By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Panathinaikos will compete in the Greek Cup without the newcomer Matt Thomas. The club decided that he will be excluded from the six non-Greek players which will be available for the tournament since there was no solution to the major issue with Andrew Andrews which would have freed up a foreign position.
Until this happens, Andrews will keep the seventh permitted spot for a non-Greek in Greek competitions, but Panathinaikos and the player are on the verge of a “bad divorce” and he will not be used.
Panathinaikos’ foreign six for the Greek competitions is now as follows: Walters, Lee, Bacon, Gudaitis, Ponitka, and Derrick Williams.
It was essentially a game between Matt Thomas, who was coming off a head injury and sat out part of Thursday’s practice, and Derrick Williams.
The decision finally went in favor of Derrick Williams so that Panathinaikos would not be left with only Dimitrios Agravanis and Lefteris Mantzoukas in the power forward position.
Additionally, it was assumed that one spot would be occupied by Nate Walters so that there would be two point guards along with Parris Lee.
This left out Matt Thomas who was more or less acquired to help Panathinaikos claim the Cup from the title holder, Olympiakos, but the case of Andrews developed negatively for Panathinaikos.
It should be noted that the participation of Marius Grigonis was already excluded since Panathinaikos has nine foreigners and can use six. And it seems unlikely that Grigonis will be used in the Greek competitions anymore after the addition of Thomas.