After a 72 hour trip without sleep (and internet) I am back in Roma. So finally I get to post the rest of the predictions. I am sure nobody would have predicted a Panathinaikos loss, or such a close game in Moscow. Did anybody see it coming, that FC AXA Barcelona will fire their coach?
We asked Gallis what he thinks about “his” Olympiakos and this is what Gallis sent us.
The first round of Euroleague is over and Olympiakos with the third biggest budget took the disappointing fifth place. As a result of this fact is the dismissal of coach Pini Gerson.
His successor Panayiotis Giannakis has the hard task to reform in a short time period the whole status of the team and fulfill its high goals according to the declarations of President Aggelopoulos, who was sure that his team will take part in the Final Four of Euroleague.
Panayiotis Giannakis has already shown his philosophy which is the effectiveness and passion in defense and the wise solutions in offence.
The matter is whether Giannakis has the ability and the time to lead his team to success, given that the group is the most difficult group in the second round of Euroleague.
Giannakis is capable of inspiring the young team players such as Vasiliadis and Mavrokefalides who can be the pleasant surprise of this round for Olympiakos. I believe that Olympiakos will participate in F4 only if he captures the first place on his group and i believe that Real Madrid will finish first so adios F – 4. I wish to be wrong.
Prediction: 4-2
So what had Alberto from basket-net.com to say about Real Madrid?
Real Madrid’s future in the TOP16 Group F: (4 wins – 2 loses) – First Place (tied).
“Real Madrid’s big challenge starts in the TOP16, when they’ll face against some of the most dangerous European classics”.
What do our two experts Yarone Arbel and David Hein, who both write for euroleague.net, ulebcup.com and the fiba sites, think about their teams, Maccabi and Partizan? Yarone thinks that Maccabi will finish with 4-2 and David had this to say: Poor Partizan have to start on the road their first two games at Siena and Panathinaikos. Dusko Vujosevic’s team will lose those two then sweep the next three before losing to Panathinaikos in the final game of the group.
Prediction: 3-3
Let’s go to Italy. After not even qualifying for the final of the Italian cup, Montepaschi Siena wants to reach the Top 8 in the Euroleague. We asked Dario Marra from basketcentral, what his prediction would be for Siena. “Monte Paschi Siena: 3-3, They never give up…”
Jaime Martínez Lafargue from the great Spanish site solobasket.com, by the way check out their Top50 dunkers, thinks the same about FC AXA Barcelona: 3-3. He also added that we can expect an “unpredictable performance” from Barcelona. Did Jamie already know about the new coach?
Actually just one guy so far was not so optimistic with his team – Jonas Miklovas (basketnews) and Zalgiris:
I would say Zalgiris will go 2-4 in Top 16. The group is extremely tough, courts in Pireaus, Madrid and Tel Aviv are very hard to win. Zalgiris haven’t won a serious game on the road this season, so I expect them to win two home games against Maccabi and Olympiakos. But of course I would be more happy, if they deny my predictions and make it to the quarterfinals. Madrid is clear favorite to win group F, while 3 other teams will be aiming for that second spot.
After the first day of the Top16 is over now – I am not sure if we will get another journalist who is 100% right. Exciting!
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