Home EuroLeague Bartzokas’ goal is simple: Qualify for Madrid in May

Bartzokas’ goal is simple: Qualify for Madrid in May

The goal for Olympiacos coach Georgios Bartzokas in this season’s Euroleague is clear.

Get to the Final Four.

It comes as no real surprise that the now dethroned Euroleague champions, who were going for a hat trick of titles but missed out by losing to Real Madrid in the quarter-finals last season are gunning for a ticket to Madrid in next May. This season sees the Reds keep the core of their line-up from last term, with Brent Petway, Bryant Dunston and Matthew Lojeski re-joining veterans Vassilis Spanoulis, Kostas Sloukas and Georgios Printezis, all of whom have stayed on in their own right.

The Piraeus-based team has also added Othello Hunter from Montepaschi Siena, Oliver Lafayette and Tremmell Darden with the latter two bringing much needed hustle and energy to the side. Just what is needed to reach a Final Four.

“We kept the players that we think can play at the top level of the Euroleague,” Bartzokas said. “And also we put some experienced players like [Othello] Hunter, [Oliver] Lafayette and [Tremmell] Darden].’

On paper, they have a kind group for the regular season, as they’re joined at the hip by Valencia, Laboral Kutxa, Lithuanian newcomers Neptunas, Galatasaray and Red Star Belgrade. Coach Bartzokas is not taking anything for granted. He has work to do when they begin their campaign in Valencia on October 16 but the goals remain the same.

“To go to the Final Four,” he says. “It’s very important that we have ambitions for this year and also the expectations are very high as always for Olympiacos. So we want to go to the Final Four and win titles.

“I don’t think they are easy teams, easy clubs in the Euroleague. You have to respect everybody. We have two Spanish teams in Valencia and Laboral Kutxa who have experience in the top level. Also Galatasaray is a great team with the same coach for many years. Red Star is like a newcomer in the Euroleague and for us it’s going to be a very strange, and different game because we are like brothers and we will respect [Neptunas].”

Olympiacos went 10-0 in the regular season last season, and looked good money for a fifth visit to the Final Four in six years, but they took their foot off the pedal somewhat in the Top 16 and even though their series in the last eight with Real Madrid went to the five-game limit, Piraeus were unable to make that fifth trip.

The Greeks shocked the Euroleague community with their win in 2012, coming back from 19 points down to stun a star-studded CSKA Moscow 62-61 in Istanbul. They then convincingly swept Real Madrid 100-88 in London a year later before a chunk of the team went its separate ways.

Guard Acie Law missed the entire 2013-14 season; due to injury and eventually parted ways with the Reds. Pero Antic went to the Atlanta Hawks, Josh Powell went to China and it was left to Bartzokas to rebuild the team for the 2013-14 season.

He did just that, he wasn’t able to propel them to victory in the Greek league, but Olympiacos more than held their own in the Euroleague and with a list of proven matchwinners and veterans on the books this year, Olympiacos will mean business as the Euroleague satellite navigation is this year programmed for the Spanish capital.

And Olympiacos look a good shout to reach that destination next May.

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