"It must not look like that again": Ante Žižić's hard life against the giants of Real Madrid

The Croatian chin arrived after a mediocre debut season, Sapropoulos thought of replacing him in the summer with Api Yodo, he was injured and saw how they bring him a temporary replacement - and still, he recorded a very good season at Maccabi Tel Aviv.

What went wrong for him in the playoffs, and what does his future at the club look like?

Almond light

26/04/2022

Tuesday, April 26, 2022, 2:30 p.m.

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In the summer of 2020, the Euroleague world dealt with Ante Žižić.

The Croatian center, who returned at the age of 23 from a short and disappointing term in the NBA, walked around with quite a few question marks, and was already closed in principle at Real Madrid, but at the last minute made a U-turn and signed with Maccabi Tel Aviv for two years with an option for a third season.

The Yellows took pride in the move, and Ziza received great credit, which was mostly unjustified in his first season - but this season the fruits were reaped with the Croatian's improved ability.

There is no doubt that Zizic is the Yellows' senior inside player.

He is ranked third on the team in points, first in rebounds, first in percentage points for two points among the senior players and sixth in the minutes of the game.

But he has not yet really reached the playoff series against Real Madrid;

He was given the most difficult task - to deal with the inconceivable dimensions of Eddie Tavares and Vincent Poirier - and at an early stage Avi Even understood the problematic matchup and turned to other solutions.

Jaylen Reynolds opened at his own expense in a five-pointer in the second game in Madrid, and Roman Sorkin more than doubled his number of minutes in the series so far.

The Croatian, who was worth 12.8 points and 5.2 rebounds per game in the regular season, dropped to 4.5 and 3.5 respectively last week;

From 67 percent of the field he dropped to just 45 in the playoffs.

"We will need more of everyone, but especially our domestic players, and especially Manta," said one of the Maccabi Tel Aviv players yesterday.

"He's our anchor under the basket, and it must not look like that again."

And to think that Zizic was supposed to be on the other side today, in Poirier's shoes.

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To the full article

Plummeted from 12.8 points and 5.2 rebounds to 4.5 points and 3.5 rebounds.

Zizic against Real (Photo: Danny Maron)

"Adaptation season", as Maccabi called the 2020/21 season of Žižić.

Although he was given almost 20 minutes to play in the Euroleague, the club kept mentioning that he had to readjust to the European game, and that he arrived in Israel after six months without basketball, due to the halt of world sports by the Corona epidemic.

He looked good in some games, and significantly less good in the other, but did not really stand out for better or worse in light of his team's bad season.

Last summer, Maccabi Tel Aviv raised the possibility of ending the contract with Zizic earlier than expected, an option that of course fell out of favor immediately with the support of Nikola Vujicic, who brought him to training when he was 16. Who was offered to Yannis Sapropoulos as a possible replacement, For the coach to consider the possibility of giving up the Croatian, is Epi Yodo.

The Greek wanted the older Nigerian-American inside player, but the possibility was ruled out, and after Yudo was seriously injured in Virtus Bologna at the start of the season,

Zizic injured his ankle in the Winner's Cup and missed the start of Maccabi's season in the Euroleague, when the club also suffered a blow from Corona, from which, by the way, the Croatian managed to slip time and time again this season.

Matthias Lasur arrived for two months and impressed for a short time, but although Sapropoulos supported his departure it was made clear that at this stage there is no money to add another player to the squad - and Lesur has left, with Žižić just starting to get into things.

Ziza quickly dispelled all worries about him.

It has significantly reduced its weight, and has become more portable, smart and effective.

From week to week the Yellows' feeling was that they had made the right decision to continue with him for a second season, and even in the bad times - when the team could not win - the claims against him were less.

"You can count on one hand the bad games of Ante until the playoffs," said one of the Maccabi men yesterday, "he met the expectations and everything went well."

Sapropoulos wanted him in the summer, but the deal fell through - and he was immediately injured.

Epi Yodo (Photo: GettyImages)

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So what happens to Žižić against Real?

Maccabi analyzed the problem and claimed that as long as they fail to pull Tavares and Poirier out of the color area, the guards and forwards are unable to penetrate without their shots changing, and Zizic and Reynolds are unable to dig their way inside due to size and physical issues.

In this respect, Reynolds is more suited to a matchup with the Blancos giants, because he often throws from half distance, and even further.

Zizic lives on the point zone, pick and roll and offensive rebound, and all of that stuff is taken away from him at this point.

Maccabi intends to try and get Tavares and Poirier to reach defensive assists, things they did not do in the first games of the series, to open the color.

Will they succeed?

The answers are already tonight.

Either way, in the summer there will be a test point regarding the future of Zizic at Maccabi Tel Aviv.

The club has an option to keep him for a third season, for more than a million dollars, and it should be realized shortly after the end of the season in Israel.

On the other hand, the Croatian will be able to be released for $ 100,000 compensation.

Walla!

Sport has recently learned that a number of big clubs in Europe are following the chin, including those who can pay the amount he is supposed to earn in Tel Aviv, one of which is Anadolu Zero, which may undergo a revolution in the summer.

At the moment, it seems that Maccabi Tel Aviv's intention is to try and continue with Zizic for another season.

"It would not be right to judge him on the basis of a first series in Europe as a significant and mature player," the club said.

"You have to look at his whole season and make the decision. Throughout most of the season he has been one of the best inside players in the Euroleague."

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• Ante Žižić

• Maccabi Tel Aviv in basketball