By Eurohoops team / info@eurohoops.net
Sani Bećirović took on the challenging task last summer of reshaping Panathinaikos‘ roster as the sports director, and the results were the best possible, with the Athens team winning both the EuroLeague and the Greek Championship.
Ahead of his second season back at the club he once represented as a player, the team from OAKA Arena has made just one signing so far by adding experienced point guard Lorenzo Brown.
“I think we at Panathinaikos did what was necessary after such a successful season—we kept practically the entire team! On top of that, we added Lorenzo Brown because we believe that alongside Kostas Sloukas, who was the generator and creator, we need another player like that in case of a bad day or, God forbid, an injury. We are still on the market for one more big man. If the market offers the right one—that will be it. We’re all eagerly awaiting the season with even greater competitive energy because we know it’s much easier to win than to defend a title. But I think the guys, all of them from the first to the last, are ready for what awaits us,” Bećirović said to Meridian Sport.
He confirms that Panathinaikos is considering signing a center from the NBA, Turkish international Omer Yurtseven.
“It’s true what’s being written. There’s nothing to hide: he is one of the players we’re interested in. Contact was made; we inquired just to get an idea of whether it’s realistic or not. But there’s still something that needs to align for that transfer to happen.”
Therefore, after a tremendous season, Mathias Lessort might get some competition under the rim.
“Mathias has proven that what he did before at Partizan was no fluke, but that he really is a player who improves year by year and confirms his quality. Because if Lessort was once a player of energy or moments of inspiration, now we have to talk about a truly dominant center. Not just in Europe, but on a global level! I’m glad he’s still with us this year. Of course, our desire is for him to stay with us as long as possible, and we’ll do everything we can to keep him.”
There were reports about NBA interest in Lessort, but that didn’t worry Panathinaikos’ sports director.
“No, but only because he had a contract with us without a clause allowing him to go to the NBA. That’s why I was quite calm. There were even some rumors that there’s now a lot of interest in him. There was interest, but we never got to serious negotiations where it could have been resolved like it was, for example, with Yabusele.”
Talking about the rest of the EuroLeague, Bećirović emphasized the job Fenerbahçe and Monaco did this summer and commented on the moves made by Serbian clubs Crvena Zvezda and Partizan.
“Fenerbahçe was quite good in the market, active, and made really good adjustments. Then there’s Monaco, which also changed the team a bit, adding what they might have been missing. I’m waiting to see what Milano will be like. Crvena Zvezda and Partizan are absolutely teams that have mixed things up really well. Especially Partizan, which we’re all eager to see how it will function. Because, on the one hand, they’re a new team with new players, and on the other, the expectations of the audience and everyone else in Belgrade are extremely high. I think the EuroLeague will be stronger,” Bećirović concluded.