After the disappointing loss in Poland, and following the streak of the last three disappointments, the Israeli team is suddenly at a crossroads.
She is coming up tonight for a very significant game, which will be critical to the continuation of the campaign in the World Cup qualifiers, but will also affect her entire character in the coming years.
Obviously you can lose games, but the ways we "managed" to lose, the mental weakness and the decision-making create a great fear that we may not be good enough.
If once the main advantages we had over the European teams - which will always remain high and strong of us because of the Jewish garden - were the character, intellect and cunning, it seems that precisely in this area we went a few steps back.
So first of all, losing today is not an option, even if it is possible to rise thanks to an expected loss of Poland to Germany.
The Israeli team must isolate the game from all contexts, come up determined and aggressive, close the game early and win completely, and by a large margin.
Because in case of our victory and loss of Poland, we will rise together with Estonia (which has an advantage in the differences against the Poles) and drag with us two victories to go on, and not just a single victory in case Poland rises.
And also to sweeten the taste of missing out on the early home games, which could have ended in 0: 6 or at least 1: 5 and produced a leap for us towards the next championships.
Nimrod Levy in the previous game against the Estonians, Photo: FIBA website
The responsibility of Guy Goodes
Estonia does not kill reeds.
She won the first game in Germany, and also defeated the Poles at home.
It has a tradition, a cohesive team and smart and efficient basketball, and mostly team.
Her star is Malik Kotsar, who leads her in minutes, index, rebounds and points.
And if our loss in Poland was entirely the players' fault, this time Guy Goodes has a big responsibility - not to assume the players understand the seriousness of the situation but to put it in their ears and feet, eat their head before the game and put them in a state of mental arousal and urgency.
No more 9: 1 deficit, and a first field goal in the eighth minute.
Do not throw a three in the orderly attack unless the ball has passed in color, whether in penetration or delivery to the garden and Sorkin inside.
Kutsar is shut down every time he gets the ball in a double-up.
Goods must demand aggressive play and sacrificing offenses, and save timeouts to mention elementary things.
Yes, we need to get back to basics, because the players are probably still on summer vacation.
And the truth is, quite rightly so in terms of their busy calendar.
And as mentioned, this is not just a matter of advancing to the next stage - this is the image of the entire Israeli basketball.
This is a relatively rare opportunity to see the senior players in blue and white, and to prove that the claims about the large number of foreigners in the league are true.
There are tens of thousands of young players at home, who find it difficult to identify and learn from the teams laden with foreigners in the Premier League, and the national team players are the model for proper Israeli basketball.
And if once everyone played in the Israeli league, today we have five legionnaires who were strengthening players in Europe, and not just foreign assistants.
Staff of 7 Euroleague players and another 3 from the EuroCup.
But the collection of mistakes at the end of the last few games raises a cloud in relation to the mental resilience and maturity of the new generation of basketball.
Clean up.
It is not possible to throw threes in a standing attack, Photo: FIBA website
The element of personal tactics, deep understanding of the game and decision making - are critical components at the highest levels.
You do not need a coach who will scream to make Paul, it should happen automatically.
You should go to the basket with a lag of 2, instead of throwing a three - that must be part of your portfolio as a leading player.
In exactly two months we will be up for the first game of the European Championship against Finland, and what can we sell there?
This is the highest quality team in this generation, the product of excellent preparatory work in the young teams for more than six years.
That's why the European Championship starts today - gentlemen, now it's up to you.
🔥 GAME DAY 🔥
🇮🇱 VS 🇪🇪
🏀 @FIBAWC
🌐 Shlomo Group Arena
⏰ 20:30
🎥 @ sport5il
ℹ️ Preview: https://t.co/HykdKR5Ucz#FIBAWC #WinForAll pic.twitter.com/DLqkfbmAhg
- The Israeli Basketball Association (@TherealIBBA) July 3, 2022 Wrong?
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