Olympiacos – Partizan
International - Euroleague, Round 4
Thursday, 19-10-2023, 20:15 CET
Olympiacos suffered a defeat in Milan on Tuesday by 65:53, bringing their record down to 1-2. 53 points scored highlight their struggles in finding effective offensive solutions, though credit must be given to the opposing defense, which is currently arguably the best in the EuroLeague. Luke Sikma made an unexpected return earlier than projected, which is excellent news for Olympiacos. Nigel Williams-Goss and Shaq McKissic remain out, with a slight chance for Williams-Goss to play against Partizan on Thursday. One of Olympiacos issues in Italy was that, apart from Nikola Milutinov, no one found an easy path to points in the paint, and their three-point shooting was ineffective as well. Furthermore, Isaiah Canaan received two technical fouls in the first half and was ejected, leaving them without a crucial player in an already shortened rotation.
Despite the support of 19,000 fans, Partizan couldn't secure a win against Barcelona. At no point did it seem that the black and whites could pose a threat to the Catalans in any way. Partizan still hasn't found a replacement for Mathias Lessort, and the decision within the club is to explore the last cut from the NBA. Until they find a suitable center for the EuroLeague level, Partizan will face significant challenges against teams with strong inside players. They allowed Barcelona 16 offensive rebounds, while Maccabi Tel Aviv had one less (15) two weeks ago. Every time Barcelona or Maccabi missed a shot, it was a 50/50 chance for Partizan to grab the defensive rebound or for the opponent to grab the offensive one. This approach won't lead to serious results in the EuroLeague. Offensively, things were expectedly decent, except that their best player, Kevin Punter, has yet to find his recognizable rhythm.
All the issues that were present for Partizan in the mentioned games will remain the same. Milutinov is one of the most dominant centers in the EuroLeague, and slowing him down will be a tough task. Sikma and Peters can also create problems on the boards, and Olympiacos' perimeter defense is much stronger with players like Brazdeikis, Papanikolaou and Walkup. Even if Williams-Goss doesn't play, Olympiacos has a significant advantage at this moment. Their defense is elite, while the departure of Sloukas and Vezenkov has impacted their offense. Fortunately for them, Partizan's defense is currently one of the weakest in the competition, and they shouldn't have trouble getting numerous open looks. With dominance in the paint, a comfortable win should not be in question.