On respect and learning
Organizational behavior studies explain that in order for a body (person or organization) to receive criticism in a constructive way, the ratio of positive to negative criticism must be 7 to 1.
Before every mistake, the visitor must give seven goals. And there is much to praise Hapoel Holon for. The crowd, and 1,200 Purples came to Bilbao to cheer on their team, including two planes organized by the team.
Holon has been playing original and unique basketball for the third year in a row, and has presented excellent management decisions throughout the season, replacing foreigners and coaching with sensitive timings that have proven themselves, and most importantly forming the identity of a great club.
Even in its mediocre game, Holonia looked into the eyes of the best team in the factory, fought to the end, and came down disappointed.
And here you can start fixing.
Because Holon cannot afford to be mediocre, or insecure, or hesitant.
She must play every game as if he is playing for life.
And she owes her exploding lineup on the field in the deciding minutes.
This is the character of the club, this is the character of the fans.
It's eroding, it's not always possible, but it's her way, under budget constraints, to keep moving forward.
And in this semifinal she was good, but not great.
And against a quality team like Tenerife, it's not enough to just be good.
Tenerife is celebrating.
Was big on Holon this time, Photo: Champions League website
The importance of experience
Eleven years ago, David Blatt's Maccabi Tel Aviv met Kaha Lavoral in the Euroleague quarterfinal series.
The veteran Basque coordinator (he was already 28 at the time) was called Marcelino Huartes.
It is hard to believe that this player continues to play at such a high level even today, and transferred to Holonia a clinic of concentration and game management, mentioning Sergio Yui's performance against Maccabi just two weeks ago.
Almost flawless, right decisions that come from practicing tens of thousands of times of the same situation, perfect shooting from half distance, a shot that has already been misappropriated in the basketball world.
Freezing composure that was perfectly expressed at a critical moment: a ball that escaped his hand became a corner kick / volleyball to a three-pointer that closed the game.
Georgi Sharmadini also rubbed shoulders with Maccabi Tel Aviv, inside and out, efficient and smart at the chin position at a height of 2.17 m, changes shots and draws rebounds.
Together they fill well the two important positions in the game, behind them a connected staff and excellent substitutes, with a smart coach who has built a precise rotation and runs surgical substitutions that allow the veteran stars to stay fresh.
And against such a good team Holon must be at its best.
And more importantly, it must be Holon.
Shamardini flies.
Experience played a big role, Photo: Champions League website
Who are you in Holon?
This is becoming a kind of tradition: Holon is building a unique and different team in the Israeli and European basketball landscape, with a method of play based on three-point shooting and personal ability of offensive talents.
So to win big games she owes most of her talent at a high level of performance and above.
This season, she needs her two anchors, Ragland and Johnson, to score together around 30, but owes at least one more of the two star guards in top form.
So Ragland gave a Tyrese Rice-level performance in the 2014 Euroleague Final Four, and Johnson was huge despite an injury right at the start.
But throughout the year, it was once Adam Smith who moved her stage, and once Tire Maggie.
In this semi-final they were both weak, the team scored only 10 threes, and failed to run due to a huge lag on the rebound and a lot of baskets from Tenerife's second chance.
Chris Johnson finally closed the chances with a questionable fourth offense and a technical fifth immediately.
Two bad whistles from referees who did not reach the level of the game.
But Johnson must internalize his importance to the team and keep his offenses.
From the moment he and Manko left, there was no aggression left for Holon, and she received a basket in every move and Tenerife ran away from her.
But beyond the personal fitness of the players, Holon must bring to every game the offensive method that is right for it.
And that is the responsibility of Guy Goodes, who did get the team out of a deep crisis, in the middle of the playoff series, and led it to two semifinals.
But similar to the semi-final of the State Cup against Herzliya, this time too his team failed against a dominant, massive high coordinator and an organized team game of a smart coach.
Johnson on the hardwood.
Fifth offense that closed interest for Tenerife, Photo: Champions League website
The character of Holonia
The Final Four game is a different beast from other games.
You are on an unfamiliar pitch, the baskets are tough, despite the purple crowd you are still a guest in Spain.
You have to bring habits, automatic moves, that the players perform out of sleep.
And the only automaton that Holon has this season is the triangle of guards who run, penetrate and score threes.
Holon will live or die on this.
But two sides of the triangle failed, and the problems began with the first quintet raised by Goodes, a high quintet that tried to respond to the size of Tenerife, and upset the rotation.
Ragland and four forwards (Pennini, Johnson, Dalton and Kaiser), a quintet that has probably never played together.
The fear can be understood, but Holon should be the threat, to play its basketball, and for the rivals to adapt to it.
Holon fell in the opening to fall behind by seven points, and that was the wall and the chase throughout the game.
Even when she returned and led for a moment, she failed at the elements that brought her to the class, because Maggie and Adam Smith were already emotionally burned and unharmed.
Tyros Maggie.
What worked in the previous game did not work against Tenerife, Photo: Champions League website
The next step
Holon lost to a team that scored only five threes, but completely controlled the color.
So maybe Goodes' top five were right?
probably not.
Dalton and Pnini are not domestic players.
The way to preserve the color is through pressure protection and regionalism, which Holon has hardly tried.
From there you can snatch and run, and be less dependent on rebounds.
It was only in the fourth quarter that Goodes made one important change, placing Johnson in charge of the Spaniards' center, so that in the pick-and-roll substitution he would stay and get along with Sharmadini, and Kaiser paralyzed the Whartes out.
This brought Holon to a point advantage, but then Johnson and Manco came out and the business was over.
Too little and too late.
To Goodes' credit, the team played 18 games in 37 days, then was on a one-week break.
It is very difficult on an emotional and mental level to regroup.
Holon will face similar teams in the local playoffs as well, and will have to get more from Smith, Maggie and also Goodes, to try to reach the final final she has left this season.
And the learning of the whole club, after the two losses in the semi-finals: in order to advance another stage, Holon will have to find a significant high quality, which will enrich its attacking game and strengthen the rebound.
There is the key to the next level.
But in retrospect, Holon can be very proud of itself for the season in the Champions League, and putting its name in a significant and respectable place on the European basketball map.
Guy Goodes.
From here you can only learn, Photo: Champions League website
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