“Everybody believed at the end of the season, we will have a chance to reach our big goals. And now. Of course, to be in the Final Four is a great feeling for Panathinaikos fans. But now, all of us, we want more,” Coach Ergin Ataman said as he looked ahead to the games in Berlin, which open with a Friday evening showdown between his Greens and Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul.

Ataman was careful to note that his team was essentially built from scratch, with only three holdovers from the 2022-23 season. It took time, but as he mentioned: “This team, after the second part of the regular season, started to play excellent basketball.”

A true players coach, Ataman gives his charges confidence and freedom. But with that comes expectations.

“The players will decide the results of the game,” he added.

Fortunately for Ataman, he has three of the biggest stars of the league on his roster and each of them opined on what it will take to bring the EuroLeague Trophy back to Athens.

“It’s gonna come down to making it a dog fight,” All-EuroLeague First Team center Mathias Lessort explained. “Fight for every ball, fight for every possession. Defensively, offensively, take care of the ball. No turnovers.”

The team’s top scorer and fellow All-EuroLeague First Teamer Kendrick Nunn shared that sentiment or getting the job done on both ends of the floor: “I think our ability to get hot offensively will be a big key for us in a one-game setting. And just getting some stops.”

No player at the Final Four has more experience than Kostas Sloukas, a three-time champion who will compete at European basketball’s flagship event for the 10th time.

“We have to be hungry. We have to be physically and mentally ready,” Sloukas advised. “This kind of game, for sure tactics is one thing, but you have to be aggressive and play physical and be strong.”

While many of the Greens will be featuring at a Final Four for the first time, having a confident head coach and leaders to lean on could make a difference for Panathinaikos.