Which Loss Hurt Panathinaikos or Olympiakos in Euroleague?
The Euroleague’s early phase has spared neither of Greece’s giants from tough questions. After a frenetic opening week that many teams label as a “devil week,” the real measure is not the calendar but how quickly Panathinaikos and Olympiakos can convert promising parts of their games into consistent, winning basketball. Both clubs sit at 1-1 as they prepare for their first regular-season rendezvous at the arena in Séf (or the Athens venue hosting the later stages), and both face the same imperative: fix the flaws that prevent them from taking control of games when it matters most.
Panathinaikos: not as “soft” as the travel would imply
Australia trip, big questions, small steps forward
Panathinaikos arrived in Australia under a cloud of expectations shaped by the summer’s upheavals and by a demanding travel schedule. The team’s on-court reality, however, followed a familiar pattern: high-quality talent, but a defense that hasn’t yet found its rhythm in the new system and a coherent set of rotations that hasn’t fully clicked. The season began with a home defeat to Barcelona (96-103) that, in the eyes of many observers, sounded like a warning bell more than a mere setback.
Coach Ergin Ataman’s approach—emphasizing freedom for ball handlers and reliance on individual talent—has been clear. Yet the calendar’s reality is unforgiving: a grueling travel itinerary, limited neutral prep time, and a squad still integrating several new pieces. Defensively, there are still gaps in communication and rotation, and the offensive balance that often masks defensive lapses hasn’t consistently appeared. The result is a team that, while capable of dazzling stretches, can look “soft” when the game demands sustained physicality and tougher decisions on defense.
Where the gaps stand
From a purely tactical angle, Panathinaikos needs more from its bigs in ball-screen defense and more disciplined rotation to counter opponents who stretch the floor. Offensively, there’s talent and pace, but the cohesiveness required to punish aggressiveness in the pick-and-roll and to convert regular possessions into reliable points remains a work in progress. The key takeaway after the Barcelona game is not doom but a clear path: invest more time in practice, strengthen defensive habits, and reinforce a collective identity that transcends individual brilliance.
Olympiakos: distance to the Bartzókian blueprint, still chasing balance
Madrid setback and the challenge of immediate adjustments
Olympiakos’s start echoes a familiar theme from recent seasons: a star-driven offense, but a defense that must catch up and a roster still in the process of being rebuilt. The opener in Vitoria and the subsequent trip to Madrid underscored a team that can soar offensively when rhythm is there, yet can disintegrate defensively in moments—especially when the ball stops moving and decision-making becomes too dependent on individual brilliance.
In Madrid the early burst of success—taking a commanding 7-for-7 start from three and pushing the pace—showed what the team is capable of. Yet the struggle to sustain that energy, the inability to translate defense into consistent stops, and the late-game droughts highlighted a familiar Achilles’ heel: a lack of two solid playmakers on whom the system can reliably rely. The absence of a stable backcourt rhythm, compounded by injuries and roster turnover, has made it harder for the “Olympiakos way” to manifest with its trademark balance of attack and defense.
What needs to improve, and quick
Two names—Ntilikina and Evans—enter the rotation to push the offense and strengthen the defensive voice. The team also needs better shot diversification and more disciplined secondary actions on offense to reduce the strain on individual scorers. While Dorsey has shown strong form (averaging around 20 points across the opening games), Fournier and Vezenkov must contribute more consistently, especially against the higher-caliber clubs in Europe. The crucial takeaway is not panic but precision: integrate the reinforcements, sharpen the defensive language, and move toward the Mr. Barzán coaching archetype of a balanced, pressure-resistant unit.
Bottom line: both teams are chasing the same fix
When posed with the question about which defeat is more annoying, the answer is neither. Each setback reveals a mirror: both Panathinaikos and Olympiakos have the same fundamental task—become more cohesive in a condensed schedule, tighten rotations, and protect their own glass while developing a more efficient offense. The opening week has shown that improvements are doable within a few days of focused work, and the upcoming meeting at the home venue will be a litmus test: the team that couples hunger with execution over a two-hour window will likely seize momentum ahead of the rest of the season. Until then, the narrative remains a shared one—two giants, still in the process of rebooting for a true Euroleague contender year.
Final note
Regardless of the result on the next date, fans should expect a battle that reflects the elite level of European basketball. Both teams have the talent and the resources to rise quickly, and the coming weeks will determine how effectively they translate potential into a sustained, playoff-ready rhythm.
