This season in the Premier League we will get to see a number of players who would not have come to it 3-4 years ago, except for Maccabi Tel Aviv.
These are high profile players who were in the NBA and when they failed to hit a peg they marked one of two goals: the big money of China or the Euroleague.
Over the years and due to various reasons they have already found themselves at lower levels of European factories and of wages.
Such are Jaylen Jones from Po'el Haifa, Jordan McRae from Po'el Tel Aviv.
Such was Norris Cole who started his European career in Maccabi Tel Aviv and last season played in Málaga and now he does not have a team (maybe he too will come to Israel?).
Eric Green, who signed with Hapoel Holon today, also meets the same definition.
The signing is impressive in light of his record when the contract in the initial phase is for three months.
Green replaces CJ Harris, who was injured despite the big difference between the two.
Eric Green.
Yetam for three months, photo: courtesy of Hapoel Holon
Both are guards but the direction of the hand is different.
If Harris is a player in position 2 who can also play position 3, then Green is what appears to be "position 1.5", between the center and the secondary guard - some call it a "scoring point guard".
If Harris spreads the field even to the corners, Green is the one to lead a coast-to-coast attack.
In one thing they are similar: both are excellent scorers.
Harris is a better three-pointer, Green is a better passer.
It makes sense that a player like Green is a better aid to Joe Ragland to take the pressure off him in managing the game.
We talked about McCray, then both 31 years old, both second round draft picks (Green 46th pick in the draft by Utah in 2013).
Like McRae coming in as a replacement for an injured player, the replacement may be better than the original.
In Green's case it may also be more suitable.
Both are temporary replacements that are not sure to be temporary.
Did we say they wouldn't have come here a few years ago?
Not even a few months ago, but the season is coming and then the financial requirements decrease.
Guy Goodes
Signing for three months, photo: Oded Karni
The 2013 college basketball king who played at Virginia Tech, previously played four seasons in the Euroleague.
In Siena immediately after his selection in the draft.
In Olympikos, Fenerbahçe and Valencia after his two years in the NBA in which he played 52 games in Utah, Denver and Toronto during which he simultaneously played in the development league.
The one who brought him back to Europe to the arms of Olympiacos was former Maccabi Tel Aviv coach Yanis Spropoulos where Green played next to a legend - Vasilis Spanoulis and this season (2016/17) the team reached the Euroleague final.
Two years later he reached the Final Four with Fenerbahçe where his coach was Zhelimir Oberdovich.
Later came the era of big money with two forays to China and also lower profile teams like Real Betis, Beccheshire and Treviso last season with ex Holon Michael Sokolovsky.
The minus: Green arrives after five months of not playing and needs to quickly get down to business because the league and the Champions League are already at the gate.
The plus: comes with a lot of experience, knows European basketball well and was there at the highest levels.
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