After pre-season predictions, in which everyone tried to guess what she's going to look like, we can already say that some of the teams have changed places in their strength rankings.
After five cycles, we have compiled the "Israel Today" power index for you.
Get the ranking of the Premier League teams - the first of the season.
12. Maccabi Rishon Lezion
Guy Goodes' team is the weakest in the league.
Everyone recognized the problems even before the start of the season, but we did not think the situation was that bad.
Toe Holloway does stabilize the back line a bit, but it doesn't have enough help.
Spokes do not recur, Kleibran is unstable, and the tall ones do not provide color rigidity.
The Oranges will have to make another 3-2 changes to the roster so as not to get entangled at the bottom.
11. Hapoel Tel Aviv
In pre-season predictions we ranked the Reds as the fourth team in nature.
We were impressed by the experienced and quality foreigners and the promising Israeli staff, but so far nothing is connecting, the defense is not functioning and the attack is not working as we expected.
Even without an extra high, everyone - a professional team and players - needs to raise their level to get the team to the places it deserves.
10. Urban Ness Ziona
After a bad season opener and staff changes, the Oranges have been on an improvement trend for several weeks and recent victories prove it.
There is quality in the back line, the Israelis also contribute more (can do much more), and with a good reinforcement in the front line - the group will be able to look up instead of being apprehensive about the struggles of national decline.
Ness Ziona - Hapoel Tel Aviv. The first manages to recover, the second less, Photo: Udi Citiat,
9. Hapoel Haifa
Elad Hussein has a good staff and a full range of offensive options, which has already shown that he can play good basketball and also achieve nice victories, but in the meantime the business is not connecting, the team is faltering and mostly shows instability.
It is still not clear to us why, but it seems that the team from Carmel should light a small spark that will connect it on the way up, to a higher place, as its staff is really worth.
8. Hapoel Beer Sheva
Rami Hadar's team is perhaps the least talented in the league in terms of individual players, but as a habit connected, trained and tough.
The result of this is on the one hand an impressive victory in Eilat, and on the other hand an unexpected home loss to Rishon LeZion.
7. Hapoel Eilat
The southern team has not arrived ready for two frames and is currently suffering from injuries, fatigue and unbalanced staff - problems that apparently prevented it from winning a few more victories.
Our assessment is that along with the apparent strengthening and the fact that perhaps the European experience will end soon, Ariel Beit Halachmi and his players will advance higher in our next rankings.
Hapoel Eilat - Hapoel B'Shlosha. Currently in the places that suit them, Photo: Yehuda Ben Yatan,
6. Hapoel Galil Elyon
Kfar Blum also has good feelings.
The young team and full of question marks seems to be more connected than the other teams (perhaps thanks to the Balkan League), it has players in good personal shape, and especially a flowing, accommodating and team attacking game.
Tonight away against Hapoel Tel Aviv, Barak Peleg and his trainees are expecting another test of strength, after which we will get another indication of where their season is going.
5. Hapoel Gilboa / Galil
In our forecast before the start of the season, we marked the two northern teams as the weakest in the league and as those who may struggle against relegation.
We are still at a very early stage in the season, but right now it can be said that Gilboa is once again showing its charm with an excellent selection of foreigners, Israelis who get a chance and take it with both hands, and especially a work environment that makes players and coaches flourish.
4. Bnei Herzliya
The team from Sharon surprised everyone, and maybe even themselves, with an excellent season opener that included three wins in the first rounds.
Tonight against Hapoel B'Shlosha, it remains to be seen whether the defeat to Maccabi Tel Aviv was a
one-time
incident
or a sign of things to come.
On the face of it, it seems that with the quality foreigners and potential in the Israeli staff, Herzliya has a chance to have a
better
season
than in recent years.
Bnei Herzliya.
There is potential for a good season, Photo: Oded Karni,
3. Hapoel Jerusalem
The Reds from the capital did not start the season well and have already had time to change coaches (Oren Amiel Potter, Yotam Halperin has been appointed interim coach), but no matter how we turn it around, they are still in good shape in the local arena and feature a full staff of high level attacking players.
It is clear that there is a lack of balance, connection and toughness, but Hapoel Jerusalem still clearly belongs to the leading trio in the Premier League.
2. Hapoel Holon
After two weeks of a certain slack, Hapoel Holon returned to present in the last game in Europe its excellent defense, the one that gives it an advantage over the other teams that are not yet practiced and not connected enough.
Apart from that, Maurizio Buscalia has players - foreign and Israeli - like Joe Ragland, Michael Kaiser, Rafi Manko and Chris Johnson - who also give him a quality advantage over most of the rivals in the league.
Guy Pnini.
The advantage in the quality of Holon is evident, Photo: Danny Maron,
1. Maccabi Tel Aviv
The recent results in the league and Euroleague, compared to the instability and stuttering of the other league teams, indicate huge gaps between the champion and the other teams.
Sapropolus has depth and quality in foreigners and Israelis, which every group would be blessed with.
Most of the local players do not play in the Euroleague and come hungry to the league to prove themselves, which further increases the Israeli alertness of the staff.
Maccabi Tel Aviv. Was and remains the best in the league, by a wide margin, Photo: Alan Shiber,
