By Aris Barkas
When “sneaky” Pete Michael was first introduced to European basketball, he came to Greece as a guard/forward back in 2003-04 season for Peristeri BC. But that was a long time ago and many things have changed.
The one thing that remains the same is the way that Michael seems to always contribute in the floor when games really matter. That happened last night when he had his best game yet this season in Euroleague (22 points, 25 ranking) in the first win of Barcelona against Unics Kazan (78-66).
Not bad for a guy that in his first year in European basketball learned under the tutelage of Greek coach Argyris Pedoulakis to play even as a power forward. That’s how the versatile Pete Michael, that we all now know, was born and it’s a memory that the American still cherish.
Michael was marvelous against Unics, hitting all his open shots (4/4 threes) and that makes you wonder what if he was healthy last year. Barcelona lost the play offs to Panathinaikos and the chance to defend its 2010 Euroleague crown at home, where the 2011 Final Four was held.
The core of the Greens’s strategy was simple. Stop Navarro – something that they did – and let everybody else try to beat us. Could this be possible for them if Pete Michael was at the floor? Well, Michael was injured and finally Panathinaikos got one more Euroleague title. But this year Michael is back, he is already 34 years old and he knows that he will not have many more chances to get to the top of Europe. So, Unics beware…