Young greek basketball talent

[Trifilli]

Do you mean University of Alabama or University of Alabama-Birmingham (UAB)?

Ups, sorry, didn't see this post until now He joined the University of Alabama-Birmingham (UAB).

Nick Calathes was mentioned above, I think he is a player we can not afford to loose, so maybe Giannakis should do another trip to U.S.A in order to convince him just like he did with Koufos.
There is also Calathes brother Pat, 20 years old, who is a bit underrated imo. He has very good stats but the most important is that he seems to be a Fotsis-style player 210 cm playing both SF and PF with nice passing ability. Must buy for those playing World Basketball Manager , I think we should pay attention to him also.

The greek federation already contacted the Calathes brothers earlier this year. There are some obstacles though, especially in Nick Calathes case, otherwise he'd have already played for the U18 this year. If these obstacles can be surpassed (which is not sure at all), then he'll join the U20 next year.

[saras7]

who is calathes?and what his position?

[Russ]

@saras7,

Nick Calathes played his high school basketball in the US State of Florida and will be joining the reigning NCAA champion University of Florida's basketball program this upcoming season as a freshman point guard.

From memory I seem to think Nick is maybe 6 foot 3 inches tall - sorry to not use the metric system (anyway, good size for a point gaurd) - and has a gym rat's mentality in attempting to excel at his chosen sport of basketball.

Apparently, his work ethic has served him well as he earned (If I remember correctly) McDonald's All American status as senior high school player this past season. As you may or may not know, a player being designated a McDonald's AA high school player basically states he is an elite athlete in the sport of basketball in the US.

Nick is not a knock out physically gifted player but he shoots, dribbles, passes, defends and thinks the game as well or better than a high percentage of like aged players.

From my observations, Calathes probably needs to work on gaining physical strength, foot speed and lateral quickness in order to maximize his innate playing ability, of which he has in abundance.

Down the line, Nick could really be a solid, heady, glue type player for the Greek National Team if he is able to become a part of it.

[fasoulaki]

What I am wondering about is, if these Greek-Americans have to be counted as naturalized players in the greek NT.

Ok it is not the same as Holden[ov] playing for Russia but still Koufos and Kalathes are U.S. citizens and will take or already have taken the greek citizenship, too.

If it is like that and only one naturalized player is allowed per team than the greek basketball federation has to make the choice between Koufos and Kalathes and I personally would like to see Koufos playing for Greece.

[THRYLOS]

What I am wondering about is, if these Greek-Americans have to be counted as naturalized players in the greek NT.

Ok it is not the same as Holden[ov] playing for Russia but still Koufos and Kalathes are U.S. citizens and will take or already have taken the greek citizenship, too.

If it is like that and only one naturalized player is allowed per team than the greek basketball federation has to make the choice between Koufos and Kalathes and I personally would like to see Koufos playing for Greece.

Well, it depends at which age you get your passport: if you are younger than 18, you are not considered as a naturalized player. Therefore, both could simultaneously play for Greece...

[fasoulaki]

if you are younger than 18, you are not considered as a naturalized player.

Are you 100% sure about that?

Therefore, both could simultaneously play for Greece...

... if at least one of them has taken the greek citizenship before becoming 18!

[fasoulaki]

I wouldn't worry much about that. Naturalised means a foreigner who gets citizenship by law.

These guys get their citizenship by family roots. They are considered 'homogenouns'. Any person in the world who can document that he had greek ancestors is entitled to a greek citizenship.

I do not now if greek termonology like "homogenouns" fits into FIBA regulations. Greece has very special "imigration" laws and I am not sure if FIBA is willing to accept that.

[fasoulaki]

FIBA has nothing to do with it.

They are Greeks.

FIFA already allows players to play for national teams WITHOUT citizinship!

Well, I would be very pleased about that!

But I am sill sceptical that some poeple will try to use the FIBA regulations to weaken the greek team.

[Big Lebowski]

About Nick Calathes, wikipedia (*) says he'll play for some youth national team of Greece in the future:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nick_Calathes

(*) Considering the source, he'll probably never do that.

[THRYLOS]

I wouldn't worry much about that. Naturalised means a foreigner who gets citizenship by law.

These guys get their citizenship by family roots. They are considered 'homogenouns'. Any person in the world who can document that he had greek ancestors is entitled to a greek citizenship.

That's not correct. In 1989 both greek-americans Stergakos and Korfas were invited to take part in the eurobasket of Zagreb. Stankovic however, was of different opinion. He had discovered that they were naturalized as they did not have greek passport before. Therefore, Korfas was not allowed to take part.

[Trifilli]

It's not about when a player got a passport, but about if/when he was registered as a greek citizen. If you're a registered greek citizen it's absolutely no deal to get a greek passport (it's like renewing your passport), no matter what.

I guess Stergakos and Korfas were americans with greek roots - something that allowed them to get greek passports as well, but FIBA didn't count them as Greeks as they neither had a greek passport nore were registered as Greeks before they turned 18. I know that this isn't the case with Koufos, he's greek-american since his birth and that's why he also received his passport so fast. He won't count as naturalized.
I don't know about the Calathes bros. though, things might be different in their case. The biggest obstacle in Nick Calathes case is not his passport though, but the fact that he played for the Nike USA Elite team in Douai 2006.

[EverGreen]

That's not correct. In 1989 both greek-americans Stergakos and Korfas were invited to take part in the eurobasket of Zagreb. Stankovic however, was of different opinion. He had discovered that they were naturalized as they did not have greek passport before. Therefore, Korfas was not allowed to take part.

It was actually the French that picked something up, not Stankovic.

Greek law stated that to be eligable for citizenship when having come to Greece after the age of 18 you had to be 5 years in the country. Something Korfas hadnt been whilst David Nelson -Stergakos had.

Funny thing is that David Nelson- Stergakos was Irish and doesnt have a drop of Greek blood whilst Korfas does.

[yianis]

Would just like some peoples thoughts on the future of the Greek national team.

Do we have the talent coming thru that will enable us to experience similar success to that which we have with the team since 2005?

Our current team now without Diamantidis, likely no longer with Tsartsaris and Papaloukas and Fotsis now 30 will likely go thru a period of renewal. But are there players there that can fill the void.

Players that come to mind are Koufos and Calathes. Koufos I see as having great potential particularly if he can establish himself in the nba over the next year or two. He may have actually of been better off developing as a european center. I see him more of a Gasol type of center rather than the beefed up old school center that the nba seems to want to turn him into. Then he could of gone to the nba developed rather than raw.

Calathes also seems to have potential with great vision passing and ball handling though needs to work alot on his outside shot.

After that though it seems to be quite downhill. Papanikolaou and Pappas seem to be the other two talents but neither had shown much other than at junior national team level. Papanikolaou according to Kazl didnt seem to show much development since last year.

Sarikopoulos has size but doesnt seem to have soft hands or much in the way of athletisism

Are there other note worthy players with potential?

Your thoughts?

[Victorious]

There is also the PF Bogris who plays at Pao. Also there is Chrisakopoulos who plays at Aris, but he´s even younger. The thing is that most of these players are very young and they need a year or two in order to develop their skills.

Very few Greek players reached a high level when they were younger than 23, and the ones who did, never really got much better. Like Fotsis ot Rentzias for example.

[yianis]

Rentzias really was a disappointment for me I remember watching that golden generation win the junior mens world championship back in 1995 i think it was and thinking if even half these players achieve their potential then we will be one hell of a super power. Rentzias just didnt really improve after the age of 23. I heard he had alot of injuries and injuries can really ruin careers. Few super stars are continually plagued by serious injuries and become world beaters. Sabonis would be one noted exception helps that he was 2.21.

Greats like Jordan, Galis and co went most of their careers with few injuries and were thus able to build on their talents from year to year.

Another disappointment was Papanikolaou from the 95 team he seemed to have all the skills and temperament but only became a good player at best.

Players though from time to time do come out of nowhere like Diamantidis and Papaloukas neither from memory were mentioned a great deal as juniors but are up there with the best guards Greece has produced

I havent really seen much of Chrisakopoulos and Bogris. Ive also heard the name Kaselakis i think it is mentioned but dont know much about him either.

[KWSN-Men]

Papaloukas was a star when he was about 15-16, but then didn't progress as rapidly.

Papanikolaou was scoring 50 and 60 points per game when he was in Liossia, but the guy is stupid and a a$$hole. The only playing I met in junior teams back then that played dirty.

[Perseus]

you missed Elliniadis and Skarafigkas

[rikhardur]

Blazers scouting Chrysikopoulos: http://thehoop.blogspot.com/2010/11/...ulos.html#more

[Alvertis4]

Blazers can go screw themselves... They show no respect to their overseas players. Chrysikopoulos should stay home are in the worse case go to Spain, Russia or Italy

[kukulas]

I think there might be more teams insterested in Chrysikopoulos except Blazers. He has good potential but he needs to work hard and in Greece thats very difficult for new players. So his team will probably try to offload him like they did with Papanikolaou. Thats cuz they know they cant work with him so first chance they get (U-18/19/20's championship). If he starts averaging points/rebounds/assists/steals like crazy he will sell like hot cakes.

He will be signing a new contract with Aris they say for 4 or 5 years and then they'll sell him in the first opportunity that appears. Its more difficult now though cuz Chrysikopoulos' team players are not up to level, even Olympiakos wont spend a 1 million euros now and so they will try to start a bidding game..

I wouldnt worry too much about this year. But from next year or season should i say he will be up for sale.