- Kostas Papanikolau F 2.03 - Patrick Beverley G 1.85 - Linas Kleiza F 2.03 - Von Wafer G 1.96 - Andreas Glyniadakis C 2.15 - Theo Papaloukas G 2.00 - Josh Childress F 2.03 - Nikola Vujcic C 2.11 - Igor Milosevic G 1.92 - Ioannis Bourousis C 2.10 - Yotam Halperin G 1.96 - Panagiotis Vasilopoulos F 2.02 - Milos Teodosic G 1.95 - Sofoklis Schortsanitis C 2.06 - Loukas Mavrokefalides C 2.08 - Konstantinos Sloukas G 1.90 - Haralabos Yiannopoulos F 2.06 - Ioannis Karathanasis F 2.03 Head Coach: Panagiotis Giannakis

Having put an end last season to long years of up-and-down struggle, the 2009-10 Euroleague season points to a clear future for Olympiacos Piraeus, one defined by ambition to be the very best. The Reds advanced to the Euroleague Final Four for the first time in a decade last season on the strength of that long-term vision of greatness. They also came within a last-second missed shot of playing for the Euroleague title again. Now, head coach Panagiotis Giannakis enters the new season with what anyone would admit is one of the deepest teams in the Euroleague. Nine players remain from last season, led by All-Euroleague first-team selection Ioannis Bourousis at center, a recent EuroBasket 2009 bronze medalist with Greece, and second-team selection Theo Papaloukas, a former Euroleague MVP, at point guard. That's not to mention two more former All-Euroleague players in guard Yotam Halperin and center Nikola Vujcic, forward Josh Childress, back to improve on his successful Euroleague debut, and big man Sofoklis Schortsanitis, a game-changer whenever he's playing well. Joining them on Olympiacos this season are a quintet that could no doubt start in a lot of clubs: guards Von Wafer and Patrick Beverley, forward Linas Kleiza, and big men Andreas Glyniadakis and Loukas Mavrokefalides. Also coming aboard for the Reds this season are elite prospects Kostas Papanikolaou, Konstantinos Sloukas and Haralabos Yiannopoulos. It is easy to see that the Reds not only enjoyed their return to the Euroleague elite last season, but plan to stay around as long as possible. With a legend like Giannakis at the head of a bench filled with experience, creativity and flat-out talent, expect to see Olympiacos aiming for the Final Four until it can win its second Euroleague title ever.



Though he still is used mostly off the bench in a sixth-man role, Papaloukas is a Euroleague icon, last season's assists leader and the undisputed king of the Olympiacos backcourt. His incredible career numbers and trophy case hardly do justice to his ability to inspire teammates, make them better and win games. His continued leadership, especially in crunch time, is one of this team's main strengths. Halperin is back as the perfect combo-guard for the Reds' system. A veteran of five Final Fours, he was among the league leaders in three-point shooting accuracy last season. Milos Teodosic, an all-tournament selection after leading Serbia to a silver medal a EuroBasket 2009, arrives in fantastic shape to fight for a bigger role than in the past. Wafer is an electrifying scorer with a great shooting range. He can create his own shot, get to the rim or finish in traffic. Beverley also arrives for his Euroleague debut as a promising all-around newcomer whose scoring, passing, defense and - despite his size - rebounding skills make him a likely contributor as soon as he walks on the court. Igor Milosevic adds even more depth at point guard, while Sloukas and Karathanasis will take any minutes they get as valuable experience for the future.

Childress and Kleiza form a potentially explosive forward tandem for the Reds. Despite the fact that injury shortened his debut Euroleague season, Childress proved to be a team player with great athleticism who helped propel the Reds to the Final Four. Most importantly, he is clearly hungry now for more success. Kleiza, who will also make his Euroleague debut, is a big-time scorer who can fire in three-pointers or get his points inside. He is a solid rebounder and floor-runner, too. No player in the Euroleague had more double-doubles last season than Bourousis, who had the competition's fourth-best performance index rating while blossoming into one of the top big men in the game. Now entering the prime of his career, Bourousis will no longer surprise people when he takes over in the paint. Vujcic adds another dimension from the center position as one of the best passing centers in basketball. That's not to mention that he ranks second on the Euroleague's career charts in both scoring and rebounding. Panagiotis Vasilopoulos, a key contributor with shooting and defense last season, combines toughness with a great feel for the game. Whether with his defense, rebounding, scoring or sheer hustle, he can change games in a matter of minutes. Schortsanitis, the team's other EuroBasket 2009 bronze medalist, has found a niche as an overpowering big man who does his best work in short spurts. But the Reds have big men to spare, including Mavrokefalides, who returns to the Reds after a year away on loan. He can score down low, rebound and block shots, much like Glyniadakis is also ready to use his size to contribute at both ends of the floor. Despite their great promise, Papanikolaou and Yiannopoulos will probably be understudies for much of the season. With the iron hand of Giannakis at the controls, an abundance of talent should only be a plus as the Reds and their fans seek an even higher place than the one they reached at last season's Final Four.

LINAS KLEIZA, FORWARD Olympiacos forward Linas Kleiza certainly didn't take the direct route from his native Lithuania to the Reds, but that doesn't change the fact that this elite all-around weapon should have a major impact on a serious Euroleague contender. Kleiza has shown an ability to put the ball in the basket at every stop in his career to date and the fans in Piraeus are eagerly awaiting to see him do the same this year. Kleiza was destined for stardom from an early age. As a 16-year-old, he carried the Lithuanian national team to the medal round of the European Cadets Championships, leading the tournament in scoring and rebounding despite the presence of several other stars-in-the-making, like Rudy Fernandez, Sofoklis Schortsanitis, Andris Biedrins, Manuchar Markoishvili and Darko Milicic. The following summer, Kleiza took his game to America, first starring in high school and then at the University of Missouri, where he played alongside current Euroleague player Rickey Paulding of EWE Baskets Oldenburg. Kleiza's next stop was Denver of the NBA, where by the time he turned 22, he became a source of instant offense off the bench, even producing a 41-point performance in January 2008. During his seven years in America, Kleiza remained a regular for the Lithuanian national team, winning a EuroBasket medal and appearing in both the Olympics and World Championships. And when the opportunity arose to come to Olympiacos and the Euroleague, he jumped at it. Kleiza brings with him a complete arsenal of scoring weapons, starting with a silky smooth jumper from any range, the ability to shoot off the dribble and a strong move to the basket that often results in dunks. Kleiza is a multi-use player who should quickly find a place in the rotation of head coach Panagiotis Giannakis. As soon as Kleiza learns the skills of his new teammates and they familiarize themselves with Kleiza's game, the rest of the Euroleague had better watch out.