Maccabi Tel Aviv and especially Yannis Sapropoulos should send beautiful yellow flowers to the management of the Euroleague, and maybe make Jordi Bartomeu, the candidate for dismissal, a little happy.
And if they had known who was in charge of the Euroleague game order draw, they would probably have sent him a framed jersey from Keenan Evans, or perhaps Derek Williams.
The very-convenient-to-exaggerate lottery they received, allows Sapropolos to continue to build while moving everything that was not enough and planned for the pre-season that was not, to continue to make mistakes and not pay in cash and losses, and especially to calmly try, make mistakes and wonder, in search of team identity His.
The continuation of the search game was allowed tonight (Tuesday) by Yuri Zdovech, whose coach version is pale and weakened in front of the great player he was, and Zalgiris Kaunas who is a dim shadow of the great team that Sharas built there.
No game or team should be underestimated.
Air battle at Yad Eliyahu, Photo: Alan Shiber
But there's a reason Zilgirris has not won this season yet, and she came to the hall as a gift, with excellent timing.
It allowed Maccabi to run in the opening and gain confidence, but also used the only tools it had (Milaknis and Nivo) to return and lead and stress Maccabi.
Whenever Maccabi needed a boost, Zdovic raised a strange composition and allowed Maccabi to get out of the crisis and pressure.
Because playing against such a team naturally produces a drop in alertness naturally, Yannis sought to make a change in the top five and found him lowering to the bench his most important player, James Nanley.
Nanli responded with dissatisfaction and a bit of nervousness, but the Lithuanian weakness gave up the patience until the top five got along.
It also allowed Maccabi to win a game where Wilbkin does not hurt.
He actually contributed nicely and improved others (6 assists), and in general Maccabi as usual looks more like a team when he does not score much.
Williams on the way to the basket, Photo: Alan Schieber
The Greek coach's big point of contention has to do with the right character and style of play for Maccabi. Shall we be small and run or will we be big and play slowly? Speed or size? A school solution is probably both, depending on when, and the one who symbolizes this combination is Derek Williams, who progresses from game to game, runs fast and penetrates the ring, is able to score threes but also takes care of rebounds. And again the easy game allowed the coach to play between the styles and adjust the players to the trend and not the other way around. Especially since his hierarchy is still too long and too messy.
The comfortable game allows Maccabi to continue to make attempts at rotation, even in its sixth game, in which there should already be a tight hierarchy.
It has already been written here - Maccabi has too many players - and that makes Yannis replace too much and try too much.
I have no idea what Taylor has to look for on the field, including the lineup, and the roster in general.
Tonight the excuse was to keep Milaknis, but it's really better to give those minutes to Blazer or Yiftach Ziv.
The pleasant cruise also made it possible to give fewer minutes to the ban, even though it is Maccabi's most stable and significant high.
Maybe because it seems that he will not renew the contract, so as not to take minutes from Žižić, dear of the professional manager.
Szczecin looked good, but he had no real objection.
Zizic hovering in the hall, Photo: Alan Schieber
And most importantly, the recent pleasant and relaxed games allow Evans to get into the position of first quarterback much more slowly than necessary.
Apparently in his character he does not take, just waiting to be given.
And Scotty will not give.
Neither did Yannis.
He must take alone.
In the opening he came close to taking the ball, handing two beautiful assists to Williams, perhaps under the influence of the afro that apparently frees him more than the tight braid hairstyle.
But then he became quite passive in approaching the ball and showed no insistence on leading him, and even seemed quite pleased when Scotty or Nanley took it.
He must be aggressive in approaching the ball.
Release and run to the Keenan network.
Yannis Sapropoulos on the lines,
So now, it's all over.
All six of the last comfortable and pleasant games (except Milan) were a warm-up for Thursday, when Maccabi Tel Aviv will face the best team in Europe from Barcelona. To the bench, and not get only 5 points from Wilbkin with 1 of 9 from the field. To beat Sharas, the ultimate winner, Maccabi will have to present a complete and tight identity, which has not yet been needed. Write down receipts.