Zalgiris head into the first double week on the back of their impressive road win in Belgrade, while Olympiacos return to EuroLeague action just hours after lifting the Greek Super Cup, facing their first major challenge of the season.
The opening round offered a first glimpse of what may lie ahead, but the double week leaves no room for second thoughts. In Kaunas, Zalgiris and Olympiacos go head-to-head on Tuesday evening (20:00 CET, Novasports Prime) in the Class of the Titans matchup of Round 2 in the EuroLeague.
Both teams made it clear from the start that they intend to be part of the race at the top of the competition. Zalgiris, in particular, secured one of the standout wins of the opening round, beating Crvena Zvezda 83-77 in Belgrade. Olympiacos, meanwhile, began their title defense with an emphatic 106-89 victory over Baskonia in Vitoria.
The Lithuanian champions have announced a sellout for the game — their 42nd consecutive one — while the presence of Shaquille O’Neal will add an even more special touch to the occasion.
Zalgiris have changed, but the ambition remains the same
The summer brought significant changes to Kaunas. Sylvain Francisco and Moses Wright left the club, while the front office moved quickly to build a different-looking roster. Carsen Edwards, Jonas Valanciunas, Sterling Brown and Marius Grigonis joined a core that still retains several of last season’s key pieces.
The first competitive test was certainly encouraging. Edwards and Valanciunas scored 13 points apiece in Belgrade, but Nigel Williams-Goss made the biggest overall impact, finishing with 14 points and six assists in 25 minutes. Azuolas Tubelis added 10 points and 12 rebounds, showing that he could have an important role in the new-look team.
However, Williams-Goss will not be available against Olympiacos. He suffered a hamstring injury late in the opening game and is expected to be sidelined for around two weeks. Saben Lee is also still working his way back from the injury he suffered in preseason. That puts even greater responsibility on Edwards and Maodo Lo against Olympiacos.
There is another noticeable change in this year’s Zalgiris: they want to play at a higher pace. Edwards is particularly effective when he finds space in transition, while the roster features several players capable of punishing defenses from beyond the arc. In the Lithuanian league, they have opened the season 3-0, beating Gargzdai (98-77), Neptunas (93-69) and Siauliai (83-82).
Olympiacos come into Kaunas after a very different four-day stretch
Olympiacos, meanwhile, have not had the luxury of rest. After the 106-89 win in Vitoria, they played two more games in the Greek Super Cup and lifted the trophy for a fifth consecutive time. They beat AEK 93-80 in the semifinal before defeating PAOK 101-96 in the final.
Sasha Vezenkov was once again the reference point. He scored 22 points in Vitoria, before finishing the Super Cup final with 25 points and 10 rebounds in 34:40. Tyler Dorsey scored 25 in the EuroLeague opener, while Jean Montero announced himself with 15 points, five rebounds and five assists.
The big question, therefore, is not about Olympiacos’ quality, but how quickly they can find the same level of intensity again after an extremely demanding schedule. Giorgos Bartzokas put it clearly before the trip to Kaunas: this is five games in seven days, and his team did not have a single normal practice before facing Zalgiris.
Bryant Dunston has also been added to the equation. Returning to Olympiacos after 11 years, he traveled with the team to Kaunas. Nikola Milutinov, however, did not make the trip as he is dealing with tendonitis.
Vezenkov and Valanciunas headline the matchup
One of the individual matchups likely to attract plenty of attention will take place in the frontcourt. Tubelis will have to deal with Vezenkov in a battle that is not only about rebounding and scoring, but also about how effectively you can limit a player who constantly forces defenses to adjust.
At the other end, Valanciunas gives Zalgiris a very different focal point. The 34-year-old center returned to Europe after 14 years in the NBA and made his presence felt immediately, scoring 13 points and providing a strong presence around the basket in his EuroLeague debut in Belgrade.
Zalgiris want to find out how far they can go with their new-look style, while Olympiacos must show that they can maintain the same level of performance under very different circumstances, with virtually no preparation time and their bodies already paying the price for the schedule.
A game that says more than the standings
It is only Round 2, and no result is going to define the season. It can, however, provide plenty of answers.
Zalgiris want to confirm that their win in Belgrade was more than just an impressive opening-night performance. Olympiacos, meanwhile, want to pick up where they left off in Vitoria, this time in an environment that demands a different kind of management and against a team that has already shown it can impose its own pace.
Zalgiris want to confirm that Belgrade was only the beginning. Olympiacos want to show that they can carry their level from Vitoria into a completely different challenge.
