(Image - Nea Smyrni - Athens, Greece - #9 Jon Diebler & Byron Mullens in Panionios Red, White, And Blue - early fall pre-season 2011)
Buckeye: #9 Jon Diebler (Rookie)Position: Guard/Forward
Team: Panionios B.C.
Location: Nea Smyrni District (Athens, Greece)
League: Greece A1 (HEBA)
Profile - Panionios B.C is a name to get familiar with for the 2011/2012 season. The Athens based club is home to two former Ohio State Buckeyes who are playing their first seasons overseas, Brittany Johnson & Jon Diebler. It has been a memorable off-season for Upper Sandusky, Ohio's Jon Diebler. The former Mr. Ohio Basketball got married in late June 2011, was selected by the Portland Trailblazers in the 2011 NBA Draft, and in August he agreed to join Greek club Panionios B.C. for the first stage of his pro career.
It did not take long for Jon (pictured left: arriving in Athens - late Summer 2011) to become famous in Greece after being seen with NBA superstar Kobe Bryant at a Nike House of Hoops event in downtown Athens (late September). And now fans can see what Diebler is about on the court as he dawns the red, white, and blue of Panionios for the 2011/2012 Greek Season.
Like Poland (Lauderdale) & Italy (Lighty), the Greek A1 League presents tough competition to compete against in one's first season overseas. The field is formidable; there is powerhouse Panathinaikos, a revamped Olympiacos team, and then a group of traditional clubs with long histories who are attempting to climb back to the top tier. These teams are Aris, PAOK, Maroussi, and Panionios who most recently played in the Euroleague during the 2008/2009 season (but they did not have a great run last season, finished 9th in the Greek League).We saw some familiar names upon first glancing at Panionios' roster. Two main guards will run the show, veteran American import William Keys (G - 34 - played Israel, Spain, Greece, Eurocup) and Greek Vasilis Xanthopulos (G - 27 - recently played for Greece at the 2011 European Championship). Those two, along with Serbian forward Stevan Nadfeji (32) bring solid experience. At center, Panionios wanted former Buckeye Byron Mullens to be its starting big man for 2011/2011, but Mullens (pictured at the top with Diebler: What could have been, two Bucks on the same squad!) fled back to the States in mid October to be with his Oklahoma City Thunder teammates.
Panionios targeted Mareese Speights of the Philadelphia 76ers as a replacement for Mullens, but instead they came to an agreement with Alex Stepheson, a very solid young big out of Southern California. And it turns out that Diebler still has a former Buckeye as a teammate in Greece because big center Zisis Sarikopoulos is back for his second season with Panionios since leaving Ohio State (roster).
This looks like a solid, if not dangerous mid-level Greek League team on paper right now with a decent mix of experience and young talent. It will take some time to attain a good level of chemistry, but Keys and Xanthopulos are two guards who will be able to quickly facilitate cohesion on the perimeter. Stevan Nadfeji is one of those traditional European forwards that you see on every one of these teams who will do work inside/out, and 7'1 Zisis Sarikopoulos (C - 21) is still an interesting young prospect at backup center.The two young talented American imports Alex Stepheson and Jon Diebler stand out as potential game changers for Panionios. Stepheson was a big time recruit (2006 - Oden Class) out of California who first played at North Carolina before transferring back home to USC. Alex played his first year of international ball in Cyprus last season. The Greek league will be a step up in competition for Stepheson, but many feel that he is of this caliber.
After a wonderful amateur career, Jon Diebler is ready to perform as a professional. Much like Stepheson, we can expect an adjustment period for Diebs, who as a rookie, just needs time to adapt to the international style. Pro play is similar to conference games in D1 NCAA, but on an even higher level. It just takes time to learn the tendencies of all these new clubs and players that you are competing with & against. Yet, for Diebler, we already know that it will only be a matter time before he breaks out as that high level outside threat with an all around floor game that the Portland Trailblazers liked in the 2011 NBA Draft.Jon Diebler (Opening Greek segment Pre-season) by BuckeyeBallersTV
- Panionios' Biggest Early Season Games -
10.22.2011 - Panionios at Kolossos Rhodes (Greek League season Opener on the road)
11.5.2011 - Panionios vs Aris
11.12.2011 - Panionios at PAOK
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