceu o oitavo título consecutivo num jogo que terminou com 1:03 a restar no tempo de jogo devido a interrupções provocadas pelo arremesso de foguetes e objectos para o campo.)
Plagued with injuries, Greek champions Panathinaikos had no option but to hit the market in search of a big man. The choice was Marcus Haislip. The American power forward, who was playing this season in the NBA for the San Antonio Spurs, has been released by the Texan team, making things easier for the Greeks. The blow provided by the injuries of Kostas Tsartsaris (out indefinitely with a broken finger) and more recently of Mike Batiste (10-day absence), prompted the signing of Haislip, regarded as a powerful and strong inside player with mobility. A product of Tennessee University, the 30-year-old Haislip will, therefore, return to Europe, where he spent five seasons with the jerseys of Ülker, Efes Pilsen and Unicaja Málaga. He will also meet again former teammate Drew Nicholas, with whom he played in Turkey. In his short stint with the Spurs, he played just 10 games, averaging 2.5 points and one rebound.
(O campeão grego, Panathinaikos, afectado por uma onda de lesões, não teve alternativa senão atacar o mercado à procura de um jogador alto. A escolha recaiu sobre Marcus Haislip. O extremo-poste norte-americano, que se encontrava na NBA com os San Antonio Spurs, foi dispensado pela equipa texana, o que tornou mais fácil a tarefa para os gregos. O condicionamento provocado pelas lesões de Kostas Tsartsaris (de fora por tempo indeterminado com um dedo partido) e, mais recentemente, de Mike Batiste (inactivo durante 10 dias), acelerou a contratação de Haislip, descrito como um jogador interior poderoso e eficaz com mobilidade. Formado na Universidade de Tennessee, Haislip, de 30 anos, vai regressar à Europa, onde esteve durante cinco épocas ao serviço de Ülker, Efes Pilsen e Unicaja Málaga. O jogador irá também reencontrar o ex-companheiro de equipa Drew Nicholas, com quem jogou na Turquia. Na curta passagem pelos Spurs, Haislip disputou apenas 10 jogos, obtendo médias de 2,5 pontos e um ressalto.)
Reigning Euroleague champion Panathinaikos keeps signing young promising players and new one is Milenko Tepić. The Partizan guard, who previously declared his wish to join the Greek club, signed for the "Greens" for the next three seasons and will join former teammate Nikola Peković. In the Euroleague this year, the 22-year old averaged 9.7 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.3 assists in 19 games and conquered the Serbian Cup, the Serbian League and the Adriatic league titles.
(O Panathinaikos, actual campeão da Euroliga, continua a contratar jovens promissores e o mais recente é Milenko Tepić. O base do Partizan, que já tinha afirmado o desejo de se transferir para o clube grego, assinou um contrato com os "verdes" para as próximas três temporadas e irá juntar-se ao antigo companheiro de equipa Nikola Peković. Na Euroliga, esta época, o jogador de 22 anos obteve médias de 9,7 pontos, 3,5 ressaltos e 3,3 assistências em 19 jogos, tendo conquistado a taça da Sérvia, o campeonato nacional e a Liga do Adriático.)
Greek-American Nick Calathes will be a professional player next season by signing for three seasons with Greek side and Euroleague champion Panathinaikos. The now former NCAA's Florida Gators guard decided to skip the NBA and will reportedly receive around 800 thousand euros a year, although he and his family refused to comment on the issue for now. Already a member of the Greek U20 national team, the 20-year-old Calathes averaged 17.2 points, 6.4 assists and 5.3 rebounds per game for the Gators this season and allegedly took the decision of playing abroad last Friday. Nick's brother, Pat, moved to Greece this season, playing for Maroussi.
(O greco-americano Nick Calathes irá tornar-se um jogador profissional ao assinar por três épocas pelos gregos do Panathinaikos, actuais campeões da Euroliga. O agora antigo jogador dos Florida Gators, da NCAA, decidiu não passar pela NBA e ao que se apurou receberá cerca de 800 mil euros por ano, embora tanto o próprio como a família tenham recusado comentar o assunto. Membro da selecção grega sub-20, o jogador de 20 anos obteve médias de 17,2 pontos, 6,4 assistências e 5,3 ressaltos por jogo pelos Gators esta época e, alegadamente, terá tomado a decisão de jogar no estrangeiro na passada sexta-feira. O irmão de Nick, Pat, transferiu-se para a Grécia esta temporada, onde alinha pelo Maroussi.)
Coach Željko Obradović collected his seventh Euroleague title, guiding Panathinaikos to its fifth. In a very unbalanced final that only came close towards the end, the "Greens" beat CSKA Moscow 73 to 71. The first period was the most balances moment of the game, but by the beginning of the second CSKA began having problems inside the paint, lacking penetrations and the outside shooting simply did not fall for the "Reds". In this period, Panathinaikos' defense was also very active, to an extent it forced CSKA to some shot clock violations. The defensive player of the year Dimitris Diamantidis was very active for the champions, converting a three-pointer by mid-period to give his team a 15-point lead. Later teammate Šarūnas Jasikevičius buried another three and the blowout began to take shape when he converted yet another one by the end of the first half to give Panathinaikos a 20-point lead (48-28). In the beginning of the second half the Lithuanian continued his good shape from beyond the arc and converted another shot. On CSKA's side the first three-pointer just fell by mid-third period by Trajan Langdon, which seemed to provide his team some improvement, as they forced PAO to some turnovers and reduced the difference to 10 points (56-46) as the period ended. Entering fourth period, the deficit kept getting shorter (6 points) with a Matjaž Smodiš' turn around and jumpshot. With 3 minutes to go, J.R. Holden made a layup to put CSKA within 5, but Vasileios Spanoulis made sure the difference was kept bigger with a three, to which Viktor Khryapa promptly replied to with another (rare) one. Smodiš buries a three with 1 minute to the end and CSKA is behind just by 4 points. The comeback by the Russians kept happening as they got behind by just 1 point (70-69) with a Ramūnas Šiškauskas' three. Then the usual foul and free throw line took place and Šiškauskas had the victory in his hands with a three-point shot attempt that just didn't go in and the final result was 73-71. In a controversial choice, PAO's Spanoulis was named the MVP of the final, scoring 13 points in 23 minutes. Holden topscored the game with 14 points, adding 4 assists, while Langdon and Šiškauskas had 13 apiece. For the champions, Antonis Fotsis added 13 points and 8 rebounds, helped by Diamantidis with 10 points. With this win, coach Obradović extended his lead as the most winning coach in continental competitions with seven titles, ahead of Pedro Ferrándiz, Alexander Gomelsky, Božidar Maljković and Ettore Messina (CSKA's coach) with four titles each. Jasikevičius conquered his fourth Euroleague title while playing for three different teams. Barcelona grabbed the third place by beating Olympiacos 79 to 95.
(O treinador Željko Obradović arrecadou o sétimo título da Euroliga, comandando o Panathinaikos ao quinto título de campeão. Num jogo muito desigual, que apenas se tornou mais renhido perto do fim, os "verdes" venceram o CSKA de Moscovo por 73-71. O primeiro período foi o mais equilibrado do jogo, mas no início do segundo o CSKA começou com problemas no jogo interior, com raras penetrações e demasiadas falhas no lançamento exterior. Neste período, a defesa do Panathinaikos esteve também bastante activa, de tal forma que o CSKA foi forçado a violar a regra dos 24 segundos. O jogador defensivo do ano, Dimitris Diamantidis, esteve em destaque para os campeões, convertendo um triplo a meio do período e dando à sua equipa uma vantagem de 15 pontos. Mais tarde, o companheiro de equipa Šarūnas Jasikevičius encestou outro lançamento de três, e o escândalo começou a tomar forma ao converter ainda outro no fim da primeira parte, ficando o Panathinaikos em vantagem por 20 pontos (48-28). No início da segunda parte, o lituano continuou com a boa forma da linha de 6,25 e converteu outro lançamento. Do lado do CSKA, o primeiro triplo só caiu a meio do terceiro período, através de Trajan Langdon, o que pareceu melhorar a equipa, já que forçaram o PAO a cometer alguns "turnovers" e reduziram a diferença para 10 pontos (56-46) no fim do período. No começo do quarto, a desvantagem continuava a diminuir (6 pontos) por intermédio de uma meia-volta com lançamento em suspensão de Matjaž Smodiš. A três minutos do fim, J.R. Holden, de bandeja, colocou os "vermelhos" a 5 pontos, mas Vasileios Spanoulis aumentou a distância com um triplo, ao qual Viktor Khryapa deu pronta resposta com outro (um dos raros para o CSKA). Smodiš encesta de três com um minuto para a conclusão do jogo e o CSKA fica apenas a 4 pontos do adversário. A recuperação dos russos continuou, até ficarem a apenas 1 ponto (70-69) com um triplo de Ramūnas Šiškauskas. Seguiram-se as habituais faltas e idas para a linha de lance livre, com Šiškauskas a ter a vitória nas mãos, mas o triplo simplesmente não entrou, ficando o resultado final em 73-71. Numa escolha polémica, Spanoulis, do PAO, foi eleito o MVP da final, marcando 13 pontos em 23 minutos. Holden foi o melhor marcador do jogo com 14 pontos, aos que acrescentou 4 assistências, ao passo que Langdon e Šiškauskas obtiveram 13 cada um. Para os campeões, Antonis Fotsis acrescentou 13 pontos e 8 ressaltos, sendo secundado por Diamantidis com 10 pontos. Com esta vitória, o treinador Obradović aumentou a liderança como o técnico com mais vitórias em competições continentais, somando sete títulos, bem à frente de Pedro Ferrándiz, Alexander Gomelsky, Božidar Maljković e Ettore Messina (o treinador do CSKA), que detêm quatro títulos cada. Jasikevičius conquistou o quarto título da Euroliga por três equipas diferentes. O Barcelona agarrou o terceiro lugar ao derrotar o Olympiacos por 79-95.)
For the fifth time in a row, Dimitris Diamantidis won the Euroleague Best Defender Trophy. The deed is even more amazing as the award itself has been attributed for five years, this meaning Diamantidis always won it. The choice, made by coaches, elected the "Spiderman" due to his ability to block shots and grab rebounds like any other guard in the league. In fact, the 28-year-old Greek international was the only guard in the best 25 players with the three defense categories (steals, defensive rebounds and blocks). As Panathinaikos heads to the Euroleague Final Four, Diamantidis helped the team averaging 8.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.5 steals and 0.5 blocks in 19 games.
(Pela quinta vez consecutiva, Dimitris Diamantidis venceu o Troféu de Melhor Defensor da Euroliga. O feito é ainda mais impressionante porque o prémio existe há cinco anos, o que significa que Diamantidis é o totalista. A escolha, efectuada por treinadores, elegeu o "Homem-Aranha" devido à sua capacidade para desarmar lançamentos e capturar ressaltos como nenhum outro base na liga. Na realidade, o internacional grego de 28 anos é o único entre os 25 melhores jogadores com as três categorias de defesa (roubos de bola, ressaltos defensivos e desarmes). Enquanto o Panathinaikos aguarda o começo da Final Four, Diamantidis ajudou a equipa com médias de 8,8 pontos, 4,5 ressaltos, 3,2 assistências, 1,5 roubos de bola e 0,5 desarmes em 19 jogos.)
Giorgi Shermadini played extended minutes for the first time since he joined Greek powerhouse Panathinaikos. In A1's round 23 game against Olympia Larissa, the 2.16m Georgian was on court for 30 minutes, achieving almost a double-double with 12 points and 9 rebounds and adding three assists and two steals. The 20-year-old shot a perfect 6 out of 6 from the charity stripe and 3 of 6 from the floor. Shermadini played three games for the "greens" this season, averaging 8.3 points, 5 rebounds and 1.3 assists.
(Giorgi Shermadini jogou vários minutos pela primeira vez desde que chegou ao gigante grego Panathinaikos. No jogo contra o Olympia Larissa, a contar para a 23ª jornada da A1, o georgiano de 2,16 m esteve no rectângulo de jogo durante praticamente 30 minutos, alcançando quase um duplo-duplo com 12 pontos e 9 ressaltos, aos que acrescentou três assistências e dois roubos de bola. O jogador de 20 anos converteu na perfeição os lançamentos livres (6 em 6), com 3 em 6 de lançamentos de campo. Shermadini disputou três jogos esta época pelos "verdes", com médias de 8,3 pontos, 5 ressaltos e 1,3 assistências.)
The 1989 born 2.16m Giorgi Shermadini hails from a Georgian village called Natakhtari and started playing basketball just four years ago. In the meantime he managed to jump from the Maccabi Tbilisi junior team to powerhouse Panathinaikos from Greece and also made it to the national team. Shermadini exploded last season averaging 33.5 points, 18.4 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 3.2 blocks and 2.2 steals per game in 20 games for Maccabi Tbilisi, being awarded season MVP. He also made part of the Georgia U20 NT in this year's European Championship averaging 21.3 points, 11 rebounds and 4.7 blocks per game in 3 games, while shooting 75% from the field. Shermadini's biggest game so far was against STU Tbilisi where he scored 76 points, grabbed 16 rebounds and dished 6 assists:
Some of his skills:
Dunks (Afundanços)
Blocks (Desarmes)
Practising 3-point shots (A praticar lançamentos de 3 pontos) (11-11)
Shermadini made his debut with Panathinaikos today against Egaleo and scored 4 points (2-2 FG, 0-2 FT), grabbed 2 rebounds and dished 1 assist in 6 minutes:
(Nascido em 1989 e medindo 2,16 m, Giorgi Shermadini é oriundo de uma aldeia georgiana chamada Natakhtari e começou a praticar basquetebol há apenas quatro anos. Entretanto, passou da equipa júnior do Maccabi Tbilissi para um dos grandes do basquetebol grego, o Panathinaikos, conseguindo também fazer parte da selecção nacional. O jovem jogador explodiu na época passada ao alcançar uma média de 33,5 pontos, 18,4 ressaltos, 4,8 assistências, 3,2 desarmes e 2,2 roubos de bola por jogo em 20 jogos ao serviço do Maccabi Tbilissi, sendo designado MVP da época. Fez também parte da selecção georgiana de sub-20 que participou este ano no campeonato europeu, alcançando, em 3 jogos, a média de 21,3 pontos, 11 ressaltos e 4,7 desarmes por jogo, ao acertar 75% dos lançamentos de campo tentados. O melhor jogo de Shermadini foi, até ao momento, contra o STU Tbilissi, tendo marcado 76 pontos, capturado 16 ressaltos e feito 6 assistências (ver primeiro vídeo acima). Shermadini estreou-se hoje com a camisola do Panathinaikos no jogo contra o Egaleo e marcou 4 pontos (2-2 LC, 0-2 LL), acrescentando 2 ressaltos e 1 assistência em 6 minutos (ver último vídeo acima). O seu site oficial é shermadini.com.)
One of the best revelations in last season's Euroleague is ready to pack his things and wear green. Serbian-Australian centre Aleks Maric will leave Partizan and head to Greek champions Panathinaikos for a buyout of 800 thousand euros. Contract length and salary are still not known. Maric is likely to make use of his Serbian citizenship, leaving the team the possibility to sign one more American player. Turkish giants Fenerbahçe were also in the race to acquire the 24-year-old and were said to very close to an agreement in the last few days.
