The Greens have been a team inspired under first-year head coach Ergin Ataman
Panathinaikos returns to the playoffs after a five-year absence
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Ergin Ataman’s Final Four prophecy is one step closer to becoming reality as Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens has rubber stamped its place in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Playoffs, ending a five-year wait in the process.
Despite not playing on Thursday night, Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv's loss at FC Barcelona guaranteed Panathinaikos's spot in the playoffs.
Ever since Ataman became the first big move that Panathinaikos made last summer, you knew the good times were not far away. Now, he will be looking to confirm his belief that the Greens are on their way to their first Final Four appearance in 12 years.
Panathinaikos found its feet and never looked back
Panathinaikos faced some ups and downs in the early part of the campaign as a reshaped roster, which included star signings Mathias Lessort, Kostas Sloukas and Dinos Mitoglou, got familiar with one another. But the mid-season addition of Kendrick Nunn, who debuted in Round 7, gave the Greens a much-needed boost on offense.
Having gone 2-4 to start the season, Nunn’s arrival coincided with a four-game winning streak that gave Panathinaikos a positive record, beating ALBA Berlin on the road before reeling off three straight victories at OAKA against Zalgiris Kaunas, a high-flying Virtus Segafredo Bologna and Valencia Basket. Those triumphs at OAKA were a sign of what was to come for the Greens, who have managed to turn their home court into a fortress.
Panathinaikos also showed what it is capable of by responding to a three-game losing run with three straight road victories at LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne, AS Monaco and EA7 Emporio Armani Milan. Those Monaco and Milan games both went down to the wire – the one at Salle Gaston Medecin even going to overtime – but the Greens showed that they are made for the moment with big plays down the stretch in each contest.
The streak didn’t end there, though, as Panathinaikos downed Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade at home to make it a four-game winning stretch. A Codi Miller-McIntyre game-winner at the buzzer would see that run come to a halt at Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz, but Ataman’s squad reacted perfectly by putting together another winning streak, beating Valencia on the road – thus doing the double over Alex Mumbru’s side – before downing Anadolu Efes Istanbul, Monaco once again, and Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade, all at home.
Since Round 24, Panathinaikos has also recorded victories against some of the best rosters in the EuroLeague, knocking off Milan (Round 24), Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul (Round 26) and FC Barcelona (Round 31) at home, as well as Real Madrid (Round 27) on the road. Not only was that Real’s first home defeat of the campaign but it was a big statement to the rest of the league: Panathinaikos means business.
Lots of talent, not much playoff experience
Panathinaikos has a two-time EuroLeague champion head coach in Ataman and a three-time winner in guard Kostas Sloukas, but they are the only people who know what it is like to lift the EuroLeague title. Sloukas is also way out in front in playoff and Final Four appearances, having featured 60 times in postseason basketball. The next-best mark is Ioannis Papapetrou, who has 30 postseason appearances to his name.
In fact, Papapetrou and Dinos Mitoglou were both on Panathinaikos’s roster when it lost 3-0 to Real Madrid in 2018-19, the last time the Greens made the playoffs. That was Mitoglou’s first and only trip to the postseason. There are several Panathinaikos players who have got a taste of the playoffs – Mathias Lessort, Marius Grigonis, Luca Vildoza, Jerian Grant, and Kostas Antetokounmpo – but it will be the first time for the likes of Kendrick Nunn, Juancho Hernangomez and Olek Balcerowski.
As such, it will be important for Coach Ataman and Sloukas to lead the way and lean on their past experiences as the Greens go in search of a spot at the Final Four.