Maccabi Tel Aviv will probably only miss the professional disadvantage of Maccabi in preparation for the cross-sectional stage. But the damage to the club's identity is hard to ignore, because the Israeli star was the only one to justify the existence of a group with 11 Americans in Tel Aviv.

• Omri Caspi with Janis. The Yellows will have trouble finding a proper replacement

  Photo:

  Alan Shaver

Not that the news really surprised, after two months out and failed attempts to return, but the fact that Omri Caspi finished the season, not only disappointing on a personal level for the player, and not only hurt the team professionally, but also damages the club's representative identity, precisely when he re-steps and takes off Top of the Euroleague.

Caspi started the season great, was better than expected and managed to lift the Hall - and also Shimon Mizrahi - from the chair after a dunk in an outburst against Penerbahcha, in his best game, a week before his injury. He was the face of the resurgent Maccabi Tel Aviv in the summer, he built his own momentum with the Evlanesh, and deserves to be part of the renewed tribe because he was the match that sparked it. But now he needs to return to the drawing and surgery table, and make another comeback, to happen Probably only next season.

The yellows don't really have a proper replacement in position 3 so important in modern European basketball, because it's a forward doing everything: scoring and guarding and morality and balance, but mostly connecting all the parts to something bigger. Maccabi has athletic and scoring guards, and also tall, strong and massive under the basket, but something is missing from midfield.

Her basketball is based on personal ability of the back line and running game - two excellent elements - but lacks the team connection and smart dedication, which has flourished here and there, for example in Basconia (Maccabi only a tenth of the Euroleague bass players per game). We will continue to miss the clever generation Steve Kerr relished, a few weeks before cutting my money
From Golden State.

Acey, Hunter, Bryant and Dorsey. Balance Hopper // Photo: Alan Shaver

So Maccabi builds itself around a three-yard car, and in the meantime it's even enough to win big games in Euroleague. For the classic structure with a tall, tall player in position 3, Quincy Acey is the immediate alternative, but is limited off the bow and thus limits the quintet. So, maybe this will be Danny Abadia's long-awaited breakthrough, which still gets Rocky's credit, despite giving high quality in its few minutes.

Anyway, in the last two months Maccabi seems to be getting along without any financial woes, but the real challenge will be towards the end of the season and the crossover, where you will face higher quality basketball and much higher intensity.

Janis Isdr

When I look at the situation from the eyes of an Israeli basketball fan who is not a Maccabi burnt fan, Caspi created the critical mass that justifies the conduct of an American team in Tel Aviv. A club with a Croatian professional manager, Greek coach and American staff, has a moral justification for putting the name Tel Aviv after the Fox, and representing the Israeli League in Euroleague. John Dibertolomeo Shrug, Yuval Sussman is fading, Danny Abadia is fading and fading, and now Omri is finished?

Jake Cohen is great, but that's not enough. The team does play rhythmic, trained, sometimes exciting basketball, but honestly, this is a team that could gather anywhere else in the world. Scotty, Tyler and Eliza juggle, Othello and Jaylen make dark under the basket and Quincy, Ark and Sandy are waiting on the bench (yes, Jerusalem is the same too, and I felt that way when they signed Shalvin Mack with a past in the BBC this week).

Danny Abadia. Adds quality to the yellow // Photo: Oded Karni

There are 11 American foreigners listed in Tel Aviv, with a significant deviation from the Euro League average (4.5), much because of the tax relief for Americans (that's another story). With Omri, it was somehow balanced and acceptable. Now a little less.

And with all this, Maccabi is built on creating and closing gaps, getting motivated by injuries and cladding on them, and if there is no leader on the field, there is a great leader on the bench. Reducing the roster arranges rotation, tightens the hierarchy, and allows players to gain clarity about their status.

And so, even without Walters and Caspi, Elijah has enough healthy, healthy players to battle for the playoffs as well as fight for the home cross. And this is mainly because at last - after five years - she has a strong coach and author on the lines. So called, Janis will arrange.