He has the individual accolades to go with the domestic titles and adoration from Olympiacos fans. The one thing Sasha Vezenkov is missing is a Euroleague title. In Athens, he gets a chance to change that.
Sasha Vezenkov has done everything he could in Euroleague basketball and more, bar that one thing. He has Euroleague MVP and Alphonso Ford trophies twice over with each. There have been Greek League and cup titles with Olympiacos and he is beloved by the Reds faithful.
At this weekend’s Euroleague Final Four, he gets to tick that final box. At 30, he’s in his prime and poised to be the impact player for Olympiacos. Can he finally end their 13 year wait and his own lifetime one?
A different burden
While the goal remains the same, this is a different challenge for Sasha Vezenkov. After his NBA dalliance didn’t work out, he set about reasserting himself in the Euroleague as one of its top guys.
This past season, he re-cemented himself as simply the top guy. For Olympiacos, that’s great news but it was hardly a surprise to them. Everyone who has watched the Reds know that Vezenkov is just that damn good.
Moreover, unlike last season, the team doesn’t live and die with his performance. That oddly stands to him as he’s allowed room for error, which has made him more comfortable and more devastating to opponents. He is a man that dominates consequences without having to dominate the ball.
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Still the pressure point
Let’s make one thing clear. Giorgios Bartzokas has developed a structure at Olympiacos that they can get the job done with the blend of size, backcourt players, and adjustments that means they can win without Sasha Vezenkov being at his best.
At the Euroleague Final Four? Yeah, it would really help if he’s excellent. Modular as the Bartzokas system is, the cleanest way for it to succeed is if the best piece is absolutely killing it on the floor.
Fenerbahce know what he’s going to try and do and they will try to disrupt him early and often. After getting shaken up by being thrown off his game in last season’s semi final loss to Monaco, Vezenkov will be arriving with a plan to adjust for that kind of heat.
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Athens makes it a bigger deal…
…but not an easier one. Getting to play in commuting distance from Piraeus obviously has its advantages. That Panathinaikos won’t be there will also ensure this is effectively a second home for Olympiacos.
Yet the Euroleague Final Four being at the OAKA only increases the burden for the Reds and Sasha Vezenkov. This is far from a neutral setting emotionally. It’s as close to a home final four as this generation of Olympiacos players will ever get.
That said, it’s worth noting just how good their record at the OAKA in Euroleague games is. I’m sure that a lot of the veteran minds like Vezenkov will be thinking that they are going to a venue where they are used to being tested but equally used to winning.
This is about efficacy
Should Olympiacos end up triumphant at the Euroleague Final Four, it would be expected that Vezenkov will deliver enough to be named MVP of the weekend. Yet that doesn’t mean he has to be a lights out scoring machine.
Vezenkov’s rebounding and creativity, along with his ability to disrupt, will likely play a key role in any victory for the Reds. Don’t be shocked if he forces as much attention onto himself as possible to be the ultimate space-creating machine for his team mates.
For his legacy, Vezenkov already has all the Hollywood aspects. Just plain getting it done is what matters this weekend. With a loaded Olympiacos side, few will bet against him doing just that.