It's hard to remain cynical at the sight of the teary eyes and the warm, strong hugs that Yannis Sapropoulos gave his players at the end of the game, especially in the face of the tight grip and secret exchange with John Dibertolmao, with whom he saved the job, and perhaps the entire season.
Because after a home loss in a derby and eighth in a row in Europe, to also lose in the Clasico to Jerusalem and move away from it to four wins in the table?
It would have already ended the Israeli-Greek affair tonight.
So in the meantime, he's with us, and he has a lot to learn from this game, well and actually mostly about the Euroleague.
David Federman and Shimon Mizrahi release air, tonight at the arena,
First, Maccabi Tel Aviv came with an extreme change in attacking and moving the ball. The ball moved with dedication, with a lot of movement and exercises, and Scotty Wilbkin, demonstrably, left the craft of concentration to Evans, dribbled very little, and mostly went over blocks and went for shots.
Although he scored very badly (2-9 from the field), Wilbkin contributed on defense, and most importantly, Maccabi looked like a team, and the other players scored. Despite this, towards the end, naturally with less oxygen in the brain, the team returned to old habits, and the attacks went back to dribbling and shelling, and in the most critical attack, with a 2 and 40 second advantage to the end, Scotty dribbled himself to a corner and threw a floater on one leg that almost lost the The game. The wisdom is to continue to play exercises and dedication movement precisely in the moments of the clutch, and this must enter into nature and group DNA.
2 The important learning will be done by Yannis and the club regarding the use of Israelis.
Those who have become water pumps and waving towels at European games.
Tonight they scored for the coach who stopped believing in them for more than half of the team’s points (42 out of 83), and were the ones who kept the game alive at the end.
Four of Maccabi's top five scorers were its Israelis.
And do not say Israel is not Europe.
If they can be dominant against Jerusalem, the most European team in our league, they can also help in the Euroleague.
John Dibertolomao.
Yannis' scary warm hug, Photo: Alan Schieber
In the first half it was mostly Oz Blazer, who the section has been shouting for a month that he must play more.
Scoring, morale, fighter under the baskets (7 rebounds), 2 yards of defensive determination and game wisdom.
it is not enough?
In the second half, Jake Cohen starred, with excellent percentages from all ranges, composure from the line, and cover for the injury of Zechic, and especially John Dee, who in a situation of 70:63 to Jerusalem changed the momentum with 5 consecutive points.
Yiftach Ziv has a complex relationship with Yannis, and it seems that sometimes he gives him too much credit, and burdens him too much, to the point of risking a loss.
It happens in the Euroleague too, and it happened tonight too.
But the important learning should be of the club, regarding its Americanization strategy.
Fact: The senior Israelis no longer want to come to Maccabi.
Tomer Ginat and Yam Madar went to Europe but not to Maccabi, Rafi Manko returned to Holon, and now Noam Dovrat chooses Jerusalem, or may be rejected by Maccabi.
Maccabi Tel Aviv in a fashionable hug at the end of the drama in the arena, Photo: Alan Shiver
And it happens that Maccabi gradually has fewer places left for Israelis, due to an informed and rooted choice of the club to be based on Americans.
Maccabi will soon reach the watershed, where there will be no Israelis who want to play in it, and then it will look for Jewish children to become citizens, and will press the principal / union to further increase the number of foreigners.
But this is a fatal mistake of the club.
And the game we saw should remind Maccabi that it is exaggerating with the foreigners, much because of the tax rebate.
It is certainly not claimed that Israelis alone are enough, but they are good enough to support four excellent foreigners.
So instead of spending the same money on one star and another eight medium, allow five excellent.
Derrick Williams exhales.
Great game in Jerusalem, Photo: Alan Shiver
For example this season, with the money of Williams, Nanley, Evans, Reynolds and Taylor, it was possible to bring in two efficient and stable stars (star coordinator and forward) near Scotty and Zizić.
It will be more effective, it will be more correct, it will be more Israeli, it will be more beautiful and interesting and produces identification.
It is true that there are two busy frameworks and a long season - so you have to trust your Israelis.
And also because you are an Israeli group, which claims to represent Israel, and even receive tax relief from the state for its quasi-representation in Europe.
Yotam Halperin with Adam Ariel.
Just Almost, Photo: Alan Schieber
3 The basketball association / league director can help Maccabi, and return to sanity with a number of foreigners adapted to the Israeli league.
6 in the roster, 4 in form, a maximum of three on the field at a time.
For the failed achievements for seven years in Europe, just for Maccabi, has the league been flooded with foreigners?
And the players' organization, what about you?
Is that why you sat down?
There were two Israelis on the field, and now there is one?
Like George Costanza in the Seinfeld pilot.
Bargain to get less?
The previous Russian law was good for basketball, good for teams, and even good for Maccabi.
Hapoel Eilat celebrates against Hapoel Holon, tonight.
An excellent model ?, Photo: Yehuda Ben Itach
4 And if anyone needed reinforcement in the above direction, Eilat came in the early game and explained it so nicely. With 3 foreigners, and 4 more Israelis who were only two in the young teams (Hoover, Ben Moshe, Roina and Shuchman the fighter), she dismantled Holon ( The second in the table!) For the second time in the last two weeks.It is a tradition in Eilat to play well with three foreigners, because there was such a run in the days of Dan Shamir and a lot in the days of Sharon Drucker.
The short Eilat is simply a more balanced and efficient team, and there is nothing like Ariel Beit Halachmi, who started in the open courts in Givat Shmuel, to demonstrate and remind us what Israeli basketball should look like.
Everyone is at their peak of fitness, everyone is playing together, and all Israelis are learning and improving their game.
The strangers only complement.
When Ben Carter and Casey Pratters return from a knee injury, it will be a tremendous team.
A song I dreamed of in Eilat.
And that Maccabi can learn from him about the right direction.
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