Javier Gancedo explains why this could be the Reds' year
2025 Final Four: The case for... Olympiacos
Final Four
3 Minute de lecture
I am sure most Turkish Airlines EuroLeague connoisseurs have spoken about it before this year's Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four. Since the current round-robin format started in the 2016-17 season, the first-ranked team after the regular season never won the EuroLeague championship.
Olympiacos is ready to break that curse after a fantastic regular season in which the team was incredibly solid, finishing above the rest with a 24-10 record before eliminating Real Madrid in the playoffs. Those are the facts. Let's analyze now why Olympiacos should be ahead of the pack in Abu Dhabi.
Finally healthy
Alec Peters was the only Olympiacos player to take part in all 38 EuroLeague games this season. Olympiacos comes into the Final Four without severe injury problems – even Keenan Evans, who has not played a EuroLeague game this season, could be available in Abu Dhabi. Olympiacos has a deep roster that only got better after adding combo guard Saben Lee, an explosive athlete with great energy at both ends. That allows the Reds to play with high intensity on defense, keeping the intensity for all 40 minutes.
Real Madrid had the chance to see it with their own eyes. After averaging 85.1 points, 37.0 rebounds, 18.7 assists and 13.2 turnovers in regular-season action, good for a PIR average of 97.7, things were tougher against Olympiacos's defense in the playoffs. Real went on to average 76.8 points, 34.5 rebounds, 17.0 assists and 15.2 turnovers in four games against the Reds for a PIR average of 82.5. Olympiacos showed its best defense in the playoffs and should keep going at Etihad Arena.
Here to succeed
It is not just about the numbers, as there are a lot of very hungry players in Olympiacos looking for their first EuroLeague title. Sasha Vezenkov came back from the NBA after one season with the Sacramento Kings with one goal in mind – to win the EuroLeague. Forget MVP trophies or other accolades, Vezenkov's sole objective is to be standing on top of the podium on Sunday, May 25. He is actually posting better numbers than in his 2022-23 MVP season, too, playing with outstanding confidence and consistency. After losing the 2023 championship game at the buzzer, Vezenkov wants his hands on the trophy no matter what.
The same can be said about Evan Fournier, who had expressed his intention to play for Olympiacos one day during his 12-season NBA career. He got the opportunity to do so this season and not only adjusted really well to the EuroLeague level but also embraced the Greek culture, food and built a special relationship with Olympiacos's fans. Fournier is determined to make his EuroLeague debut season one to remember. Other Olympiacos stars like Nikola Milutinov, Thomas Walkup, Shaquielle McKissic and Moustapha Fall have not won the EuroLeague yet, either. The Reds have experience and hunger, a deadly combination in a Final Four environment.
Depth is a key advantage
Olympiacos has made sure to have at least two good players, sometimes more, per spot, and that could pay off at the Final Four, as coach Georgios Bartzokas can spot a mismatch and run his team's offense through that player, taking into account that Vezenkov always delivers and is a reliable choice on offense at all times. At center, Olympiacos can go big and physical with Fall, use Milutinov to crash the boards or go with a more mobile center like Moses Wright. Vezenkov and Peters, two of the best stretch power forwards in the game, can (and will) play together at some point for extra firepower.
At guard, Walkup is set to play a crucial role in the semifinal against AS Monaco as the team's primary on-ball defender. Fournier is a terrific one-on-one player, but Olympiacos can also count on two energy guys like McKissic and Lee to shake things up at both ends. Luca Vildoza and Nigel Williams-Goss are former EuroLeague winners with great basketball IQ, and two-time champion Kostas Papanikolaou is the glue guy, taking care of all small details and make sure as team captain that all players have their eyes on the prize.
So, it's true, no regular-season champion won the EuroLeague under the new format. It is also true that since the round-robin format was chosen, the winner has always been either Real Madrid or the team that eliminated Los Blancos. Superstitions aside, Olympiacos has the talent, Final Four experience and willingness to go all the way. Very often, it just goes down to who wants it more and in that sense, the Reds will be ready to leave it all on the court. Don't be surprised if Olympiacos is the last team standing this season.