Olmen Debuts in Thessaloniki; Antetokounmpo Sits Out Against Montenegro
Olmen sporting a Beşiktaş jersey, Photo: Eurocup
EuroBasket preparations are heating up in Thessaloniki. Tomorrow (Thursday) at 19 p.m., Kyle Olman will don the red jersey for the first time as they face Greece.
The Montenegrin team, based in the northern port city, will benefit from the addition of the point guard, who finished the last season with Beşiktaş and will be defending Turk Telekom’s colors in the upcoming season.
“This is Olmen’s first time with our squad – I’m pleased with our progress, although we’re lacking a bit of depth and players able to compete at this level. I’m optimistic we will have more players for the European Championship, allowing us a broader rotation for upcoming matches,” said coach Boško Radović on the Federation’s website.
His team faced defeat in the first test match against France despite putting forth a strong effort against one of the world’s top teams, followed by a victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina in Sarajevo.
“Olmen was unavailable for those games, but now he is finally with us, bringing added quality to our team. Additionally, his presence enhances our rotation for the playmaker position leading into the European Championship,” the coach added.
Igor Drobnjak has been playing in that position during the prior two matches.
“He logged significant minutes, likely more than necessary, as he was the only point guard available, but he performed two excellent and mature games,” praised the coach of the former SC Derby point guard.
Greece represents the next challenge before EuroBasket kicks off on August 27th, hosted across Latvia, Finland, Poland, and Cyprus.
“We’re facing another strong national team. I believe in the three remaining preparatory matches until the championship begins, we’ll extend our roster to provide younger players a chance to prove their readiness for the European Championship,” concluded the coach.
Greek coach Vasilis Spanoulis will be without his star player Giannis Antetokounmpo for tomorrow’s match against Montenegro. According to Greek media, the NBA superstar will be part of the 14-man roster for the game, but he will not participate.
Montenegro is set to compete in the EuroBasket group hosted in Tampere, facing off against Germany, Lithuania, Sweden, Great Britain, and the host nation, Finland.
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