Prepare the video devices and record: Lorenzo Brown's era at Maccabi Tel Aviv begins | Israel today

Four and a half minutes from the start of the semi-final game of the Winner Cup, a new era began in Maccabi Tel Aviv, the era of Lorenzo Brown.

Maccabi has not had a real center back in the last four years, except for a brief glimpse of Nate Walters.

Maccabi hasn't had a game-breaking player in the league and also the balance of power in the Euroleague since the Sharas and Parker era.

The smart polishing of the professional team at the beginning of the summer (Brown was already signed at the end of June!) transforms Maccabi Tel Aviv from end to end, from a messy and sometimes boring team, to a fascinating team that allows itself to dream of all the titles.

So dramatic is the change brought by Brown, with top class with zero effort, of the reigning European champion.    

Brown is so good that he makes the importance placed on the preseason look a little ridiculous.

After two short training sessions, he takes the field with a collection of unfamiliar players who trained and tried to connect for a month without him, and with elegant ease takes over the game, against the reigning national champion, and from a situation of equality brings his team to a 25-point lead, with a double-double and 12 assists, and we'll see As if he had been playing here for years.

Rare game intelligence combining perfect physical abilities for a coordinator.

Brown.

Some elegance, photo: Alan Shiver

Maccabi without Braun looked sloppy and confused in the preparatory games, and Braun suddenly pours correct, smart and beautiful basketball into it.

Prepare the VCRs and record.

Every game, every move.

And all with restraint, elegance, surgical precision at every change of direction and at every change of speed.

After many years, Maccabi will once again be a source of learning for all basketball fans, and not just for love from its devoted fans.

And if we wanted a reminder from previous years, we got Wade Baldwin, who reminds a bit of Scotty Wilbkin in terms of the solo game, the involvement of the ego and the need to prove to everyone and himself that he is good enough.

But he is also more polished than Scotty, penetrates to the ring and excels.

His team with Brown allows Maccabi to play with two creative guards, in accordance with Oded Ketch's vision.

Maccabi's style of play will also be new to its fans, and it seems that Ketch is also getting out of the pick and roll rut.

Playing with two tall, athletic and mobile players like Nieveau and Poiters together provides varied options of inside-outside play, passing to the post and moving around, many points in the paint and above the ring, and threes that come from shrinking the defense with a free look.

Everything we didn't see from Maccabi of the previous era.     

Rafi Manko has an extraordinary opportunity to break the ceiling and upgrade to the rank of a leading player in Maccabi Tel Aviv in the Euroleague as well.

It starts with the combative nature and understanding of the game, the aggressive defense and fighting spirit he instills in every team, something that coaches especially like.

Rafi Manko.

Will there be a leading player in the Euroleague as well?, Photo: Alan Shiver

The construction of Maccabi's squad did not place special emphasis on shooting, and here Manko is the only absolute shooter in Maccabi, who takes the decisive three-pointers (in 17 minutes he scored four three-pointers with 80% accuracy), with an important and special feature: he releases the shot a few tenths after who received the ball.

You don't take it off at all, and you don't need to arrange it, and certainly not to dribble.

His connection with Brown was immediate, and he will be the senior Israeli and play many minutes in the league.

But even in the Euroleague, the fast shooting will be a critical skill for the flourishing of Manko, and also of Maccabi. 

Hapoel Holon also plays in a new style, with two dominant tall players and pushing the ball into the paint at every opportunity.

No more playing handball around the arc.

But she was too weak in three-point shooting with the departure of Magee, Manko and Panini, and after scoring in double figures all last season she managed to score only six three-pointers against the aggressive Maccabi.

Pearls in yellow.

Do you miss Holon?, Photo: Alan Shiver

The other problem is the injury to CJ Harris, and with his replacement still not here, Ragland became the only creator and was squeezed for 36 minutes.

Niv Meshav is wonderful and plays close to his limits, but deep into the fourth quarter, Holon had only eight assists, seven of them by Ragland.

It depends on him completely, and the short rotation of eight players also endangers the freshmen ahead of the opening of the Champions League this coming Monday.

It is true that it is only the beginning of the season, and Eric Green is already arriving, but yesterday it was a double loss for Holon.

On the other hand, she had the honor of inaugurating Idan Brown in Israeli basketball. 

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