CEZ Nymburk bulks up with Giorgios Tsiaras

CEZ Basketball Nymburk shored up its frontline by signing forward Giorgios Tsiaras for the remainder of the season. Tsiaras (207, 27) arrives from PAOK Thessaloniki in Greece. His addition will help offset the loss of Ian Hanavan to injury. Tsiaras began his professional career in his native Greece with AEK Athens, with whom he took part in 32 Euroleague games over five seasons between 2001 and 2006. He later played for Olympia Larisa before joining PAOK in the summer of 2008. In a limited role this season at PAOK, Tsiaras averaged 2 points and 1.4 rebounds per game in the Greek League. Last year he averaged 4.2 points and 2.6 rebounds for the same club. Nymburk has a 1-2 record in Eurocup Last 16 Group L and has a chance to reach the quarterfinals for the first time in club history.

"Over the last month we sought a replacement for Ian Hanavan," explained Nymburk assistant general manager, Jiri Zidek. "The situation was very complex in that it had to be a player with a European Union passport. Last night we signed a contract with Giorgios Tsiarasem, the first Greek player in franchise history, who comes to us from PAOK Thessaloniki. Giorgios's advantages are his speed and his ability to shoot from outside and he also plays a physical style of defense."