By Aris Barkas/ barkas@eurohoops.net
They have struck again! Five new warrants were issued this week as Europe witnessed the rise of the Greek Mafia. Three distinguished members of this notorious criminal organization stole the show by making hits outside of Greek borders. Be warned and ready for anything. Crime knows no country and this was evident by two more perpetrators, a French expat and a Czech who returned to wreak havoc on his former stomping grounds in Belgrade. Please inform the authorities if you see any suspicious move and, of course, expect the unexpected.
Vangelis Mantzaris: Despite his size, he is known a muscle man, ready to defend his territory against anyone. Still things can change and this was evident during Olympiacos Piraeus’s 82-76 road win against Laboral Kutxa Vitoria Gasteiz. Mantzaris provided firepower with 14 points on 3-for-4 three-point shooting as he slowly and methodically rises to become a more talented criminal than expected. He is ready to do any dirty work needed, but he can also be an offensive force.
Nando De Colo: In the criminal hive of Moscow, a Frenchman has risen to power. Since last year when he returned from Canada, De Colo became a notorious gunman and this week he didn’t hesitate to mow down the champs. In CSKA Moscow‘s 95-81 win against Real Madrid, he was fearsome, finishing the game with 28 points by hitting 12 of his 18 field goal attempts, while also dishing 7 assists. He has shown a fearless ambition to dominate any situation he comes across. And he can take out anyone.
Jan Vesely: A peculiar case of a con artist who evolved into a hitman. He was a versatile forward who became a center and he demonstrated that the transformation fits him like a glove as he dominated Pionir Arena, as he did once for Partizan. This time he had 15 points, 15 rebounds and 5 blocks, leading Fenerbahce Istanbul to a 65-88 road win over Crvena Zvezda Telekom Belgrade. This is not the first time he intimidated Crvena Zvezda and now he is a wanted man in Belgrade.
Dimitris Diamantidis: A legendary mastermind who rumors insist is ready to retire. That was not the case in the 68-66 win of Panathinaikos Athens over gun-slinging Unicaja Malaga. Nicknamed “3D”, this Greek criminal didn’t have the slightest mercy on the Spaniards. He scored 17 points, got 3 rebounds and had 7 assists, the last one of them setting up the shot that executed the visitors and stole victory from the jaws of defeat. He doesn’t speak much, but his actions do the talking for him…
Nikos Zisis: He’s the “consigliere”. He likes to set things up and stay out of the spotlight. When there’s a mess, he is the guy who appears from backstage to clean it up. This time, however, he took care of business by himself. In the first-ever Top 16 win for Brose Baskets Bamberg, a 96-63 blowout from start to finish over Zalgiris Kaunas, his fingerprints were everywhere. He had 18 points, 5 assists and a performance index rating of 26. He may look like a choir boy, but he is a cold-blooded killer.
Art credit: JPsportart