Panathinaikos won the EuroLeague in 2024. Last season they were eliminated in the playoffs by Valencia in five games, never reaching the Final Four that was held in their own building. That stings differently than a regular elimination. And this summer, the response has been clear.
Four signings, four players with real defensive credentials, one coaching change that reframes everything. Ergin Ataman is gone. Zeljko Obradovic is back — the man who won multiple EuroLeague titles at this very club, several of them by building teams that made scoring feel like punishment. The signings didn't happen by accident. They happened because Obradovic arrived and said what kind of team he wanted to build.
Moustapha Fall — the anchor
Fall comes from Olympiacos, and at 2.18 meters he brings the kind of rim protection that changes how opponents approach the paint — teams have to think differently before they even attempt a drive. Fall's presence alone alters shot selection. That's the most valuable thing a center can do defensively, and it's something Panathinaikos simply didn't have last season.
Guerschon Yabusele — the engine
Yabusele returns to European basketball after two years in the NBA with the 76ers, Knicks and Bulls. But his European reputation tells a different story. At Real Madrid he was one of the most physically dominant forwards in the competition — relentless on the glass, aggressive on ball-handlers, the kind of player who makes the entire defense harder to score against because he brings energy that spreads. He's 29 and signs a three-year deal. This is not a short-term bet.
Brancou Badio — the perimeter pressure
Badio averaged 11.1 points, 2.5 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 38 EuroLeague appearances for Valencia during 2025-26, becoming a key part of Valencia's run to the EuroLeague Final Four. His defensive impact became one of his defining qualities, with his perimeter pressure helping Valencia compete against elite backcourts. In an era where guards need to switch, stay in front, and disrupt rhythm without fouling, Badio is exactly the profile you want on the perimeter.
Isaac Bonga — the connector
Bonga appeared in 38 games during the 2025-26 EuroLeague season, averaging 10 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 27:47 minutes per game, while shooting 60.2% from two-point range. He was also named to the ABA League First Team once and was twice named the ABA League Defensive Player of the Year. At 2.03 meters with guard-level mobility, he is the kind of versatile defender that modern defensive systems depend on — someone who can switch onto multiple positions, contest at the rim, and cover ground on rotations.
What this adds up to
Last season Panathinaikos were a team that tried to outscore problems. This season they're building a team that tries to prevent them. Fall protects the rim. Yabusele controls the physicality. Badio pressures the perimeter. Bonga connects everything with versatility and switchability.
Kendrick Nunn remains — the leading scorer, the offensive anchor, the player who still has to put points on the board. But the team around him is being rebuilt to win games differently.
Obradovic has done this before. At Panathinaikos in the 2000s, at Real Madrid, at Partizan — his teams win by making every possession feel like work for the opponent. The four signings aren't random. They're the blueprint, written clearly for anyone paying attention.
