By Luka Drca
The 2nd ANGT tournament took place in Munich, Germany from the 25th to the 27th of January. Real Madrid U18 won the first place beating Maccabi Teddy Tel Aviv U18 in the final game and qualified for the Final4 in Vitoria. Usman Garuba from Real Madrid was named the MVP of the tournament, with Amar Sylla (Real Madrid), Deni Avdija (Maccabi), Jason George (Bayern Munich) and Dusan Tanaskovic (Partizan) joining him in the All-Tournament team.
REAL MADRID
Usman Garuba (2002)
This kid was named MVP of the tournament. In only 20 minutes per game he averaged 16.5 points, 7 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.3 steals. His field-goal percentage was amazing: 76% from two (best one in the tournament) and 40% behind the three-point line. He struggled from the free throw line (62.5%). Listed at 6’8. He is an undersized 5 man with long arms and strong body. Great athlete. Running the floor pretty well. Pretty good floor vision for a big guy. Capable of taking the ball coast to coast after the defensive rebound. Already possesses body for professional basketball. Mostly scores off offensive rebounds and out of assisted shots. In the low post uses right jump hook. Can finish with both hands. Good shooting mechanics. Soft touch. Solid mid-range shot; eventually can step out to the 3-point line. Good defender that can successfully guard all five positions. Solid shot blocker; even when he doesn’t block the shot he is making the opponent change his trajectory. Goes for rebounds on both ends of the floor.
Usman Garuba has a huge potential and he is expected to play more minutes for the senior team of Real Madrid pretty soon.
Amar Sylla (2001)
All-Tournament Team averaging 14.5 points, 7.8 rebounds, 3 blocks per 20 minutes of playing time. Long and lengthy PF/C standing at 6’9. One of the best athletes in this tournament. Really light on his feet and explosive. Doesn’t usually shoot threes but he has pretty soft touch from just inside the 3-point line. Good free throw shooter. Lacks some strength but he tries to play through contact, something he could improve in the future. Struggles guarding stronger players in the post but he’s a pretty good defender on the perimeter. Great timing for blocking shots, likely the best shot blocker of the tournament. Good rebounder.
Boris Tisma (2002)
6’9 wing with long arms. Skinny with solid body frame. Lefty shooter with good shooting mechanics. Finishes with both hands. Solid athlete. Has a good basketball IQ. Moves well without the ball, shows to be improved since last year. Not forcing shots but he is lacking aggressiveness. Has ability to shoot from deep. Has a mid-range game as well. Using his length on the defensive end. Needs to work on his body strength and explosiveness. Sometimes he looks not interested to play. However, Tisma is one of the best shooters in his age and has great potential.
Mario Nakic (2001)
Wing standing at 6’7. Averaged 14 points (32% from the three-point line), 5.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists per 22 minutes. Good size for the perimeter position. Strong body for his age. Handles the ball pretty well. Creative on offense. He can score in multiple ways. Mostly a driver to the right. His shooting mechanics are pretty good and his shot looks solid enough, has NBA range. Can shoot off the dribble. Understands the game well. Solid PnR player. Creates for others as well as for himself. Good rebounder on the defensive end.
Struggles under pressure (especially when has small guards on him). Doesn’t like the contact as much, has a hard time finishing through contact.
MACCABI TEDDY TEL AVIV
Deni Avdija (2001)
Top scorer of the tournament averaging 24.3 points, 11 rebounds, 6 assists per game, named in the All-Tournament Team. The most talented offensive player of this tournament and of his whole class. Has a solid body frame with the height of 6’9. For his height he has amazing ball-handling skills. He is not really explosive but his first step is long and he can beat his defender. An average athlete. Dominant right hand, strong driver to the right. High basketball IQ and great floor vision. Good PnR player. Most of Maccabi’s points were coming from him, either through scoring or making plays for others. He was the motor of this team and playing 34 minutes per game made it difficult for him to play on both ends of the floor equally good. He often wasn’t playing defense, showed that he could in a few occasions but he was mostly saving energy for offense. Pretty good shooter from 3, ended up with 33% because in the last game against Real Madrid he went 1 for 11. Great rebounder, mostly on the defense end, from which he likes taking the ball coast to coast.
Raziel Hayun (2001)
6’4 shooting guard. Okay athlete with solid speed. Good shooting mechanics, extremely quick. Can really shoot from deep. When driving, he is going right. Has a scorer mentality. Not afraid of taking big shots. An average defender with solid lateral quickness. Had a breakout game against Bayern Munich scoring 27 points while shooting 4/9 from three-point range. Not looking to create for others. His points are coming off catch and shoot or shooting off screens.
Sahar Dori (2001)
6’5 lefty guard. Strong and compact body. Solid shooting mechanics. Trying to be aggressive on offense, playing with energy. Better driver to the left. Good rebounder for his size (averaged 6.5 rebounds). When the ball gets to him he is looking to score, not creating for others. Can create his own shot. Good lateral quickness, he’s a solid defender.
FRAPORT SKYLINERS FRANKFURT
Len Schoormann (2002)
The best player of this team. 6’4 combo guard with strong body. Very good athlete, explosive and quick. Averaged 13.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, 1.8 assists per game. More of a scorer than a passer. He is a driver going both ways. Finishes through contact. Struggles from the three-point line (only 15%). Just an okay mid-range game. Good rebounder for his size. High-level defender, likely the best backcourt defender in the tournament. Has nose for steals. He is only 16 years old and has interesting upside.
Jordan Samare (2002)
Undersized inside big man standing at 6’7. Just an okay athlete, but with long arms and strong body. Plays with high energy. Averaged 13 points, 7.5 rebounds per game. Really active on the glass, efficient rebounder on both ends of floor. Doesn’t have a low post game and he mainly scores off offensive rebounds. Bad shooting mechanics. Below average free throw shooter (only 29%), pretty inconsistent. Solid defender. Looks like he could grow another inch or two.
Dwayne Koroma (2001)
6’6 lefty wing loaned from Tubingen for this tournament. One of the best athletes in attendance. Really explosive with great leaping ability. Finishes around the rim. His shooting mechanics are questionable as well as his basketball IQ. He is playing with high energy though, and he’s an extremely solid defender. If he improves shooting he can play on another level.
RATIOPHARM ULM
Zachary Ensminger (2001)
6’4 guard with solid body frame. Runs the team well, solid floor vision. An average athlete. Good ball skills. Strong driver to the right. Low release on his shot with awkward shooting mechanics, prefers to drive rather than to shoot. Good rebounder for a guard. Okay PnR players mostly creating for others, out of the PnR he is mostly looking for a player on the weak side. Smart and good defender who doesn’t gamble.
Aleksa Bulajic (2002)
The most talented kid from this team, he is a combo guard standing at 6’5. Good athlete with solid body frame. He is playing the game the right way, shows high basketball IQ and good court vision. His shooting mechanics are good, doesn’t take many three pointers but he makes them. Has a really good mid-range game. Driver both ways, finishes through contact. Doesn’t force and plays within the flow of the game. Good defender and usually guards the best opponents’ guards. Looks like he knows what he is doing all the time, plays under control. Has interesting potential.
Timo Lanmueller (2001)
Guard standing at 6’3, can play shooting guard and some point guard as well. Good body frame, average athlete. Versatile player. More of a driver, mainly going right, has solid shooting mechanics. Struggles when playing against stronger and more physical players. Plays with poise. Solid ball handling skills. Not selfish and can create for others. Good lateral quickness, he’s a solid defender.
Andrija Grbovic (2003)
The youngest player in this tournament. 6’8 wing. Skinny, long and lengthy, has promising body. Solid athlete with good shooting mechanics, he’s primarily a shooter with deep range. Needs to improve ball handling which will help him create his own shot, as of right now he is positioning well and waiting for others to create for him. Shot the ball pretty well in this tournament from the three-point line (40%), averaging 10.3 points per game. Lacking some physicality and doesn’t like contact, doesn’t shoot many free throws since he is not attacking the rim almost at all. Needs to work on his lateral movement and use his length on the defensive end.
BAYERN MUNICH
Jason George (2001)
All-Tournament Team. 6’8 wing with good body frame. Strong and solid athlete. He averaged 15 points, 4.8 rebounds in 32 minutes of action. This kid is primarily a slasher drives both ways. Has just okay shooting mechanics and he takes only open threes (total 3 from 9 from three in the tournament). Good finisher around the rim. Can finish through contact. Pretty good defender, his size and quickness allow him to guard 1 to 4 positions. Always on the offensive board. Questionable basketball IQ but he doesn’t do the things he is not capable of.
Matej Rudan (2001)
6’9 power forward. Pretty long. Runs the floor well, solid overall athlete. Averaged 15.3 points with 43% shooting from behind the arc. Lacks some strength in his upper body. He is a stretch PF with low release but solid shooting mechanics, despite being a streaky three-point shooter. Good defensive rebounder but tends to be afraid of contact. Solid free throw shooter. When playing in the low post he uses mainly a turn-around jumper. Struggles on defense due to his lack of physicality, tries to use his length when guarding.
Two more players deserve to be mentioned: Daniel Zdravevski (2001), 6’9 power forward with good body frame, long, decent athlete, can stretch the floor; Sasha Grant (2002), 6’6 forward with compact and strong body. Above average athlete, excellent defender.
ALBA BERLIN
Malte Delow (2001)
6’6 guard, has solid body frame with long arms. An average athlete but has long first step. Plays any backcourt position for his team. Understands the game well, has high basketball IQ. Better driver than shooter, has a low release. Excellent free throw shooter (11/11). Solid ball handler but struggles under pressure, averaged 4 turnovers per game. Solid court vision, able to create for others. Uses his length to guard but needs to improve lateral quickness.
Elias Roedl (2002)
6’6 wing, undeveloped and lengthy body, just an average athlete and not really explosive. Takes more threes than twos. Struggles to put the ball on the floor against smaller guards, needs to improve ball handling skills. Good shooting mechanics, deep range, but shoots from everywhere and takes bad shots. Doesn’t have mid-range game. When driving he is going right. Poor defender due to slow legs. Needs to improve his body but he may still grow a bit.
Nolan Adekunle (2002)
Undersized 4 man, around 6’6 tall. Can play some perimeter position but he is more productive at the power forward spot. Strong body, quick but not that explosive. Averaged 12.3 points, 5.3 rebounds in 20 minutes per game, shooting with great percentages (53% 2FG, 58% 3FG, 83% FT). His shooting mechanics are awkward, he’s mainly a driver that can take open threes. Likes to play through contact. Good defender that can guard 1-4 spots, takes pride in his defense.
PARTIZAN NIS BELGRADE
Luka Tarlac (2002)
6’8 guard that can play some power forward minutes. Long and lanky body. Great size for a perimeter player. Coordinated, light on his feet and solid explosiveness. Still developing and has a lot of room to improve his body strength. Form is not broken but he struggled shooting this tournament. Solid ball handling skills. One of the best defenders in his age, not afraid of contact. Overall is passive on offense, he should play with same intensity as on the defensive end.
Djordje Pazin (2001)
6’6 wing. Good upper body, lacks strength in his lower body. He was allowed to shoot anytime and he took advantage of it: averaged 20 points and 17 field goal attempts per game. His shooting mechanics are very good and he has very quick release, he has scoring mentality but he is taking a lot of bad shots. Solid rebounder for his size but he’s not interested in playing defense, just saving energy for offense.
Lazar Stafanovic (2002)
Long and lengthy combo guard with the height of 6’6. Good body frame that needs some more strength, looks like he has physical potential. Above average athlete with good motor. Solid shooting mechanics, has a very good mid-range game but needs to extend his range. Stronger right hand. Questionable decision making. Good rebounder, just an okay defender so far, needs to improve on the defensive end.
Dusan Tanaskovic (2001)
All-Tournament Team. Averaged 16.8 points, 11.3 rebounds per game. 6’10 center with big body and long arms. Below average athlete, slow and heavy legs. in the post only going for a right jump-hook. Struggled from the free throw line, shooting only 55%. Uses his body frame to create room for himself on offense, has okay coordination for his height. Defensively he is a decent shot blocker, due to his slow lower body he is not able to contest anyone on the perimeter though.
PANATHINAIKOS OPAP ATHENS
Aristotelis Sotiriou (2001)
6’7 power forward, only played in the first game of the tournament, where he got injured Strong and compact body, decent athlete. Mostly a scorer, doesn’t look much for a pass. Loves grabbing defensive rebound and going coast to coast, he’s a solid ball handler. Unorthodox shooting mechanics. Below average shooter from three, but able to make mid-range shots, good free throw shooter. Finds ways to score inside, he’s very crafty. Strong driver both ways, loves playing through contact. Active, plays with energy on both ends of the floor, rebounds hard the ball. Can be turnover prone. Scored 29 points and had 7 rebounds in the one game he played. Solid lateral quickness on defense.
Anastasios Kostopoulos (2002)
6’5 shooting guard. An average athlete but has solid body frame. Took an ownership of the team once Sotiriou got hurt. Good shooting form but takes a lot of bad shots; a streaky shooter overall, he can get hot and make a few in a row. Strong driver to the right, but has no mid-range game. Emotional player, sometimes gets turnover prone because of excessive effort. Defensively he is trying hard but gets out of position easily.
Georgios Kalianiotis (2002)
Undersized inside player standing at 6’6, has a big and strong body. Plays with high energy, which compensates his below average athleticism. Active on both ends of the floor. Not skilled but finds way to score, has okay shooting mechanics anyway. Likes contact. Efficient defender but struggles against bigger bodies.
Another player who deserved to be mentioned is 6’3 point guard Emmanouil Kontoudis (2002). Skinny, lacks strength, quick with good motor. Solid floor vision and proper shooting mechanics.
Photo by: FCBB - Eirich
The 2nd ANGT tournament took place in Munich, Germany from the 25th to the 27th of January. Real Madrid U18 won the first place beating Maccabi Teddy Tel Aviv U18 in the final game and qualified for the Final4 in Vitoria. Usman Garuba from Real Madrid was named the MVP of the tournament, with Amar Sylla (Real Madrid), Deni Avdija (Maccabi), Jason George (Bayern Munich) and Dusan Tanaskovic (Partizan) joining him in the All-Tournament team.
REAL MADRID
Usman Garuba (2002)
This kid was named MVP of the tournament. In only 20 minutes per game he averaged 16.5 points, 7 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.3 steals. His field-goal percentage was amazing: 76% from two (best one in the tournament) and 40% behind the three-point line. He struggled from the free throw line (62.5%). Listed at 6’8. He is an undersized 5 man with long arms and strong body. Great athlete. Running the floor pretty well. Pretty good floor vision for a big guy. Capable of taking the ball coast to coast after the defensive rebound. Already possesses body for professional basketball. Mostly scores off offensive rebounds and out of assisted shots. In the low post uses right jump hook. Can finish with both hands. Good shooting mechanics. Soft touch. Solid mid-range shot; eventually can step out to the 3-point line. Good defender that can successfully guard all five positions. Solid shot blocker; even when he doesn’t block the shot he is making the opponent change his trajectory. Goes for rebounds on both ends of the floor.
Usman Garuba has a huge potential and he is expected to play more minutes for the senior team of Real Madrid pretty soon.
Amar Sylla (2001)
All-Tournament Team averaging 14.5 points, 7.8 rebounds, 3 blocks per 20 minutes of playing time. Long and lengthy PF/C standing at 6’9. One of the best athletes in this tournament. Really light on his feet and explosive. Doesn’t usually shoot threes but he has pretty soft touch from just inside the 3-point line. Good free throw shooter. Lacks some strength but he tries to play through contact, something he could improve in the future. Struggles guarding stronger players in the post but he’s a pretty good defender on the perimeter. Great timing for blocking shots, likely the best shot blocker of the tournament. Good rebounder.
Boris Tisma (2002)
6’9 wing with long arms. Skinny with solid body frame. Lefty shooter with good shooting mechanics. Finishes with both hands. Solid athlete. Has a good basketball IQ. Moves well without the ball, shows to be improved since last year. Not forcing shots but he is lacking aggressiveness. Has ability to shoot from deep. Has a mid-range game as well. Using his length on the defensive end. Needs to work on his body strength and explosiveness. Sometimes he looks not interested to play. However, Tisma is one of the best shooters in his age and has great potential.
Mario Nakic (2001)
Wing standing at 6’7. Averaged 14 points (32% from the three-point line), 5.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists per 22 minutes. Good size for the perimeter position. Strong body for his age. Handles the ball pretty well. Creative on offense. He can score in multiple ways. Mostly a driver to the right. His shooting mechanics are pretty good and his shot looks solid enough, has NBA range. Can shoot off the dribble. Understands the game well. Solid PnR player. Creates for others as well as for himself. Good rebounder on the defensive end.
Struggles under pressure (especially when has small guards on him). Doesn’t like the contact as much, has a hard time finishing through contact.
MACCABI TEDDY TEL AVIV
Deni Avdija (2001)
Top scorer of the tournament averaging 24.3 points, 11 rebounds, 6 assists per game, named in the All-Tournament Team. The most talented offensive player of this tournament and of his whole class. Has a solid body frame with the height of 6’9. For his height he has amazing ball-handling skills. He is not really explosive but his first step is long and he can beat his defender. An average athlete. Dominant right hand, strong driver to the right. High basketball IQ and great floor vision. Good PnR player. Most of Maccabi’s points were coming from him, either through scoring or making plays for others. He was the motor of this team and playing 34 minutes per game made it difficult for him to play on both ends of the floor equally good. He often wasn’t playing defense, showed that he could in a few occasions but he was mostly saving energy for offense. Pretty good shooter from 3, ended up with 33% because in the last game against Real Madrid he went 1 for 11. Great rebounder, mostly on the defense end, from which he likes taking the ball coast to coast.
Raziel Hayun (2001)
6’4 shooting guard. Okay athlete with solid speed. Good shooting mechanics, extremely quick. Can really shoot from deep. When driving, he is going right. Has a scorer mentality. Not afraid of taking big shots. An average defender with solid lateral quickness. Had a breakout game against Bayern Munich scoring 27 points while shooting 4/9 from three-point range. Not looking to create for others. His points are coming off catch and shoot or shooting off screens.
Sahar Dori (2001)
6’5 lefty guard. Strong and compact body. Solid shooting mechanics. Trying to be aggressive on offense, playing with energy. Better driver to the left. Good rebounder for his size (averaged 6.5 rebounds). When the ball gets to him he is looking to score, not creating for others. Can create his own shot. Good lateral quickness, he’s a solid defender.
FRAPORT SKYLINERS FRANKFURT
Len Schoormann (2002)
The best player of this team. 6’4 combo guard with strong body. Very good athlete, explosive and quick. Averaged 13.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, 1.8 assists per game. More of a scorer than a passer. He is a driver going both ways. Finishes through contact. Struggles from the three-point line (only 15%). Just an okay mid-range game. Good rebounder for his size. High-level defender, likely the best backcourt defender in the tournament. Has nose for steals. He is only 16 years old and has interesting upside.
Jordan Samare (2002)
Undersized inside big man standing at 6’7. Just an okay athlete, but with long arms and strong body. Plays with high energy. Averaged 13 points, 7.5 rebounds per game. Really active on the glass, efficient rebounder on both ends of floor. Doesn’t have a low post game and he mainly scores off offensive rebounds. Bad shooting mechanics. Below average free throw shooter (only 29%), pretty inconsistent. Solid defender. Looks like he could grow another inch or two.
Dwayne Koroma (2001)
6’6 lefty wing loaned from Tubingen for this tournament. One of the best athletes in attendance. Really explosive with great leaping ability. Finishes around the rim. His shooting mechanics are questionable as well as his basketball IQ. He is playing with high energy though, and he’s an extremely solid defender. If he improves shooting he can play on another level.
RATIOPHARM ULM
Zachary Ensminger (2001)
6’4 guard with solid body frame. Runs the team well, solid floor vision. An average athlete. Good ball skills. Strong driver to the right. Low release on his shot with awkward shooting mechanics, prefers to drive rather than to shoot. Good rebounder for a guard. Okay PnR players mostly creating for others, out of the PnR he is mostly looking for a player on the weak side. Smart and good defender who doesn’t gamble.
Aleksa Bulajic (2002)
The most talented kid from this team, he is a combo guard standing at 6’5. Good athlete with solid body frame. He is playing the game the right way, shows high basketball IQ and good court vision. His shooting mechanics are good, doesn’t take many three pointers but he makes them. Has a really good mid-range game. Driver both ways, finishes through contact. Doesn’t force and plays within the flow of the game. Good defender and usually guards the best opponents’ guards. Looks like he knows what he is doing all the time, plays under control. Has interesting potential.
Timo Lanmueller (2001)
Guard standing at 6’3, can play shooting guard and some point guard as well. Good body frame, average athlete. Versatile player. More of a driver, mainly going right, has solid shooting mechanics. Struggles when playing against stronger and more physical players. Plays with poise. Solid ball handling skills. Not selfish and can create for others. Good lateral quickness, he’s a solid defender.
Andrija Grbovic (2003)
The youngest player in this tournament. 6’8 wing. Skinny, long and lengthy, has promising body. Solid athlete with good shooting mechanics, he’s primarily a shooter with deep range. Needs to improve ball handling which will help him create his own shot, as of right now he is positioning well and waiting for others to create for him. Shot the ball pretty well in this tournament from the three-point line (40%), averaging 10.3 points per game. Lacking some physicality and doesn’t like contact, doesn’t shoot many free throws since he is not attacking the rim almost at all. Needs to work on his lateral movement and use his length on the defensive end.
BAYERN MUNICH
Jason George (2001)
All-Tournament Team. 6’8 wing with good body frame. Strong and solid athlete. He averaged 15 points, 4.8 rebounds in 32 minutes of action. This kid is primarily a slasher drives both ways. Has just okay shooting mechanics and he takes only open threes (total 3 from 9 from three in the tournament). Good finisher around the rim. Can finish through contact. Pretty good defender, his size and quickness allow him to guard 1 to 4 positions. Always on the offensive board. Questionable basketball IQ but he doesn’t do the things he is not capable of.
Matej Rudan (2001)
6’9 power forward. Pretty long. Runs the floor well, solid overall athlete. Averaged 15.3 points with 43% shooting from behind the arc. Lacks some strength in his upper body. He is a stretch PF with low release but solid shooting mechanics, despite being a streaky three-point shooter. Good defensive rebounder but tends to be afraid of contact. Solid free throw shooter. When playing in the low post he uses mainly a turn-around jumper. Struggles on defense due to his lack of physicality, tries to use his length when guarding.
Two more players deserve to be mentioned: Daniel Zdravevski (2001), 6’9 power forward with good body frame, long, decent athlete, can stretch the floor; Sasha Grant (2002), 6’6 forward with compact and strong body. Above average athlete, excellent defender.
ALBA BERLIN
Malte Delow (2001)
6’6 guard, has solid body frame with long arms. An average athlete but has long first step. Plays any backcourt position for his team. Understands the game well, has high basketball IQ. Better driver than shooter, has a low release. Excellent free throw shooter (11/11). Solid ball handler but struggles under pressure, averaged 4 turnovers per game. Solid court vision, able to create for others. Uses his length to guard but needs to improve lateral quickness.
Elias Roedl (2002)
6’6 wing, undeveloped and lengthy body, just an average athlete and not really explosive. Takes more threes than twos. Struggles to put the ball on the floor against smaller guards, needs to improve ball handling skills. Good shooting mechanics, deep range, but shoots from everywhere and takes bad shots. Doesn’t have mid-range game. When driving he is going right. Poor defender due to slow legs. Needs to improve his body but he may still grow a bit.
Nolan Adekunle (2002)
Undersized 4 man, around 6’6 tall. Can play some perimeter position but he is more productive at the power forward spot. Strong body, quick but not that explosive. Averaged 12.3 points, 5.3 rebounds in 20 minutes per game, shooting with great percentages (53% 2FG, 58% 3FG, 83% FT). His shooting mechanics are awkward, he’s mainly a driver that can take open threes. Likes to play through contact. Good defender that can guard 1-4 spots, takes pride in his defense.
PARTIZAN NIS BELGRADE
Luka Tarlac (2002)
6’8 guard that can play some power forward minutes. Long and lanky body. Great size for a perimeter player. Coordinated, light on his feet and solid explosiveness. Still developing and has a lot of room to improve his body strength. Form is not broken but he struggled shooting this tournament. Solid ball handling skills. One of the best defenders in his age, not afraid of contact. Overall is passive on offense, he should play with same intensity as on the defensive end.
Djordje Pazin (2001)
6’6 wing. Good upper body, lacks strength in his lower body. He was allowed to shoot anytime and he took advantage of it: averaged 20 points and 17 field goal attempts per game. His shooting mechanics are very good and he has very quick release, he has scoring mentality but he is taking a lot of bad shots. Solid rebounder for his size but he’s not interested in playing defense, just saving energy for offense.
Lazar Stafanovic (2002)
Long and lengthy combo guard with the height of 6’6. Good body frame that needs some more strength, looks like he has physical potential. Above average athlete with good motor. Solid shooting mechanics, has a very good mid-range game but needs to extend his range. Stronger right hand. Questionable decision making. Good rebounder, just an okay defender so far, needs to improve on the defensive end.
Dusan Tanaskovic (2001)
All-Tournament Team. Averaged 16.8 points, 11.3 rebounds per game. 6’10 center with big body and long arms. Below average athlete, slow and heavy legs. in the post only going for a right jump-hook. Struggled from the free throw line, shooting only 55%. Uses his body frame to create room for himself on offense, has okay coordination for his height. Defensively he is a decent shot blocker, due to his slow lower body he is not able to contest anyone on the perimeter though.
PANATHINAIKOS OPAP ATHENS
Aristotelis Sotiriou (2001)
6’7 power forward, only played in the first game of the tournament, where he got injured Strong and compact body, decent athlete. Mostly a scorer, doesn’t look much for a pass. Loves grabbing defensive rebound and going coast to coast, he’s a solid ball handler. Unorthodox shooting mechanics. Below average shooter from three, but able to make mid-range shots, good free throw shooter. Finds ways to score inside, he’s very crafty. Strong driver both ways, loves playing through contact. Active, plays with energy on both ends of the floor, rebounds hard the ball. Can be turnover prone. Scored 29 points and had 7 rebounds in the one game he played. Solid lateral quickness on defense.
Anastasios Kostopoulos (2002)
6’5 shooting guard. An average athlete but has solid body frame. Took an ownership of the team once Sotiriou got hurt. Good shooting form but takes a lot of bad shots; a streaky shooter overall, he can get hot and make a few in a row. Strong driver to the right, but has no mid-range game. Emotional player, sometimes gets turnover prone because of excessive effort. Defensively he is trying hard but gets out of position easily.
Georgios Kalianiotis (2002)
Undersized inside player standing at 6’6, has a big and strong body. Plays with high energy, which compensates his below average athleticism. Active on both ends of the floor. Not skilled but finds way to score, has okay shooting mechanics anyway. Likes contact. Efficient defender but struggles against bigger bodies.
Another player who deserved to be mentioned is 6’3 point guard Emmanouil Kontoudis (2002). Skinny, lacks strength, quick with good motor. Solid floor vision and proper shooting mechanics.
Photo by: FCBB - Eirich
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