By Michalis Gioulenoglou/ info@eurohoops.net
Riga, Latvia – Deeper in EuroBasket 2025 and preparing for a meeting with Lithuania in the Quarterfinals, head coach Vassilis Spanoulis talked about the gameplan and overall approach of the coaching staff.
The 43-year-old tactician also referred to his comment after a winning effort against Israel on Sunday about long-range efforts being the focus, especially in the preliminary round at Limassol.
“We indeed used three-pointers to reach the Round of 16, but we also had very good spacing, we had altruism, we read mismatches very well, and generally were very solid. We would have done the same with Israel yesterday, it’s just that the shots came out very different from the ones we had in the preliminary round, because they set traps for Giannis, and the Israelis yesterday didn’t do that,” explained Spanoulis.
With NBA superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo at his disposal, the plan for the players is naturally focused on the Freak.
“We are ready to punish every defense,” Spanoulis pointed to a strength of his side, “The guys are ready to shoot and pass, we are very good in this area. There is no more simplified game than ours! In offense, we give the ball to Giannis and have good spacing. We have good creators. It couldn’t be simpler.”
Over four appearances so far, Giannis is averaging 30.0 points, 9.8 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 0.8 steals, and 0.3 blocks per contest.
“We will follow the plan, play hard, and play our game,” mentioned Thanasis Antetokounmpo, who has chipped in 2.5 points, 2.0 rebounds, 0.8 assists, 0.5 blocks, and 0.1 steals per game.
On Tuesday, Greece faces Lithuania in Xiaomi Arena for a ticket to the Semifinals.
“We just have to win to advance to the top four, which would be a big deal for our country and the national team,” pointed out Giannoulis Larentzakis. The 31-year-old winger has tallied 4.4 points, 1.2 rebounds, 1.0 assists, and 0.4 steals per EuroBasket game.
Photo Credit: FIBA