This season, more than any other season, there are too many failures in the prestigious factory • Moscow Khimki, the Red Star and even Real Madrid • And yes, Maccabi Tel Aviv is also on the "respectable" list
Squatty Wilbkin
Photo:
Maor Alexelsi
Tonight, Yad Eliyahu will host the biggest crash of the season in the Euroleague, Moscow Khimki.
On the occasion of the event, we prepared the parade of disappointments in which Maccabi Tel Aviv also has a place of "honor". Note two significant figures: no less than a third of Euroleague teams did not live up to expectations this season, and no less than four teams considered luxury clubs in European basketball are on the list.
Moscow Khimki
Until Real Madrid prove otherwise, Moscow Khimki is the biggest failure of the season.
It has a budget that is among the highest in the Euroleague and a sparkling and star-studded squad, which at the beginning of the season aimed at least for the playoffs.
The result: 28 losses in 32 games, deep deep in last place.
The conduct was a failure, and that failure began as soon as the season opened.
Himki literally fell apart while moving.
Half of the squad that started the season is no longer there due to releases or injuries, and everything has simply become unsuitable for the Euroleague level.
In this situation, even the change of coaches could not affect.
Maccabi Tel Aviv
Last season, which was stopped due to the Corona, Maccabi Tel Aviv secured a place in the playoffs long before the end of the season - and could even reach the Final Four. This time it ended a season well ahead of time. At best it will reach 44 percent success. She has 68 percent.
But there are also mitigating circumstances: Corona season, lack of crowds, budget cuts and a large number of close losses.
All this of course will not cover the team's poor build, the excessive reliance on Scotty Wilbkin, the lack of professional creativity and the lack of adaptation to this special season.
Panathinaikos and Olympiacos
It's true that Nick Callaths has left, that the budget has gone down and that this all-too-homely group could not be helped by its audience.
However, a place at the bottom of the table and a threat of a place in the top eight is a diligent failure of Panathinaikos.
The staff built there just isn't good enough, even the big star Nemanja Nedovic has been absent for a long time due to injury, but one could expect this luxury club to be more competitive and not be ranked 15th (or less).
Despite some beautiful victories he achieved, the arrival of Oded Katash did not change the situation.
Also at the city rival Olympicos did not achieve goals.
The results are slightly better, but still a big disappointment.
This trick of a team that will only play in the Euroleague has not worked for the second season in a row.
The Red Star Belgrade
There is no team in Europe that feeds on its crowd like the Red Star, and in a season like this, its power is taken away from it.
However, its significant failure is the foreign conception.
The club that was always built on young local talent has this season become a team built on foreign players in quantities we did not know.
At one point there were no less than seven of them.
Real Madrid
It may be a little strange that a team that reaches the top 20 and may be in the playoffs will be defined as a disappointment, but it all depends on the level of expectations.
The fact that Real Madrid are coming to the final round this week when they are still unsure of the top eight is a kind of failure.
If she does not advance to the playoffs, her failure will overshadow everyone's.
The story of the Spanish luxury club's failure is Pacondo Campazzo, injuries and a lack of proper response.
The Argentine quarterback left during the season for the NBA and created a big hole.
The club also decided not to bring him a replacement.
Significant injuries from center-backs Sergio Yule and Anthony Randolph have weakened it significantly, but the team have chosen not to bring in a substitute other than Alex Tios, who cannot help significantly.