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.
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