1.
It seemed at the start of the season that there was a glitch in Lior Lubin's magic touch in locating the foreigners.
In recent years, the coach has brought to Israel impressive players who have made a big leap forward here.
On the list: Justin Tillman, Joe Thomson, Michael Young, Achilles Mitchell, Kerry Blackshire and Jaiba Floyd.
Lubin has failed to restore those balance sheets this summer.
No less than five foreigners who were in the group are no longer here.
Despite this also this season the coach will sign an impressive discovery.
The only foreigner who has survived here since the group's preparations began - Tim Suarez - is a real attrition.
One that will probably take off from here at the end of the season to the high levels.
The Brazilian chin who recently made his debut for the national team is a numbers machine, but more importantly his diversity is great and his three-point shooting ability from the chin position is something that only players in his position have, which will further increase his demand in the future.
Suarez leads the league in percentage to three with a rare number - 71 percent.
Note the rest of his numbers: 22.3 index points - third in the league, 15.8 points per game, 8.1 third rebound in the league.
The Oranges of Ness Ziona.
Who will stop them ?, Photo: Oded Karni
Another thing that will stand to his credit is his young age - 24. Suarez is almost a rookie.
Only a second season as a pro.
Last season he played in the second division in Turkey.
All the numbers and abilities would not have been considered had it not been for a significant part in the dizzying success of the Oranges after the poor season opener.
2.
You said Nimrod Levy - you said an excellent player, but not enough realized potential.
The forward's career has suffered from incessant fluctuations.
Fluctuations in his ability during seasons, too many fluctuations between groups.
Every summer so far in his career he has switched teams.
Twice he was even in two teams that season.
Nimrod Levy is a talented forward who rises to a height of 2.08, a large pool of abilities that is worth more than what he has shown so far.
The key to his career: finding a home and finding stability.
He may be on his way there.
Levi.
Blooming in the Galilee, Photo: Liron Moldovan
In the summer he made an interesting decision.
To actually go to the new immigrant Hapoel Galil Elyon and be its leading player.
So far it's a great decision, maybe a career decision.
Galil opened a great season with the best balance in the league (along with Hapoel Jerusalem) and Levy, who was chosen as the Israeli player of the month of November, with great ability that reached a peak with 26 points, 6 threes and 12 rebounds in the victory over Herzliya.
All this fits in with a great performance in the national team uniform in the first window of the World Cup qualifiers.
3.
There are three groups that are marked 'Great' League - Maccabi Tel Aviv, Hapoel Holon. Cycle where two of them are losing money is a rarity. This happened in the last cycle.
Both Maccabi and Holon lost in this round and both are already the third loss of the season, when we are only in the eighth round.
The situation at the top is unusual: within the first quartet are the Upper Galilee and Ness Ziona.
Sapropoulos and the Maccabi bench.
In fifth place, Photo: Oded Karni
Maccabi's difficulties in the league are revealed in full force.
Ness Ziona, who defeated Maccabi, passed them in the table even though they started the season with 3-0.
When was Maccabi Tel Aviv outside the top four in the league?
Holon is not as perfect as we thought at the beginning of the season.
She should take good care that the relegation in the league will not spill over into the European framework.
Tonight (Tuesday, 19:00) she plays in Turkey against Drushpaka.
Were we wrong?
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