Meet the Team! Olympiacos 2022-2023 Roster (About 10 games in)

Hello fellow Olympiacos B.C. fans! 

    As we gear up for another upcoming season of basketball, it's time to meet the stars that will take us to glory in the new year! We will cover the players that have played at least 10 games in this post, in no particular order, but if you want the full roster stats, please see the following link, courtesy of ProBallers Basketball Stats.

Sasha Vezenkov - 18.4 PTS, 7.2 REB, 1.8 AST, 56.9% FG%, 45.1% 3P%

    He is quite literally "the guy" of this team. With incredible averages across the board offensively, he is the dynamo that keeps this team moving. He was named the EuroLeague Round 24 MVP,  his 5th in this year's rounds. Olympiacos‘ number 14 had one of his best performances of the season, with a monstrous double-double of 28 points (season-high) and 13 rebounds, shooting 6/7 from two, 4/6 from three, and 4/5 at the free throw line. The only players that have been named EuroLeague MVP of the Round more than once this season, other than Vezenkov, are Fenerbahce‘s Johnathan Motley and Real Madrid‘s Dzanan Musa, but both of them have done it only on two occasions. The man does it all. Let him cook, and Olympiacos will feast as a result.

Kostas Sloukas - 11.5 PTS, 2.3 REB, 6.6 AST, 40.5% FG%, 89.4% FT%

    The Floor General. Consider him your primary facilitator on the team. 6.6 Assists per game is nothing to sneeze at. Out for a second straight game soon, the hope is that the master of the pass will find his way back to the court very soon as the team comes off a six game win streak.

Kostas Papanikolaou - 8.3 PTS, 3.2 REB, 2 AST, 50.8 FG%, 44.6% 3P%, 0.8 STL

    It's been already 11 years since the first time Papanikolaou represented the Greek national team. Crazy to think how times have changed, yet Kostas remains as effective as ever from 3 and inside the arc. His steals make him a versatile two way player in this league. He'll hopefully have many more years of success to come.

Isaiah Canaan - 6.2 PTS, 1.2 REB, 1.2 AST, 35.1% FG%, 0.7 STL

    Isaiah Canaan scored a EuroLeague season-high 20 points on 6-9 triples and grabbed five rebounds as Olympiacos Piraeus beat Fenerbahce Beko 93 – 73 in Istanbul to sweep the Turkish side in the regular season. Seems as though we could see more great work from the former NBA Phoenix Suns guard.

Tarik Black - 4.6 PTS, 1.4 REB, 0.4 AST, 69% FG%, 0.7 STL

    A former NBA Player himself, Tarik Black puts in work, averaging a stellar field goal percentage as well as helping round out a sturdy defense for this ball club. Unfortunate to see he and teammate Joel Bolomboy get robbed in Athens the other day as yet another victim of thieves, as personal items such as travel documents and backpacks were taken from their car.

Alec Peters - 6.1 PTS, 2.6 REB, 0.6 AST, 49.1% 3P%

    Alec Peters has returned to team practices and participated fully on Saturday. He was out since January 30th after he suffered a leg injury in the Greek League match against Aris Thessaloniki. This is a crucial piece for a team that employs his 49.1% 3P% that makes him a threat anytime he touches the ball.

Shaquielle McKissic 7.5 PTS, 1.2 REB, 1.5 AST,  50% FG%, 73.1% 2P%, 0.8 STL

    "4 seasons and still pushing. More Greek than American. There's no place like home," McKissic wrote on Instagram. That should show you all you need to know about that hot shooting shooting guard. His play warranted a contract renewal at 32, practically the elderly age worthy of medicare in the eyes of the basketball realm.

Giannoulls Larentzakis - 8.2 PTS, 1.8 REB, 1.6 AST,  43.5% FG%, 40.8% 3P%

    In a recent game, an individual season-high, Giannoulis Larentzakis poured 20 points and dished out a career-high ten assists to go with five rebounds, two steals, and one block over 25 minutes. Take this, as well as his encouraging three point shooting this season, as a sign of good things to come.

Thomas Walkup - 7.4 PTS, 2.8 REB, 5.6 AST, 47.2% FG%, 1.8 STL

    Walkup's contract expires in the summer of 2024, on the premise that Olympiacos decide to unilaterally make use of their club option at the end of this season. However, it's common knowledge that the two sides are working on prolonging their bond for a few more years. His impact on the court is undeniable. A threat at all levels of the game. Get the deal done boys. We need him around to have any hopes of success.

Moustapha Fall - 7.8 PTS, 4.5 REB, 1.8 AST, 76.4% FG%, 0.6 BLK, 0.7 STL

    7 foot 2. Only averaging 4.5 rebounds per game. A cause for concern? Don't let that get you down too much, his FG percentage and block totals make up for it for a team that needs strong defensive and offensive firepower on any given night.

Joel Bolomboy - 5.1 PTS, 3.7 REB, 0.8 AST, 60% FG%, 50% 3P%

    As he gets older, Joel finds himself less needed to carry a large playing burden each night, but his 60% FG% and 50% 3P% is nothing to overlook. He's a great bench piece for a team that can go deep into their lineup on any given evening.

Michalis Lountiz - 2.3 PTS, 1.4 REB, 0.6 AST, 66.7% 2P%, 0.7 STL

       As a larger sized guard, Michalis finds himself deeper on the bench than he'd probably like after winning multiple youth gold medals. That being said, the 6'6" point guard/shooting guard can still make a mark on this team when needed.

How far do you think this team will go this season? How many more Round MVPs will Sasha Vezenkov win? What can we expect for the future?

References:

ALEC peters returns to Olympiacos practice, Kostas Sloukas remains out. (2023, February 11). basketnews.com. https://basketnews.com/news-185167-alec-peters-returns-to-olympiacos-practice-kostas-sloukas-remains-out.html

Joel Bolomboy and Tarik Black were robbed in Athens. (2023, February 13). basketnews.com. https://basketnews.com/news-185221-joel-bolomboy-and-tarik-black-were-robbed-in-athens.html

Kostas Papanikolaou on Greek NT: 'We have players at the best age'. (2022, August 8). basketnews.com. https://basketnews.com/news-176216-kostas-papanikolaou-on-greek-nt-we-have-players-at-the-best-age.html

Larentzakis drives Olympiacos to 14-0 in the Greek league. (23, January 29). Eurohoops. https://www.eurohoops.net/en/heba/1455991/olympiacos-beats-aris-89-75-basket-league/

Olympiacos rules out Kostas Sloukas against Fenerbahce. (23, January 30). Eurohoops. https://www.eurohoops.net/en/euroleague/1456177/kostas-sloukas-out-alec-peters-questionable-olympiacos-at-fenerbahce/

Proballers. (2023, February 3). Olympiacos roster, schedule, stats (2022-2023). https://www.proballers.com/basketball/team/188/olympiacos

Sasha Vezenkov named EuroLeague round 24 MVP. (23, February 11). Eurohoops. https://www.eurohoops.net/en/euroleague/1461824/sasha-vezenkov-olympiacos-euroleague-round-24-mvp/

Shaquielle McKissic feels more Greek than American. (2023, January 22). basketnews.com. https://basketnews.com/news-184179-shaquielle-mckissic-feels-more-greek-than-american.html

Thomas Walkup addresses next matchup with PAO, contract extension with Olympiacos. (2023, February 13). basketnews.com. https://basketnews.com/news-185244-thomas-walkup-addresses-next-matchup-with-pao-contract-extension-with-olympiacos.html