Test Officer: The question mark surrounding the future of Keinan Evans at Maccabi Tel Aviv
He reached the standard of a mystery, proving himself throughout most stages of the season as a better complement than Chris Jones, but the bad series against Real Madrid - and the desire to bring in a quality player alongside Scotty Wilbkin - degraded the American center's status.
The championship fights will also decide his personal fate in Israel
Almond light
15/05/2022
Sunday, May 15, 2022, 11:15 p.m.
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5.3 points, two rebounds, 1.7 assists and a 3.7 index only.
These are the meager figures set by Keenan Evans in the sweep that Maccabi Tel Aviv absorbed against Real Madrid in the Euroleague.
Evans, like coach Avi Even and other players on the team, came out of that series in a completely different position from the one he entered.
She undermined confidence that he would continue for another season, but did not decide his fate;
His future will be decided in the coming days and weeks, according to his ability in the Israeli playoffs.
Whether the American coordinator is aware of this or not, he gave the crushing extension to his probationary period in the first game of the derby series against Hapoel Tel Aviv, with 18 points, seven assists and three steals.
Tonight (Sunday, 20:30) he will arrive with the Yellows for the away game at the Shlomo team hall, and the focus on him will only increase.
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To the full article
The focus is on him.
Evans (Photo: Udi Citation)
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Evans concluded at Maccabi during the decisive stages of last season.
The club decided that Chris Jones, who coordinated alongside Scotty Wilbkin, was not good enough, despite some performances in Money Time.
Evans arrived, and after deliberations and disagreements between then-coach Yannis Sapropoulos and the management, Jones moved to Wheelerban and Maccabi's results improved, not necessarily because of the same change.
Numerically, Evans is better than last season's Jones.
He recorded 8.2 points and 3.5 assists in the Euroleague and 11.5 points and 4 assists in the Premier League, compared to Jones' 7 and 2.8 respectively in Europe and 11.8 alongside 4.9 in the league.
The feeling was and still is that Evans fits alongside Wilbkin more naturally than Jones, who has progressed and improved in the French team but has led it nowhere.
"Unequivocally, there is no disappointment or mistake in the fact that Keenan came in Chris' place. The move was right then, and right today," said one of the senior Maccabi Tel Aviv officials.
"Evans has had a very good debut season in the Euroleague. He is a young player who is constantly advancing, and the decision to go with him has proven itself beyond any doubt beyond many stages of the season."
No one regrets the move.
Chris Jones (Photo: Danny Maron)
So why is Evans ultimately not in the position of a player who will continue for next season for sure?
First of all because of the series against Real, or as Maccabi tells us, "the thought that you can bring in someone better than him."
The Yellows admitted that the lack of experience and disappointing ability at the end of the Euroleague season made them realize that in order to get really far in the European arena, they probably need someone better to complete Wilbkin.
Evans' advantage over any other player is his contract.
Next season, he is expected to earn about $ 300,000, and with these amounts, Maccabi will not be able to attract any player of the size it fantasizes about.
Even if the champion chooses to exercise the option on the coordinator, he also has an exit option, except that according to his men, if Maccabi gives him the trust, he should stay.
"Lekinan is good here," say the player's friends at Maccabi Tel Aviv.
"He got the stage and gave very good output in relation to expectations, and also bought himself a name. Even if Maccabi decides to go in other directions, it is very likely that he will find himself in a Euroleague team or a top Eurocup team with a similar salary. That it will work out in the best possible way. "
Will fall for a mismatch?
Evans with Wilbkin (Photo: Danny Maron)
So what will ultimately decide his future?
Perhaps even before his personal ability and team achievements in the local arena, the central question concerns the alternatives that will face the Yellows in Europe.
Maccabi will try to attract a player with a profile similar to that of Knight Walters two years ago, and it is not inconceivable that it will even agree to allocate higher sums of money than it spent on Evans and Jones.
If such a player is found, Evans' way out will be paved.
"The inventory of players that meets our needs is known," the club says. Players ".
One of these players was Jordan Lloyd, who at Maccabi has been signaling for several years that a collaboration between him and Wilbkin may be successful, but the guard agreed in principle on his terms in Monaco, for a higher contract.
A number of other players who are in the market are already in talks with other teams.
And finally, there is also the issue of the championship.
"There is no doubt that if we suddenly fail, something we do not want to think about, things can change completely from the current plans," Maccabi admits.
Losing a championship may also devour the cards for Evans, who tonight will want to continue the good momentum from Eliyahu, and lead Maccabi to its first victory of the season in Drive In.
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