Cedi Osman and Juancho Hernangomez looked like they were doing enough for Panathinaikos. Yet instead the Greens lost their heads and Anadolu Efes earned the win to force a decisive Game 5 in the Euroleague playoffs. Emmet Ryan diagnoses the defeat for Ergin Ataman’s side
This was very much the good, the bad, and the ugly for Panathiniakos in Istanbul. Ergin Ataman’s side had a couple of standout performances that almost overshadowed the issues elsewhere. With their coach walking off the floor in disgust before the final horn, the defending Euroleague champions have big questions to answer before Game 5 in OAKA next week.
We begin however with the good for the Greens.
Cedi’s so smooth
There were shades of Game 2 to the first half of Cedi Osman’s outing here. While the scoreboard was a lot tighter, Osman looked just as smooth for Panathinaikos. As in that outing, his movement was predictable yet unstoppable.
This all came down to timing. Anadolu Efes know him about as well as any club could, yet they couldn’t account for the when. Just when would Osman take that step to the right. When would Cedi slot into the corner? When would he opt to drive or dish?
The decision making from Osman was simply superb. When you play with confidence, it helps. Osman has grown into his role with the Greens as this Euroleague season has progressed. The mental game was the one he sought to master first before imposing himself physically. At this business end of the season, he’s delivering.
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Juancho as a source of calm
The phrase I’m about to use may draw the ire of Panathinaikos fans, and Olympiacos ones at that. Juancho Hernangomez took on a Kostas Papanikolaou type role in this game. He needed few in the way of touches, he deferred more often than not. He also stood up when needed.
It took a late shot-clock situation for him to record his first missed shot of the game, his fifth in total. Omer Yurtseven put in the put back and then Juancho followed up with his second three of the night. Added to this was an active presence on the glass on both ends. It was energy that enabled those around him.
The first real mistake from Juancho didn’t come until the dying seconds of the third quarter. An errant pass, that was far looser than anything he’d done all night, went right into the hands of Elijah Bryant This stage of the Euroleague season is not permitted to be predictable, so of course it was all in the balance entering the final frame.
Now we move on to the bad for the Greens.
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Nunn was shut down
After getting back into form on Wednesday night, Kendrick Nunn was back under containment in Istanbul. The Euroleague MVP and Panathinaikos leader was treated with a more aggressive version of the tactic Anadolu Efes deployed in Game 3.
It was extremely basic: Make him go right. Nunn is quite one-sided but still, this felt awfully rudimentary. A player that thrives with the challenge was a shadow of himself. It’s genuinely hard to believe someone of his calibre can be frustrated so easily.
Yet here it was before us. A strategy that should be challenging to work beyond U16 level, given the holes such an approach creates elsewhere, was emphatically working. Luca Banchi is a really smart coach but even he must have been wondering how this lean-in wasn’t being remotely punished elsewhere on the floor.
Yet he was symptomatic of the broader back court issues
It stood out in their victory in Game 1. It was visible again in Game 4. Panathinaikos simply didn’t get enough from their key contributors on the back court. Jerian Grant and Lorenzo Brown combined for just 2 shots between them, with Grant making his which was the first of the game.
Kostas Sloukas finished the game with 14 points, getting 7 of those at the line as he sold fouls like he was Ricky Morton. The veteran was a solid creator but he needed a lot more around him.
The lack of versatility of the Greens in this performance made the defensive job much easier for Anadolu Efes. The Euroleague champions took 22 shots from 3 in the whole game, making 10, but that is coloured heavily by a few desperation makes when trailing late. For the most part, PAO didn’t stretch enough and proved a predictably one-dimensional outfit offensively.
If the Greens don’t change, Efes will
Panathinaikos obviously can’t afford another performance of this level next week. That’s the easy part. More importantly, they can’t allow one so predictable at both ends of the floor. There were some decisions that proved mind boggling.
Ergin Ataman keeps sticking with what isn’t working in the back court set-up and has to shake things up. It’s extremely un-Ataman like to take the approach he is taking. That’s what has been so surprising. Even if that requires adjustments to the front court flow, he needs to do something to give the guards cause for belief.
There’s also the matter of being ready for the third options when Anadolu Efes have the ball. It’s not exactly a shock that Luca Banchi of all coaches trusts Rolands Smits more than any other coach has before. The Latvian getting such open looks was symptomatic of a sloppy defensive display by the Greens.
The defending Euroleague champions are supposed to be better than this. We’ve all seen them play better. Right now, Efes are playing wiser.
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