Introducing the 2008-Generation

During the Rising Stars U18, we are given the opportunity to familiarize ourselves with the 2008 Generation in Greece through the Hellas U16 team that is participating.

One revolutionary idea for this year's Rising Stars U18 was the inclusion of the Hellas U16 team in the tournament program. Continuing their preparation for their first-ever official games on the European stage as a National Team, following the U15 Friendship tournament (in which Spain, France, and Italy participated) during the summer, the 2008 Generation (or class of 2026) is given the opportunity to perform and showcase their potential during the season in a series of challenging games against older players.

At the same time, coaches are able to monitor how their players, from the available pool, perform in such situations and better evaluate them.

Through the games played both in the summer and now, we have been able to draw some conclusions about some of the top prospects in this generation. Chrisostomos Chatzilamprou (G, 198cm/6’6, Aris) and Alexandros Skliros (C, 204cm/6’8, Promitheas Patras) are two players who have excelled so far.

Chrisostomos Chatzilamprou

Chatzilamprou did not play during the first weekend of the Rising Stars U18 games at all. He also was not called up in the recent practices of the U16 National Team. Apparently, there has been a punishment towards the player and his agents for some violation during his transfer to Aris. But this is already a past story, and he is ready to shine and prove once again why he is the country’s top prospect in his generation. He is the go-to-guy for both the U16 National Team and Aris.

Chatzilamprou is a tall and lengthy guard who excels in scoring, having a plethora of ways to score. He trusts his 3-pointer a lot and can shoot off-dribble in isolation situations he likes. His off-ball game is also good, but he does not move like a classical off-ball shooter. What he does, though, is cut off-ball, go backdoor, taking advantage of how closely they defend him. What is important is his trust in his shot behind the arc, for which he is never reluctant. His shooting form starts relatively low but is fast, smooth, and fluid in execution.

Alexandros Skliros

Skliros is the most promising big man of this generation. Standing at 6’8, Skliros is a strong and skillful center in the post, showcasing thus far some good post moves and finishes close to the rim. He exhibits stable footwork and the ability to finish with both hands, using fakes without losing his stability. Offensively, he is a player who can play both Pick and Roll and fight for a post position. During the first weekend of the Rising Star Tournament, he showed some of those attributes and features of his game. Defensively, Skliros was able to grab many rebounds against stronger opponents and block shots on different occasions.

More prospects with upside

Apart from those two, there are also some other prospects who made a good impression. Vasilis Chartonas (SG, 190cm/6’3, DEKA) is a lengthy shooting guard with a big wingspan and a great understanding of the game. He mostly operates in the perimeter and attacks from behind the arc. His shooting mechanics seem fluid and fast. Chartonas averaged the most minutes during the first three games for Hellas U16 (22:59).

Pavlos Petalotis (G, 194cm/6’4, Aris) is another sizable guard in the team's backcourt. He is a versatile player who can contribute on both ends. Offensively, he can drive to the rim from both sides (strong and weak hand), displaying good looks and finishes. His footwork, using fakes without committing a traveling violation, is impressive. Defensively, he can cover both guards and forwards, demonstrating good timing for deflections (leading to blocks and steals).

Alexandros Pagoulatos (F/G, 198cm/6’6, Olympiacos) contributed with his versatility on both ends. He was second in rebounds (6.3) for Hellas U16. Vasilis Ioannou (G, 189cm/6’3, Panerythraikos) orchestrated the U15 team greatly during the summer friendship tournament. Thus far, he hasn't been able to showcase this at the same volume in the Rising Stars U18.

Ioannis Kostoulas (F, 193cm/6’4, DEKA), Athanasios Asimenios (F, 202cm/6’8, Eurohoops), and Christos Venetidis (G, 192cm/6’4, Aris) showed glimpses of their upside during the first three games. Dimitris Poulos (G, 183cm/6’0, Aris Skalas), Giorgios Kotsaras (G, 190cm/6’3, Platon), Antonis Manolitsakis (1.91/6’3, Promitheas Patras), Alexandros Tsonis (G, 183cm/6’0, Doukas), and Theodoros Papanikolaou (G, 197cm/6’6, Panathinaikos) did not have much playing time, and facing older players made it difficult for them to showcase more of their talent.

Players to deput

In the upcoming two-day games, more players have been called to debut on this year’s Rising Stars U18. These include: Sotiris Paralikas (Olympiacos), Giorgios Lampios (Kervanos Larisas), Nikos Papadatos (AONS Milon), Dionisis Liveris (PAOK), Charalampos (PAOK), and Dimitris Stamoulos (Androgeas).

In the following days, I will try to post as many videos as possible from players of this generation. Stay tuned and make sure to follow @Prospects_Greece on all social media platforms.