Last week, TalkBasket writer John Hobbs wrote a detailed preview for Greek publisher BasketPlus. The company have agreed to also publish it on the site too.
Regal FC Barcelona
Key Player: The individual talent of Juan Carlos Navarro stands out like a sore thumb. No one in the Euroleague can create his own space for the three-point shot like the 2011 Eurobasket MVP can, whether it’s an open shot, a step back, running off the screen or even dribbling around the perimeter, opponents try to contain his multiple threats which include one of the most precise floaters in the game but to no avail. Offensively, the play of Marcelinho Huertas is also key; as he is the playmaker of the squad. Everything runs through the Brazilian international, he controls the tempo to how Barcelona want it and it’s vital that he settles early otherwise the team could be dragged down a little.
Key Play: Barcelona play very fluently and are quick on the break, when on form it’s a joy to watch them play. The Catalan sides’ strength though is their big men, their versatility and how they use it to full effect on the court. Highlighted by Erazem Lorbek, who has got a fantastic basketball IQ, is never rattled and his natural technique allows him to play freely, as if everything he does is effortless. Boniface N’Dong is lethal under the basket and also possesses a strong mid-range jumper which can’t be ignored.
Defensively, as a team they are the best in the Euroleague, they read and understand each other like clockwork and they make it difficult for opposing teams to find a collective rhythm on the court. It is part of the reason they have only lost one game en route to this year’s Final Four.
Role of the coach: A Final Four winner in 2010, the young, yet experienced Xavi Pascual would love to cap a return to the Final Four with a trophy. The key is just to keep preaching what he has preached in the earlier games. Team defense and doing that consistently well – Barca have a good arsenal of offensive weapons as well as defensive – just make sure each player knows its respective assignments on the offensive end and that the five players on the floor hustle and work their socks off on defense.
Olympiacos
Key Player: Vassilis Spanoulis has been the rock of this Olympiacos side in this season’s Euroleague and has guided them to this Final Four when many fans thought that they wouldn’t even be here. He leads the team in scoring and is a vital part of the offense.
Alongside Spanoulis is small forward Kostas Papanikolaou, who doesn’t always get the big numbers on the stat sheet but does the little things so well in the big games. He has a terrific basketball IQ and when he reaches double digit performance index numbers, Olympiacos are 6-0, so his performances give a bigger lift than you would expect.
Key Play: One of the biggest advantages Olympiacos has over the other three teams is that they enter Istanbul with nothing to lose, as not many people are expecting the Reds to go far. But they have their weapons, mainly in Spanoulis, his offensive-minded thinking is phenomenal and can get to the hoop almost at will but he can also get his teammates involved too. Often the opposition defense collapses on Spanoulis leaving open players in Red. It sounds too easy, yes, but the formula works.
Defensively it’s a case of staying out of foul trouble and keeping the big men fresh, especially at the center position, where they have a nice luxury of having two regular centers in Lazaros Papadopoulos and, Richard Dorsey, who despite being listed as a forward, has played the position this season. Keep alternating the big guys and keep them out of foul trouble.
Role of the coach: Dusan Ivkovic is one of the most experienced basketball minds not just in Europe, but the world and knows how to motivate his players. Olympiacos come here with no real expectations, and hopefully that might relax the players and make them play an attractive yet aggressive style of basketball that might spring a surprise.
