The truth is that it happens a little too soon, and we certainly need to give it more time, and there is a good chance that we will be deceived.
But already after the second game, the same realization creeps into consciousness, which usually used to land in the area of the sixth/seventh round of the Euroleague.
The same concern that the construction of the team, despite the big names, was not really informed, and that once again (too many) big names were gathered, who indeed play the role listed in their profile, but without precise thought about the positions, and without any real planning regarding the coordination between them.
Although in the meantime the results are reasonable and in line with expectations.
A home victory over a weak team (even if tight and unlucky).
An away loss to a good team (even if it's not the Euroleague Lions, and even if the game mostly felt like a defeat).
And a hundred days of grace definitely come to a new team and a new coach.
The problem is that in the meantime we have not seen anything new being built at Maccabi, beyond the talent of the players.
There are no connections, no duplications, and it is already required to collect fragments, and quickly.
Lorenzo Brown is currently Maccabi Tel Aviv, and without him it would be in a much worse situation.
It depends on him not only to score and pass, but also to look like a significant and competitive basketball team.
When he was on the bench, or when the opponent denied him the second ball in the attack, Maccabi was arrogant and almost did not get a free shot.
After all, Fener was also a new team, with a new staff and a new coach, yet it seemed much more connected.
Lorenzo Brown.
Yesterday in Istanbul, photo: Maccabi Tel Aviv
It starts with coordinating pairs - Wilvkin and Kaleths activate each other and make contact with their mouths and eyes.
In contrast, Brown and Baldwin do not praise each other at all.
Baldwin essentially gets lost next to Brown, and has made his points through penetration and solo play, often with Brown on the bench.
He owes the ball to him, and in front of Brown's class he was seen trying too hard, sullen and angry with referees, and creating an unhealthy atmosphere around him.
He is already at risk of becoming the second King Wilvkin, who when he was the leading scorer Maccabi was often losing.
In various interviews this week Wilvkin explained how much he suffered in the last season, and in the game it was clear why he enjoyed himself in Turkey.
Give him a cannon point guard next to him like Nick Claths, let him play the ball here and there, send him to shoot threes without pressure (including Derek Sharp's forward leg drill that ended in four points).
He even kept Lorenzo Brown well in the second half.
Together with the wonderful Godrich, they produce a coordinated three that switches roles, alternately scores, and activates the front line in the paint.
And at Maccabi, when even its main partner is Fred, they are still looking for the third person.
It could have been Bonzie Coulson, but he disappeared between the positions, under the team's inability to identify points of strength in the offensive game.
What we have for now is Brown's pick-and-roll, Baldwin's penetration, and tossing me an op-Lanibo (Alex Tyus style), an important move that should be used more.
And this is the coach's job.
Create connections and highlight the strengths, in order to organize an offensive order of priorities.
Right now it doesn't exist yet, and the game is random and opportunistic.
Poythers.
Maccabi had a hard time against Fener's defense, photo: Maccabi Tel Aviv
Emotionally flat
At the same time there is a feeling that Maccabi is emotionally flat and the players come up unfueled and without enough passion, perhaps because their expectations are not exactly clear.
The truth is that the game was supposed to end already in the second quarter, but Fener gave too much respect to Maccabi's defense, with over-passing that resulted in turnovers and fouls.
Maccabi's return to the game in the fourth quarter was also a solo game and opportunities in transition, even without Lorenzo Brown, and mainly because Itodis took out Kalathes.
In a seven-point situation, the Greek center returned, sniped two uncharacteristic 3-pointers, gave three assists to Godoritch, who scored ten more in a row, highlighting Maccabi's serious problem in position 3. Game over.
So the professional problems are the traditional ones of Maccabi: the inability to stop penetration into the paint by the guards, which together with a slow defensive rotation allowed the Turks to make 12 three-pointers at 41%.
The weakness in the defensive rebound - every second ball under Maccabi's basket was Turkish, which produces more easy baskets that are frustrating and do not allow closing gaps.
A lack of offensive aggressiveness that manifests itself in only 11 free throws (against Fener's 29), of which Maccabi scored only 5. Sometimes it feels that no matter who the players are, every year Maccabi has the same problems.
And if Nivo at least contributes in the attack, the hole created by Poythers, Colson and Martin in the 3-4 positions is deep and complicated.
Poithers is at least active and proactive, even though he found himself far from the basket and had to shoot threes that he is not used to.
Colson shot 2-for-9, and most of his shots were unfamiliar to him.
Martin managed to pick up only two shots in 22 minutes.
And these are the offensive problems, without talking about defense at all.
Instead of these three, Roman Sorkin shone and presented a clear alternative to Oded Ketch.
Nivo
Contributes at least in defense, photo: getty
If Sorkin doesn't play, you are not Tel Aviv.
Sorkin must play more, otherwise there really is no justification for the name Tel Aviv on the shirt.
After a resounding dunk right after entering the game, he finished 14 minutes with 8 points and 7 rebounds, and especially with ten shots to the basket.
He moves excellently without the ball and opens up passing opportunities for guards.
He has defensive problems like everyone else, but when Maccabi scores 71 it needs to improve its attack.
As for the rest of the Israelis, the Knesset Yeftah Ziv in the end is more sad than comforting.
And it would be appropriate to compensate the faithful Jake Cohen and allow him to change teams.
Rafi Manko can solve the problem in position three if he only gets minutes.
And the best Israeli ever played in Milan.
Tamir Blatt, Ketch's darling, gave a performance and led Elba Berlin to an away win over Messina's team.
In a sane world without foreign laws and tax breaks, he was at least the second coordinator of Ketch in Maccabi.
But that's another story.
So the concern mentioned in the opening is indeed already nesting, and Maccabi reacts quickly and decisively.
Maybe if Austin Hollins was at his father's level (Lionel Hollins was a talented quarterback who won the NBA Championship with Portland in 1977 along with Bill Walton and Maurice Lucas, and later played with Dr. J in Philadelphia), and if Hilliard hadn't been injured, Maccabi might have waited a bit .
But the combination of injuries and the weak display sent Maccabi looking for another player, and probably to land Jaylen Adams.
And he is suitable not only because he is tough and positively bad, but because he might be able to change Maccabi's configuration, will allow it to play with three guards together, and will introduce connections and doublings, running game and three-pointers, and even pressure defense.
Because this is what can solve the current forwards problem.
The French week is already upon us, and with it will come the first real pressure cooker of the season.
Monaco is one of the strongest teams in the factory, which will pressure Maccabi precisely on its weak point - preventing penetration into the paint and defensive rebounding.
And if Maccabi doesn't want to eat frogs already, it needs to put on a show and win these two games.
And the main thing is to connect, multiply, and break its current low ceiling.
Against Maccabi last season.
Soon in yellow, photo: Oded Karni
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