With EuroBasket 2025 tipping off, this is your one-stop destination for in-depth previews of all 24 national teams heading into Europe’s premier basketball tournament. Whether you’re tracking MVP candidates, X’s-and-O’s brilliance, or just figuring out who might crash the medal party, our Power Rankings and team-by-team breakdowns will keep you ahead of the curve.

Greece: Built Around Giannis, But Is It Enough?

Group C – EuroBasket 2025 Preview

Greece heads into EuroBasket 2025 with a proven formula: elite defense, discipline and Giannis Antetokounmpo doing superhuman things. It has worked before and it will keep them in any game. But as always, the question is whether the supporting cast can carry its weight — especially when Giannis is not on the floor. They were quietly shaky in qualifying and unless a few wings step up, they might walk the familiar tightrope between contender and crash-out.

Best Players: Giannis is the obvious focal point and after a strong Olympic campaign in the “group of death” last summer, he enters EuroBasket ready to dominate. His rim pressure, transition game and defensive range change the equation entirely. Papanikolaou brings toughness and defensive stability on the wing. Toliopoulos was the most consistent presence in the qualifiers, playing all six games, though he often took a backseat when higher-caliber talent was available.

Path: Greece finished 5–1 in a surprisingly competitive group. Wins rarely came easy: their largest margin was just 9 points, and even the games against lighter opponents were tight — they beat the Netherlands by 4 and 2, and lost to Great Britain by one. It was enough to qualify comfortably, but not without flashing a few warning signs.

Strengths: Defense is the identity here. Greece finished top-4 defensively in the qualifying stage, and Giannis only elevates that ceiling. The coaching staff does an excellent job masking weaknesses and playing to the strengths of each lineup. Off-ball movement and role clarity are key pillars — though those may shift a bit with Giannis absorbing more on-ball usage.

Weaknesses: The half-court offense remains a concern. Without Giannis, creation dries up quickly, and shooting limitations across the roster can shrink the floor even when he’s in. Spacing remains an issue, and teams that load up the paint can neutralize much of their drive-and-kick action. They’ll need someone to find rhythm as a secondary engine.

Bottom Line: Giannis gives Greece a real chance, and their defense will keep them alive in any matchup. But without better shooting and more reliable creation, the same old story could play out. If role players step up, they’re dangerous. If not, they’ll lean heavily on one of the best player in the tournament to carry the load — again.

Expectation: Dangerous, But Still Dependent

This is a top-heavy team. Giannis can win you a knockout game, but they need more than that to win the whole thing.

This article was co-written by the hosts of the European Hoops podcast, Tiago Cordeiro and André Lemos. Subscribe to the podcast and follow European Hoops on Twitter: @EthosEuroleague.