Solve the riddle: the Israeli national team opens EuroBasket 2022

How will they react to the humiliation against Sweden (Panini: "We'll have to bring it from within ourselves"), how will Dani Avdia appear ("he wants to learn") and who will rise?

The Israeli national team opens Eurobasket 2022 against Finland with its captain Koponen ready: "I believe we will see Israel differently"

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02/09/2022

Friday, 02 September 2022, 11:00

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Tiktokno: today's summary clip, 1.9 (Sport1)

Assisted in the preparation of the news: Ohad Scheuerman, Prague

1. When the Israeli national team takes the floor today (Friday, 15:00) at the O2 Arena in Prague, the question that no one on the national team can answer without guessing will be resolved - will the shameful loss to Sweden last Sunday have a positive effect on the mental aspect of the national team and the boys in blue and white will rise to the occasion The parquet will begin to be maintained with the opening of the European Championship.

There is no doubt that Israel will need a good defensive day against Finland, a team with firepower, which actually wins with a low score.

Since that loss, conversations have been held in the national team, of the team with the players, and of the players among themselves, with each stating that he believes that the change will be made and for the better.

In practice, admit the team, no one can know until the players get on the floor.

"I don't think there is an exact formula for how to recover from what we went through, and we went through an unpleasant loss, everyone has a positive attitude, everyone is focused on the goal," says Guy Panini.

"We need to put a lot of emotion into the game and channel it into a good place, and that's the only way we can get out of what we've been through and gain confidence. There's no exact formula for us to do this and that and get out of it. We'll have to bring it from within ourselves."

Panini went on to say: "I talked to players, I gave my touch, which I think can help, there are things that can be adjusted. In the end, this is what happens on the field, we have to get on the field and devour the parquet, that's the only way we will gain confidence. It's nice, being positive is nice, but we have to get on the field and do the right things. Whatever happens off the field, everything here is perfect. I've been through a lot of national teams and teams, there's love here and we're good friends."

"We need to get on the field and devour the parquet."

Panini (Photo: Barney Ardov)

2. There is no doubt that the biggest disappointment in the Israeli team last week was around the ability of Danny Abdia, in his first significant campaign in the senior team.

Avdia was not good enough in the game in Tampere against Finland, and three days later he allowed the Swedish players to celebrate at his expense in a loss at Hall of Solomon.

The team believes that Avdia, who is not afraid to talk to the media and raise the level of expectations for him personally, will look better in the championship, but the fear is of harming the team flow that has characterized the team for many years in rotation without him.

"On the field we played in a certain way, for 4-5 years, players came in who weren't there, Danny, and we have to help him. We did it and he helps us, he wants to learn. Not everything will be perfect. We will have to learn from these things," Panini admits.

"Not everything will be perfect."

Avdia (Photo: Kobi Eliyahu)

3. Yesterday, national team manager Moti Daniel stood in front of the microphones and claimed that one should not put all the weight of the weight on the upcoming game against Finland, and that it is very possible that it will not be significant regarding promotion or non-promotion to the round of 16.

Israel has qualified many times even without winning the first game in the championship, but the team admits that in light of the past week against them, the victory against Finland is critical when it comes to security for the rest of the season.

"We have to tell the truth, if we also lose to Finland, we will go up against Holland with a very big weight on our shoulders", says one of the team members, "currently we are opening the championship with a smooth page, but when you accumulate negative things, accumulate losses, it is difficult to change trends. It is very important to start with a victory."

The team hopes to find the players who will make the step up for them in the tournament, and not just Yam Madar who carried the game on his back in the loss to Sweden.

Among the players who are marked as those who should do it, apart from Avdia of course, Jake Cohen, Tamir Blatt and Yuval Sussman are mentioned, three who have already excelled in the national uniform.

"With all the noise of all the years, it's impossible to convey the feeling of how to come to these events," Panini says, "You have to go back to your base, in these classes, start with the simple things, that's how you gain confidence and get into the rhythm. That's the main thing, do the simple things and slowly Slowly move forward."

key players.

Blatt and Zosman (Photo: Danny Maron)

4. On the other side of the floor in Prague, the Finnish team will come up, the one that beat Israel 73:79 just a week and a day ago, when just like Guy Goodes' team, the Finns also know that not qualifying for the round of 16 means a big failure.

Finland has a big star, Lauri Markkanen, a bunch of young players, and two veteran players whose careers are close to ending after the championship - 34-year-old Petri Koponen and 38-year-old Sean Huff.

The older generation of Finland believes that at the end of the championship they will be able to mark their achievement in the European Championship, after last week they qualified for the World Championship.

"It was a long summer, we are working hard, we reached our goal and entered the World Championship. We have eight players who for the first time in EuroBasket, you can feel their excitement," Koponen said yesterday and referred to his team's young squad: "The main thing is our style, the young teams Playing in the same style, the young players can help easily. We have eight young players, it's easier as they are used to the system. They are used to this system from the young teams."

When asked what he expects from Israel, he said: "I believe we will see Israel differently, they did their job, they will try to change something. They had bad games against us and Sweden, they will try to bring the energy and focus, we will have to be ready. Israel is a talented and mobile team, there They have tall people who can score from the outside, they try to play fast and move the ball. It will be an interesting game, the small details will decide as usual."

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• Israel basketball team

• Danny Avdia

• Guy Panini