By Antonis Stroggylakis / info@eurohoops.net
The pinnacle of the 2023/24 EuroLeague season is on the horizon, with Olympiacos, Panathinaikos, Real Madrid, and Fenerbahce preparing for the Final Four in Berlin.
For the third consecutive year, Olympiacos will be fighting for the European crown, this time with Nikola Milutinov in its ranks.
The Serbian center returned to the club last summer and will be playing his second Final Four in the red and white jersey, his first being in 2017.
“I feel great; I’m excited and looking forward to it. I can’t wait until the next few days are over and we can start playing because I think it is the biggest basketball event in Europe. Everyone lives for these games. I am excited and hope to have a different experience from the one I had with Olympiacos last time,” Milutinov said to Eurohoops.
He also addressed his difficult mid-season injury, stressing that he did not expect to be sidelined for nearly three months.
“It was three really tough months for me. There were a lot of things I was going through. But luckily, I had people around me to support me and give me strength. Because I had a lot of ups and downs. It’s normal when you go through such a phase. I think right now I’m stronger than I was before. Because, as I’ve said many times, tough times make you stronger and better.”
Moustapha Fall also had injury problems, so Olympiacos had to react mid-season and hire Moses Wright. In his rookie season, the US center left a great impression, and now Georgios Bartzokas has multiple strong options in the frontcourt.
“This is healthy competition. A good competition between us. Sometimes, it’s difficult for all three bigs to play a bad game. This is the strength of Olympiacos. We have so many different options. The coach is kind of lucky to have that, but he was the one who decided. He knew what he was doing. I love having them around.”
Milutinov especially praised Wright.
“I want to give a lot of credit to Wright. It’s not easy to come to the Euroleague and play the way he did right away. He really showed what quality and how good of a player he is. Coming into the middle of the season, joining a team, and performing how he did is extraordinary and difficult. Especially at this level. He showed what a quality player he is.”
Big men will play a big role in the semifinals against Real Madrid, where they will face arguably the most dominant center in European basketball, Walter Tavares.
“You have to give him a lot of credit; he’s been performing amazingly for many years. They also have other bigs that you cannot forget. Especially with Real Madrid, you cannot forget any player. They have a full roster, really quality and good players in each position, it’s not just Fall against Tavares.”
Last season, Olympiacos lost to Real Madrid in the Championship game, with Sergio Llull hitting the winning shot in the dying moments. Milutinov was just an Olympiacos supporter then, but many other players of today’s Piraeus team were part of the previous Final.
“The players who experienced that shot probably want it more than all of us. I remember it was a tough moment; I supported Olympiacos. But it’s the past. We know we have to think about the future and have our minds ready for the next match.”
While the Serbian player admits defense is one of Olympiacos’ biggest strengths, he assures that the whole squad will do whatever it takes to win.
“I think we are pretty tough. I think our defense is really on another level. We showed what kind of basketball we can play in Game 5. We will do everything, no matter what, to win games. It’s not nice basketball or anything like that. It’s just about doing whatever it takes to get the job done,” Nikola Milutinov concluded.