For Ergin Ataman and Cedi Osman, the Euroleague playoff series with Anadolu Efes will evoke strong memories. For both, the goal is simple. Panathinaikos need to win this series to prove something to themselves. They face a side in a dangerous position, with little in the way of pressure or expectation.
The script writers couldn’t have done it any better. Ergin Ataman leads Panathinaikos, a side he brought back to Euroleague glory in his first season, into battle against the team where he enjoyed his greatest success as a coach. Alongside him is Cedi Osman, who blossomed at Anadolu Efes and now looks to end their campaign while wearing PAO green.
A proper homecoming
Considering just how broad Ergin Ataman’s coaching career has been in Istanbul, let alone his other gigs, it may seem a little strange to the outside viewer. The Panathinaikos coach is a loud and proud Galatasaray fan, winning both the Turkish title (2013) and Eurocup (2016) as their head coach.
As Besiktas, he won the mini-treble, picking up the Turkish title, Turkish cup, and Eurochallenge in 2012. There have been stops at Siena, where he won the Saporta Cup, Turk Telecom (Turkish president’s cup in 1997), Ulkerspor (2 more Turkish cups and president’s cups), as well as Karisyaka and Fortitudo Bologna.
The one common theme for him really has been that Ataman was anywhere but Fenerbahce. That’s the Gala fan in him. Still, it’s Efes where home truly lies. Across three stints he won 2 Euroleague titles, 4 Turkish titles, and 3 Turkish cups. It has been the nearest thing to a constant in his varied career. Now, he goes into battle against a club he clearly loves alongside Cedi Osman, whose star truly was born there.
Ah Cedi
There’s really no club you could associate more with Cedi Osman than Anadolu Efes. He was 12 when he joined the club as a youth and stayed there until he was 22. At just 15, he was included in first team rosters. It was really an unfortunate sense of timing that he missed out on the top years for his former club, going to the NBA just seasons before the wild run of the club from 2019 through 2022.
Now, alongside Ergin Ataman, he wants to keep Efes back down at that tier just shy of the top table. Osman has been objectively very good this season for Panathinaikos but he has not been the guy. That title belongs clearly to Kendrick Nunn. Yet, at 29, he feels ready to get only his 3rd ever postseason series win outside of the Turkish and Greek leagues.
The pressure is enormous yet few are as built for stress like Osman. Going to a club like Panathinaikos is always a big ask. Going there when they are defending Euroleague champions as their big offseason signing is another level. Yet Osman has remained the beacon of calm that he’s always seemed to be across his career.
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A crafty foe
When Cedi Osman was at Anadolu Efes, there was a clear level set. This was a team that could get to the postseason but nobody feared them in the playoffs. They just weren’t there yet. Ergin Ataman could more than empathise. After guiding them to the Euroleague Final Four in 2000, it wouldn’t be until his third stint at the club that he brought them back there in 2019.
Now that the glass ceiling has been shattered, Efes as an organisation knows it can make it to the final weekend of the season. That’s psychologically enormous. Furthermore, they know that all of the pressure is on Panathinaikos in this series. The world expects PAO to advance to Abu Dhabi. For Efes, everything from here on out is gravy.
Considering this is a roster that can call on players with a combination of quality and veteran savvy like Shane Larkin, Elijah Bryant, and Vincent Poirier, that makes them a dangerous prospect. The OAKA will be absolutely lit for Game 1 and all of the Efes players know it. Luca Banchi, their coach, will relish it. Zero expectation on a side with oodles of talent makes for a craft cocktail.
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A business-like approach
Don’t get me wrong. There will be warm moments for both Ergin Ataman and Cedi Osman with Anadolu Efes, especially ahead of the first and third games of the series. Still, Panathinaikos have somehow developed an underdog mentality despite being the defending Euroleague champions.
A lot of this is down to the clever psychology of Ataman with his own players and fanbase. It’s something he has long excelled at, finding the right approach even if the cards didn’t eventually fall kindly. That Osman is the key piece alongside him with deep ties to Efes is a plus. Few players have the level of professional mindset of Osman. They won’t so much cast emotions aside as much as they will manage when and where to use them.
This screams of an old-school playoff series, a 3-2 where no team wins away from its home court. Still, the quality of PAO combined with their sheer mental need to win this should see them over the line. That being said, a route to 3-2 which requires a road win for the Greens isn’t implausible. Whatever way it breaks, this promises to be tasty.
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