” Everyone will be more aggressive with us. » Ergin Ataman expects fierce competition in the Euroleague with his team Panathinaikos, the defending champion. Every game, people will want us not to just win, but to put on a show by winning by 20 points. It's not easy. “, concedes the technician.
He is aware of the expectations around this team that he wants to lead to the double. As he did a few years earlier with Anadolu Efes (2020-2021, 2021-2022) alongside Shane Larkin in particular : ” Now I want to do the same thing with (Kostas) Sloukas and Panathinaikos. »
But beyond the natural focus on a reigning champion, expectations around Pana will be all the greater as the Greek club have made a flashy off-season signing: Lorenzo Brown, Cedi Osman and Omer Yurtseven have all joined an already over-armed Athenian stable.
” After winning the EuroLeague and the Greek championship, everyone is talking about Panathinaikos as a favorite. But other teams have made big transfers and built great teams. “, notes the coach, aware of the wave of NBA players who have left the Major League to join Europe.
The Cedi Osman example
Players who, in many cases, still have many good years of basketball ahead of them and know what to expect in the premier European competition. Ergin Ataman takes the example of Cedi Osman, back in Europe for the first time since 2017.
” If it was another player with no European experience in his career, we wouldn't have made this trade. But Cedi had a great career in the NBA and he's almost 29 years old. (editor’s note: he has them). He is not 32, 33 or 34 and did not come to Europe to finish his career. Cedi came to Europe because he did not find what he wanted in the NBA “, continues the coach.
According to the latter, the former Cavs player ” decided to play in the Euroleague because he saw and understood – as many NBA players are finally understanding today – that the Euroleague is an NBA level competition. Sometimes higher than the level of the NBA regular season. »
Because, as he says, “ Every game is like a EuroLeague final “.
