Everyone who is close to and a fan of the Israel national team feels bad today.
Because we have an extremely talented generation of players, and because we had a favorable draw to qualify for MundoBasket, but we kicked the bucket.
The team has a problem of excess talent that is all similar, and Guy Goodes has not been able for the last two months to consolidate this team and turn it into a team.
I mean, they looked like a good team in Georgia, and also in the too easy training games against Romania, but in the last week they completely fell apart, and Goodes sounded very agitated when he talked about dismantling and reassembling, two days before going to Prague.
The yellow elephant in the discussion about the national team is called Dani Avdia, and it's not his fault.
When Guy Goodes spoke at the end of the game about breaking the chemistry and something that went wrong, he was mainly referring to Avdia's failed integration attempts in the (until recently) successful cohesion of his team.
Danny has not played in the national team in the last two years, and in addition, he fell ill with Corona and did not go to the training games (the only ones that were significant) in Georgia, in which the national team formed and played its best basketball in recent times.
Guy Goodes
A lot of trouble ahead of the European Championship, photo: Alan Shiver
The grievances from various parties that he did not play in the last quarter against Finland did not add calmness.
But within himself Goodes knows that the expectations of Abdia are unrealistic.
And basically he criticized himself, because all the decisions and placements and exchanges were his.
(Unless there are orders from above and intervention in tactics, although it is hard to believe that this is happening. On the other hand, there is an order from above for Pini Gershon to sit on the bench. This expresses the system's lack of trust in the coach. So you know).
Danny Avdia is a great basketball player.
He was selected in the draft in ninth place, based on the potential inherent in him, and earns around 4 million dollars per season.
But... he is not a superstar who will carry a team on him, like the Finnish Markkanen for example.
Although he is on his way there, he is still in the rough diamond stage.
He hasn't scored 30 points in a game since junior, and hasn't led a team as its star since the 2019 reserve team. His average over the past two years has been 8 points, 5 rebounds and 2 assists.
And what you don't do in your group, you usually won't do in the national team.
The Israeli national team is shocked,
And it is better, especially at the social level, that he not have a special status, but rather be part of the guys, equal in duties and rights.
At the tactical level, he should play in position three and sometimes help lead breakouts.
make short and precise moves.
But letting him center led to critical turnovers.
And letting him guard big centers resulted in 6 easy Birgender points that ended the game.
The pressure from the excessive expectations led to five ball turnovers, a plus-minus index of -20 (the worst in the team), and arguments with referees that also included the presentation of a fall from a Swedish barrier that did not exist.
At the same time, Tomer Ginat, who was perhaps the symbol of the renewed team, disappeared almost completely.
The only solution Goodes can offer right now is to bring Danny off the bench, without pressure, to give an option for a booster replacement.
And Danny, you just have to let the game come to him.
From there everything will work out.
The second significant problem of the team is the basic personal defense, and specifically the prevention of the penetration of the opposing guards into the paint.
No matter what defense we keep, everything falls apart with the first penetration, which leads to easy layups, or in case there was help, to a free look for a three-pointer in the absence of rotation.
Manko, Avdia and Mekel are looking for answers, yesterday, photo: Alan Shiver
And in this issue too, Goodes has a difficult decision to make.
Tamir Blatt is brilliant in attack, but is not yet able to be a stopper in defense.
Most of the critical penetrations were on his feet, which, while improved, are still not a penetration-closing anchor, and he finished with a plus-minus index of -14.
The quintet with stick and mortar worked excellently and rose to a four difference in the second quarter.
For some reason Goodes brought back Blatt and from there we deteriorated to minus ten in five minutes.
Since Shim Madar is establishing himself as the leading guard defensively and offensively, Blatt should also go to the bench, and perhaps contribute with quick and brilliant episodes in the transition attacks, in his shooting and also in his smart passes.
The Swedes celebrate in the Temple of Solomon, photo: Alan Shiver
In this context, the story of John DiBartholmau stands out.
The coach must have a free hand in choosing the squad, and no player has a special status in it, not even a citizen.
And if John Dee gave up and changed plans for the national team, it doesn't mean he has to travel, or even not play.
It's all in the hands of the coach.
I just think that John is quite important to the team and he had a place in the squad, mainly thanks to the excellent defense of the individual and the stability of the shooting.
But as mentioned, this is the coach's decision according to his tactics.
However, the issue of the naturalized person needs to go through a system overhaul and there must be a decision from above.
A naturalized person must bring something special that we don't have.
And if there isn't one, let him not be a citizen at all.
And no, I'm not in favor of a flash of an American reinforcement player.
But if you don't have Ben Mercer or even Chris Watson, it's better to give up altogether.
Avdia
Couldn't lead, photo: Alan Shiver
Danny Avdia's defense of the high ones reminded me of the one that already happened.
I saw the highlights of Gabi Chachashvili from the summer league.
These were just defensive moves, blocks, steals, rebounds.
And again, among the many tall ones currently on the roster, there are many of the same type, all offensive, but there is no guard like Chacha.
Again, it's a coach's decision and it's indisputable, only when Sweden without three prominent players (including Jervko, their NBA star) score 95 points at home, maybe you should start thinking through the defense.
And if Idan Zalmanson didn't play a second again, maybe we can still replace him.
It's not popular, but defense is not a dirty word on the road to fame.
Just for information, Eurobasket must register a roster of 12 players in advance, there are no substitutions between games, not even in case of injury.
And in general, I don't envy Goodes for the selection of players at his disposal.
It causes a headache, and especially interferes with building an orderly hierarchy.
I would have expected that five days before the start of the championship there would already be an orderly rotation and defined positions, but it seems that we are still in the trial and error phase, which is very exciting.
Several anchors that stand out are Yam Medar as the leading guard, Rafi Manko who works very hard in defense, Sorkin when he is focused.
The composition of Yam Medar and four forwards justified itself, with help here and there from Blatt (as a shooter) or Mekel (who diverts Medar to the shooting position) but we must use the deep squad and press, run, and press again.
You can't play standard basketball.
And we should have scored a penalty (we left 12 points on the line, exactly the difference).
Tamir Blatt.
Brilliant in attack, but not yet able to be a stopper in defence, photo: Alan Shiver
And here is an optimistic forecast: we have a very comfortable home in EuroBasket, and the European Championship is a different animal.
Unexpected things happen there.
And now you just have to concentrate on just one game, Finland on Friday, which is the key to the whole championship, and treat it like a cup final.
It's good that Goodes' insights came now and not after a loss to the Finns.
It's like playing submarines and getting 0 balls and 0 hits.
It's a gift that clears your mind.
But now Goodes has to make difficult, unpopular decisions, and arrange a rotation that he believes in.
Will it work?
Blessed is the believer.
were we wrong
We will fix it!
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