Kommatos snubbed for weekly MVP honor?

Did I mention Maroussi just can’t catch a break? Star forward Nestoras Kommatos doesn’t seem the type to get worked up about player of the week honors. He’s almost 35 years old and has won a Euroleague title (Maccabi Tel Aviv, 2005). But I bet his old bones would feel better with a little recognition for his one-man show (40 points; seven 3-pointers) up in Thessaloniki.

Nestoras Kommatos

But — and there’s always a “but” in Maroussi World — the league selected always stellar Zack Wright as MVP of last weekend’s games. Wright is the American point guard for Reythmno, on the island of Crete. He’s very good. I attended Reythmno’s game at Peristeri — in Athens earlier this season — and when he went to the bench because of foul trouble, Peristeri went on a run and almost tied the game. He returned, regained control, and his team won. Fans also threw stuff at the referees and Reythmno players (I’ll post those videos at a later date).

It’s the fourth time this season that Wright has won Greece’s version of Player of the Week. He’s a lock for the All Star game (see ‘League cancels All Star game’). Wright was instrumental in helping Reythmno beat Ilysiakos 71-67 in a road game following a loss, so it’s a good win. He scored 16 points and recorded 7 rebounds, 4 steals and 4 assists, with no turnovers. His efficiency rating was 25. He shot 4 of 10 from inside the 3-point line, 1 of 3 beyond it, and 5 of 8 from the free throw line.

Kommatos scored 40 points against PAOK, in an 86-82 loss, going 7 of 15 on 3-pointers, although he missed his last five 3-point attempts. He had 7 rebounds, three assists, a steal and four turnovers. He hit 11 of 14 free throws. To boot, he played without his starting point guard — and two other teammates have already bailed because they weren’t getting paid — so he was essentially his team’s only scoring threat. His efficiency rating was 42. The system rewards the highest rating on the winning team, but rules are made to be bent.

A hoops snub? This must be how Mark Wahlberg felt when Oscar overlooked his performance in “The Fighter” — not to mention “Rock Star.”

Anyway, Wright graciously told the league’s website, esake.gr, that his award is a “team honor.” Maroussi (0-16) visits Panionios (12-5) on Wednesday in downtown Athens and hosts Reythmno (9-7) on Saturday, February 25.

League cancels All Star game

The Greek basketball league has canceled its All Star game, saying the country’s ongoing financial crisis is to blame.

The league’s main sponsor, betting company OPAP, has been under pressure to increase its charitable spending because of the crisis and recession in Greece, where unemployment is close to 21 percent.

OPAP, which is partially owned by the Greek state (34 percent stake), has spent millions of euros rebuilding municipal stadiums and playgrounds, in addition to sponsoring the professional basketball and soccer leagues. It is also giving 5 million euros to Greece’s Olympic preparations for the London Games.

The basketball league, ESAKE, and the players’ association, PSAK, on Saturday jointly announced the decision to cancel the March 4 game, saying any available funds should be devoted to the “greater needs of society.”

They thanked the thousands of fans who voted online for All Star candidates. The game historically pits Greek stars versus the league’s international stars. The ballots have been removed from the league’s website.

Kommatos scores 40 points in Maroussi loss

Nestoras Kommatos had such a good game today, he probably could have solved Greece’s debt crisis, just on sheer willpower. Maroussi lost 86-82 to PAOK, extending its season-long losing streak to 16 games. But his display of blood — literally; he elbowed a defender in the mouth — and guts leadership was instant-classic worthy.

Nestoras Kommatos

Kommatos scored 40 points, and added 7 rebounds and 3 assists. He found his inner Kobe Bryant — probably more Paul Pierce, actually — by scoring on spin moves in the paint, mid-range jumpers, 3-pointers (seven), and from the foul line, not to mention a dunk. All this from a veteran who turns 35 in May. He played 38:19 minutes, getting just a quick breather in the third quarter.

Fatigue may have been a factor in the fourth quarter, however. Kommatos scored 8 points in the quarter, but he went 0-5 on 3-point attempts. PAOK outscored Maroussi 14-6 in the final three minutes.

The outburst was all the more impressive considering Kommatos, the league’s second-leading scorer (20 ppg) entering the game, was Maroussi’s only real scoring threat. Point guard Yannis Gagaloudis (15 ppg) didn’t make the trip, because of a long-running dispute with PAOK, his former team, over money owed to him. Frank Elegar, a center, and Dimitris Haritopoulos, a power forward, recently left the team, which has been underpaying its players all season.

Only in the fourth quarter did PAOK find a way to slow Kommatos, a two-time Greek league All Star. The Thessaloniki club switched to full-court presses to disrupt Maroussi’s offensive flow — which largely amounted to ‘get the ball to Nestoras and set some picks,’ and with great effectiveness. Gagaloudis’ absence was more evident at this point.

Still, Lefteris Akepsimaidis performed well at the point. He scored 13 points and had three assists, playing all but 30 seconds of the game. Three-point specialist Prodromos Nikolaidis scored all 12 of his points from behind the arc. And Maroussi’s pair of 17-year-old centers — Lampros Tsontzos and Dimitrios Agravanis — played with increasing confidence. They combined for 10 points on 4-of-7 shooting, 4 rebounds, and 9 fouls.

The game paralleled other Maroussi losses: lots of hustle, a late lead, but then something goes wrong. PAOK led 80-78 when Kommatos sank a long jumper with 45 seconds remaining. Giannis Kalambokis, who led PAOK with 16 points, put his team ahead 82-80 on two free throws.

Kommatos then missed a 3-point attempt with 15 seconds remaining and Serbian forward Milutin Aleksic (15 points) was fouled and hit both free throws, giving PAOK a 4-point lead, which effectively sealed the win. Kommatos and Kalambokis traded free throws to end it.

J.R. Giddens, a Boston Celtics draft pick in 2008, sat out with a wrist injury while his PAOK teammate Aaron Pettway had a quiet night — 2 points and 4 rebounds in 14 minutes.

Any given Saturday?

When you consider the factors surrounding Maroussi’s game against PAOK today, it’s hard to be optimistic about the black-and-yellow ending its losing streak. Players awoke early this morning to catch an 8:35 am flight to Thessaloniki. It’s an hour-long flight but the team had been concerned about fog.

Yes, fog, as if the 0-15 squad needed another headache. Seems fog has been a longtime problem at the coastal airport in Thessalonki, Greece’s second-largest city. Who knew? Use that nugget at your next dinner party.

Alas, they landed as planned. As for the game (5 pm local time), Maroussi’s 17-year-old centers — Lampros Tsontzos and Dimitrios Agravanis — will have to deal with American big man Aaron Pettway. He’s not as skilled as Nana Harding, who went for 24 points and 14 rebounds last week against Maroussi, but he’s definitely bigger: 6-11, 250 pounds.

The 32-year-old Pettway, who took up basketball while in the U.S. Air Force after high school, told the Greek league’s official website, esake.gr, that “we need a win” after two consecutive losses. PAOK coach Soulis Markopoulos credited Maroussi’s toughness and said he’s not underestimating them, despite their financial and personnel issues.

Maroussi’s starting point guard Yannis Gagaloudis did not make the trip (see previous post). He’s averaging 15 points per game, so that leaves Nestoras Kommatos as Maroussi’s lone serious scoring threat. He is just off the league lead in scoring, at 20 ppg, but PAOK might want to consider double — hell, triple-teaming him — all day. Kind of like the New England Patriots shutting down Hakeem Hicks and Victor Cruz, and making Mario Manningham beat them in the Super Bowl. That plan worked, right?

Former Boston Celtics player J.R. Giddens is questionable for PAOK with a wrist injury.

Coach: I’m here ‘until the end’

Boston Celtics coach Doc Rivers has described his team’s franchise-record 18-game losing streak in 2007 as “hell.” Maroussi coach Nikos Linardos can relate. His team is 0-15 and players are jumping ship because they’ve been underpaid for months.

Yannis Gagaloudis and coach Nikos Linardos

Linardos, however, isn’t giving up. There are 10 games remaining, including at PAOK in the northern city of Thessaloniki tomorrow evening. “I have to fight with my players until the end,” he said after a team practice Thursday night.

The 48-year-old coach is well-respected in Greece. He was an assistant for Maroussi for much of the past decade, when the club was in the elite class with Olympiakos and Panathinaikos. Back then, ownership threw lots of money at the team, but not now.

Two starters have left because they weren’t getting paid on time — or in full. Linardos, like his players, had been assured before the season that the financial problems would be resolved. They haven’t.

Linardos played for the Greek national team that won the 1987 EuroBasket championship. Greece defeated the Soviet Union 103-101 in overtime for the gold. US-born Nick Galis averaged 37 ppg for Greece in the tournament, which is credited with reviving interest in basketball in Greece.

Red Auerbach and the Celtics drafted Galis out of Seton Hall in 1979, a year after selecting Larry Bird. He hurt his ankle in training camp, was released and never played in the NBA, but he’s a legend in Greece, where he played from 1979 to 1994.

Maroussi staggers into next game; ex-Celtic Giddens questionable

Possibly the best news for winless Maroussi heading into its next game is players will be spared the indignity of two six-hour bus rides. Maroussi travels to Thessaloniki, where it faces PAOK (6-10) on Saturday. The cash-strapped club considered renting a bus to save a few bucks. Instead, it will fly, although departure from Athens is the morning of the game — hotels aren’t free, after all — rather than the night before.

Buzzkill alert: starting point guard Yannis Gagaloudis is not expected to make the trip, club officials said. Gagaloudis played two seasons for PAOK and claims the club still owes him 50,000 euro. That well-publicized dispute seems to be at the center of Gagaloudis’ preference to remain home. Because of Maroussi’s financial position — underpaying players all season — it has no leverage to force him to play. So Maroussi will send just five professionals — and a handful of amateurs from the junior team. Gagaloudis, a savvy but hot-tempered (see video ‘The Reaction’ below) veteran, has expressed his desire to leave Maroussi this season if he gets a good offer to play abroad.

That means more work for Lefteris Akepsimaidis, who played very well (12 points, 6 assists, 4 rebounds) with increased minutes last Saturday in an 89-81 loss to Ilysiakos.

PAOK topped Maroussi 71-69 back in November, led by Rashad Wright, who scored 17 points and sank clutch free throws late in the game. But he’s now playing in France.

J.R. Giddens, drafted by the Boston Celtics in 2008, scored 15 points for PAOK in that game, including a key dunk late in the fourth quarter. Giddens is averaging just over 8 points and nearly 6 rebounds per game.

Giddens missed one game in late January, reportedly sitting out because he hadn’t been paid — a common problem with many Greek clubs, including Maroussi. The dispute seems to have been resolved. Giddens played last weekend. However, a lingering wrist injury may limit his minutes against Maroussi.

PAOK’s top scorer is big man Dimos Dikoudis, who averages 15 points per game. Like Maroussi’s go-to guy Nestoras Kommatos (20 ppg), Dikoudis is 34 years old. He’ll be a handful for Maroussi’s teenaged centers, who have been forced to play significant roles because of recent departures (Frank Elegar, Dimitris Haritopoulos).

PAOK doesn’t like shooting 3-pointers, averaging just 11 attempts per game in its past five matches. Maroussi launched 21 attempts last Saturday.

Can Maroussi’s Big Two crack All Star roster?

Making the All Star team is a longshot for Maroussi stars Nestoras Kommatos and Yannis Gagaloudis, but stranger things have happened. After all, what’s the likelihood of a team going winless through 15 games, losing in almost every way imaginable?

Nestoras Kommatos

Kommatos and Gagaloudis, both Greek, are certainly deserving, as are players on other clubs. However, league powerhouses Panathinaikos and Olympiakos have huge fan bases, giving their players the inside track. Of course, they’re very good, too.

The March 4 game features ‘Greek Stars vs. Rest of the World.’ Fan voting is open through Feb. 22. So far, there have been 29,000 votes for Greek players and 17,000 for the league’s international players. Fans can vote at the league’s website, http://www.esake.gr. (Google Translate helps; Kommatos translates to ‘Party’).

Nine of 13 players on the Greek roster last year were from either Panathinaikos (six) or Olympiakos (three). The Greeks won the (no-defense) game 141-122.

Entering last weekend’s game, Gagaloudis was leading the league in assists, with 5.7 per game, although he had none in Saturday’s loss during which he was ejected for protesting a no-call (see ‘Maroussi falls short again’). His 15.5 points per game puts him in the top 10 of scoring. He was an All Star in 2006.

Yannis Gagaloudis

Kommatos averages just under 20 points per game, which is second to league leader Dionte Christmas (20 ppg), a Temple alum who plays for Reythmno. The 34-year-old Kommatos was an All Star in 2003 and 2004.

Maroussi’s players have performed under considerable stress, having been underpaid all season long. The financially strapped club — once a power like Panathinaikos and Olympiakos — is headed for relegation.

Christmas seems a likely choice for the ‘Rest of World’ team, especially after a 41-point output (eight 3-pointers) in a recent loss to Olympiakos.

Still, even the international team is typically heavy with Panathinaikos and Olympiakos players. Last year, the two teams had five of the 12 spots. Mike Baptiste (Panathinaikos) was the top vote-getter overall with 3,760 votes last year.

Other international candidates include Zack Wright and Brent Petway (Reythmno), Marcus “Mo” Hatten (Colossus Rhodes), Alex Stepheson and Jon Diebler (Panionios), Aron Baynes, Jimmy Baxter, and Romel Beck (Ikaros), Darryl Thompson and Nana Harding (Ilysiakos), J.R. Giddens (PAOK), and Kyle Hines (Olympiakos). Other Panathinaikos internationals include Steven Smith, Mike Logan, Sarunas Jasikevicius, and Romain Sato.

Maroussi falls short again

As a fan of the Boston Red Sox, I know a crushing defeat when I see one. If Maroussi’s 89-81 loss tonight against Ilysiakos doesn’t shred the team’s soul, I don’t know what would. Maroussi is now 0-15.

Maroussi, forced to insert a 17-year-old into the starting five, found itself leading 81-76 with just over 2 minutes to play. Then it got ugly. Ilysiakos pulled even with a 3-pointer, followed by two free throws by Nana Harding (24 points, 14 rebounds) with 1:18 to play.

Tied at 81-81, a loose ball headed out of bounds — for a Maroussi possession — but Maroussi coach Nikos Linardos touched the ball at the sideline before it was declared out. That’s a technical foul. Nikos Chatzis sank both free throws, giving Ilysiakos an 83-81 lead with 47 seconds remaining.

Ilysiakos gained possession after a Maroussi miss, but point guard Yannis Gagaloudis (16 points) stole a pass and was fouled. He took the inbounds pass and drove toward the basket. Defender Darryl Thompson (12 points; all on 3-pointers) fell backward and Gagaloudis lost the ball, expecting a foul. No call. Chatzis stole the ball, was fouled, sank two more free throws, making it 85-81 with 18 seconds left.

Incensed, Gagaloudis badgered the referees at midcourt during a timeout that lasted a good 10 minutes as an assistant coach tried to steer him toward the bench. He received a double-technical and was ejected before removing his yellow jersey and walking toward the locker room.

Chatzis hit four more free throws — for the technical fouls — to make it 89-81.

Wait, there’s more. The three refs, one of whom was taking abuse from a fan, then walked off the court with 14 seconds remaining. Players and coaches on both sides weren’t sure what to do. They lingered on the court for about 15 minutes. Then, the refs reappeared and the final seconds were ticked off the clock.

Maroussi led by as many as 14 points (37-23) in the second quarter.

The end-game mess overshadowed a superb effort by Maroussi, which played without center Frank Elegar (see previous post), who is leaving to likely join a club in Turkey, and minus starting power forward Dimitris Haritopoulos, who signed with a French club. Overall, Maroussi played smaller and faster. They rotated two teenagers in the center spot. Ilysiakos finished with 37 rebounds to Maroussi’s 28.

Nestoras Kommatos led Maroussi with 22 points, 13 rebounds and 5 assists. Lefteris Akepsemaidis contributed 12 points and 6 assists.

Elegar leaves team, has offer in Turkey

Frank Elegar has become the latest Maroussi player to leave the team. The American, who was Maroussi’s starting center and an excellent defender, told me he has an offer from a club in Turkey, and likely will go there early this week. Like his teammates, he’s been underpaid for most of the season. Maroussi’s president informed the players Friday that they may not get paid again until the end of the season, and that they’re free to sign elsewhere. Dimitris Haritopoulos, a power forward, left earlier this week and signed a contract with a French club.

Elegar, a 25-year-old Drexel grad, attended Saturday’s game against Ilysiakos, and sat in the stands behind the Maroussi bench. He was greeted warmly by several passersby. He told me it was hard to watch his (former) team play but that he couldn’t risk an injury on the verge of a new contract. Elegar averaged 9 points and 5 rebounds per game, and his 1.1 blocks per game was among the best in the league.

Who are these guys?

Guard Yannis Gagaloudis, 33, and forward Nestoras Kommatos, 34, comprise the core and heart of the team. Gagaloudis leads the league in assists (6 per game) and scores 15 points per game. Kommatos scores 19 points per game. That’s second best in the league. Both are Greek and have played internationally. Kommatos played on the Tel Aviv Maccabi team that won the 2005 Euroleague championship.

Gagaloudis (6-3, 180) is skinny, quick — he also smokes; very Greek — sometimes uses soccer-style theatrics to get a call from the refs and can get under the skin of opponents. Just ask new Olympiakos guard Acie Law, who got so frustrated with Gagaloudis that he threw the ball at his legs after a foul. Kommatos (6-8) is always around the ball — the offense runs through him — and shoots 57 percent from the field.

Gagaloudis recently told me that earning a victory is “the most important thing” right now. “For everybody else, it means nothing. We’ll be 1-15. For us, it would be like taking the championship. You remember, in Greek mythology, Hercules? He fights everybody. It would be like this.”

Frank Elegar, 25, is the lone international import. Most teams have three or four imports (see ‘Why Maroussi?’ post for explanation). A center, Elegar is lanky (6-9, 225), plays solid defense, usually against bigger opponents, and scores when called upon (9 points per game). He’s a Drexel alum. Dimitris Haritopoulos, a 28-year-old power forward, left for France. (see Tony Parker post).

Maroussi has lost four games by 2-point margins. They lost 89-84 to Olympiakos (14-1) on Jan. 21, and gave Panathinaikos (14-1) a scare, 93-84, earlier in the season.

Winning just got harder; merci Tony Parker

Maroussi’s hopes for a win or two this season took a blow on Jan. 30 when power forward and leading rebounder Dimitris Haritopoulos (6-9, 240) escaped transferred to French club ASVEL. Tony Parker of the San Antonio Spurs is a part-owner and played with the team during the NBA lockout. Haritopoulos is a lunchpail, in the paint hard worker. He averaged 12 points and his 7.6 rebounds per game was third-best in the league. He was playing 32 minutes per game as well. Maroussi hasn’t been able to pay its players full salaries — they’re getting about half, maybe a bit more, according to the club — so the team can’t stop players from leaving.

If there’s a bright side, it’s that Maroussi was thisclose to winning Jan. 7 against KAO Drama (75-74 final) with Haritopoulos on the bench in foul trouble for much of the game.

Of course, if center Frank Elegar leaves, too … it would get ugly. Elegar (6-9, 225) is averaging 9 points, 5 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game.

Why Maroussi? Five reasons to care

Maroussi was a Top 16 Euroleague team just two years ago. Then the money stopped flowing. They’re now 0-15 and one of their top players just defected to France. No Greek A1 team has ever gone winless for the season. They’ll almost certainly be relegated to a lower division next year. So, why care? Five reasons:

5. The Greek financial crisis. The club’s owner (who is no longer the club president) is in the construction business, which has ground to a halt during the country’s financial crisis. No business = no euros for team (especially players). It’s more complicated than that, but you get the picture.

4. FIBA’s influence. European clubs have long treated player contracts like suggestions, rather than agreements. Now, players and their agents have smartened up. They include a clause in their contracts, giving either side the right to seek arbitration through FIBA. Former Maroussi player Jared Homan won his case — FIBA ruled that Maroussi owed him about $110,000. Maroussi didn’t pay, so FIBA imposed a ban on signing new players.

3. The fans. After one recent loss — Maroussi missed a potential game-winning shot at the buzzer — a group of fans walked across the court to the Maroussi bench, where they applauded the players’ effort and consoled them with handshakes and words of encouragement. That was cool.

2. Greek basketball. It’s bad. Financially, anyway. It’s not just Maroussi. Other teams have been slapped with FIBA bans because they owe money. Greece used to be one of the top leagues — if not the best — in Europe. It might not be in the top 5 right now. Like Maroussi, it’s hard to envision its survival.

1. The players. They’re the ultimate underdogs. Most teams have three or four imports (usually American). Maroussi has one, and he’s thinking about leaving. They have just 6 pro players on the roster (Homan-FIBA issue). If starters get into foul trouble, the coach inserts teenagers and crosses his fingers. Here’s the thing — they’re good. They have the #2 scorer in the league and the point guard is the league’s assists leader. In the games I’ve seen, they bust their asses.