Neoklis Avdalas

Neoklis Avdalas (F | 196 cm | ’06’) ~ Greece

14.7 pts, 4.1 reb, 2.0 ast, 1.9 stl, 0.9 blck, 3.0 to, FG 46.0%, 3P 28.1%, FT 73.7%

Avdalas led the Greek National Team to the semi-finals and was selected to the All-Tournament team. He didn’t play well consistently during the tournament, especially in the 3rd place game against France (got into foul trouble too). However, his athleticism and shot creating skills are intriguing and he shows a lot of potential. Using his athleticism, Avdalas loves transition basketball and also catching lobs in half court. I think his game has a lot of growing to do but he makes every move seem so cool and watching him give no-look passes, using his footwork to get open and dunk the ball after a steal is so entertaining. Avdalas only averaged 2 assists per game but that number is misleading because his court vision and passing ability offers so much more. On defense, he uses his arms really well to steal the ball and 0.9 blocks (3 against Israel) per game is not bad, he can jump and his timing is promising. He’s not a great on ball defender and it feels like he sometimes tends to start running to the offense while the job in the defensive end is not finished. He also needs to work on making his 3-point shots and being a better finisher around the rim. Overall, Avdalas can be the next big thing for Greece as an all-around player.

(Written by Doruk Karaca)

9.5 pts, FG2-31.3%, FG3-22.1%, FT-71.4%, 4.5 reb, 2.2 ast, 1.8 st, 3.2 to, 0.8 blck

Even though Neoklis Avdalas was one of the youngest players at the tournament in Varese he was able to compete with one or two years older opponents. His stats weren’t that amazing but he definitely showed flashes of his potential and talent and proved that Panathinaikos has a diamond in their team that can be counted on in the future. He was playing a lot with the ball and creating for himself or others. It stood out how fluid he is with the ball and how quick he can read the floor and make good decisions. He didn’t have much problems with creating advantages and looked confident in 1vs1 plays. The shots weren’t falling in with the percentages someone would expect but he is young and I’m sure that the percentages over the years will get better when he matures. A player with high offensive potential and good tools for a versatile defender and I believe we will hear his name often in the next years. 

(Written by Marko Turk)