When Chris Jones scored 27 points against Hapoel Eilat in the semi-finals of the Premier League, and then made two moves against Gilboa / Galil that secured a championship, Maccabi Tel Aviv had to understand - he should stay in the team. The best in the Euroleague, wanted to bring the American quarterback back to the team this summer.
Yes, the same Jones that at the end of last season coach Yannis Sapropoulos insisted he leave, even though Maccabi Tel Aviv had an option to extend his contract.
After a reasonable debut season at Elijah, and I insist on calling it reasonable because it was not bad (there were games with 15 points against Zalgiris, and eight assists against Barcelona), he made the leap in his second season.
Thank you @ K3vans12 🙏 pic.twitter.com/F92jCqDEdq
- Maccabi Tel Aviv BC (@MaccabitlvBC) July 12, 2022
What happened to Jones last season is not surprising.
This was the first season of the American coordinator in the Euroleague, a league that is very difficult to adapt to because of the physicality and style of play that is unlike any other league in the world.
Especially American players who come from a different basketball style - have a very hard time adapting their ability to the European game.
But that does not mean that they do not have the ability, it means that they have to adapt - and when it happened to the 29-year-old coordinator he flourished, only to the great sorrow of Maccabi Tel Aviv it was in the uniform of another team.
25 pts |
27 PIR
Chris Jones is loving life at @ LDLCASVEL #EveryGameMatters pic.twitter.com/U22kPgJZV2
- Turkish Airlines EuroLeague (@EuroLeague) November 5, 2021
The story of Keenan Evans (who was officially released this morning) is the same.
Maccabi Tel Aviv took a gamble with him at the beginning of the season, identified a talented and young player who has the potential to become a good player in the Euroleague and gave him the opportunity.
In fact, he got a lot more credit than Jones - and some would say he was better too.
He started in the top five 32 times, played 25 minutes on average, and returned with 8.5 points and 3.6 assists - these are not bad numbers for a player in his first season in the league.
There were quite a few moments this season that could clearly be seen as Evans being good enough for the Euroleague.
In the huge turnaround over Real Madrid, he excelled in the team with 19 points and big baskets in the clutch, against Andolo - European champion he delivered 9 assists, and also in the league together with Wilbkin he was the best player of Maccabi this season.
Reminds someone no?
Evans.
Not a bad debut season, Photo: Oded Karni
And this is not the only example.
You all know Jaylen Reynolds.
Maccabi signed him in the middle of the 2019-20 season due to injuries of other players, he showed sparks of basketball, and the following season he signed with Bayern Munich - and became one of the best chins in the league.
How good?
So good that Maccabi put their hand deep in their pocket and returned it with a much higher contract than it had before it was released.
So true, the second term in the yellow uniform was less good - but it is impossible to argue with the work that he just had to adapt to the league in the first season, and made a big improvement in the one that followed.
And there are so many more examples - even Wade Baldwin, who comes to Maccabi as one of the big stars in the Euroleague, started his European career in a very weak season at Olympiacos, and exploded in his second year in the Bayern Munich uniform.
Reynolds.
Season at Bayern Munich, which caused Maccabi to pay a lot of money for him, Photo: Twitter
Many forget, but also the great Tyrese Rice, who brought Maccabi Tel Aviv with his own hands an unforgettable European Championship in the 2014 season, took almost an entire season until he got used to the league - and started playing the basketball everyone remembers. For an entire season he did not impress, but in one month Last one exploded - and the rest is history.
Maccabi Tel Aviv is making a mistake with Keenan Evans that it has already made in the past. .
At best, Evans will return here next season with Zalgiris - which he is expected to sign real soon, and will make everyone understand what they missed.
In the worst case, Maccabi will pay him a double contract next summer and he will return to the yellow uniform.
Evans.
No one will be surprised if they still miss him in the hall, Photo: Danny Maron
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