Throughout the last few years, even when it succeeded and achieved achievements, the center position in Hapoel Holon was the relative weak point on the field.
Throughout the summer, Guy Goodes and his team patiently searched for the foreigner who would fill the problematic slot and change the trend, and the fortune fell on Marvin Jones.
The start of the season for the 29-year-old interior player (2.13 m) was impressive, and the personal numbers stood out accordingly.
Along with good defensive ability and energy on both sides of the field, the American surprised the champions with a marked improvement on the offensive side.
He creates points for himself by shooting from half distance and playing with his back to the basket, which was not the case last season in Holon in this position.
Jones' performance began to generate interest around him.
In an era where all the teams in Europe are looking for athletic centers that integrate into the pick and roll game, one who is also endowed with the ability to pass and make good decisions immediately becomes a sought-after commodity.
Throughout the last month and a half, several teams began to monitor Jones' condition with interest, the three main ones were Virtus Bologna and Red Star, who play in the Euroleague, and Zenit St. Petersburg, who play in the Russian League and the powerful VTB League.
In Holon, his appearance was not due to the interest aroused by the chin as much as due to the situation - it is not every day that Euroleague teams express interest in a player who is approaching 30 years of age and has never played in the factory.
In a parallel graph to the interest around him, a sharp decline in his ability began, and Jones, who was an island of stability in the first months of the season, appears to be a shadow of himself and as someone who is almost detached from everything that happens on the floor.
Jones.
"Every player has ups and downs", photo: Oded Karni
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The sharp change on the field is also evident in the statistics: he had a league season negative record of only three points in the victory game against Ness Ziona City, in the loss to Strasbourg he was content with eight points, and against Hapoel Jerusalem in the Champions League he stopped at only two points, a season negative record Marvin C Vans in Europe.
"Every player experiences ups and downs during the season, and with him it was a little more pronounced. It may also be that the interest and publications around him affected him a little, you never know. Every player experiences it in a different way, certainly a player who has never played in the Euroleague and knows that the window of opportunity is limited." testify honestly in the group.
The Italian team, whose appeal to the parties was first published in Israel Hayom, was the most serious of the three options, and clear indications were sent in the direction of the player and the champion, but the deal did not come to fruition.
According to sources in the land of the boot, Virtus was looking for a replacement to step into the shoes of the French Mohamed Jeita, who was on his way to Monaco, but the round deal fell through and the Italians decided not to add another player.
Goods.
Supports his player even in difficult moments, photo: Oded Karni
The Serbian team, which carried out an impressive acquisition campaign in the Euroleague in recent months, with the addition of Luka Wildosa and Pacendo Campazzo, entered the player market again in search of a replacement for the injured Hasan Martin, but was then prohibited by the Euroleague management from signing new players.
The last one on the list was the Russian team, but the player had an exit option in his contract for monetary compensation to the Euroleague only.
The positive turning point for the player was in the last league game at the Shlomo Hall, when the Purples achieved an impressive away victory over Hapoel TA. Jones, who looked focused and energetic, returned to mention his version positively from the beginning of this season.
He played 39 minutes and contributed 12 points and eight rebounds.
In order to keep the European season alive, Goodes' men will have to get an away win tonight against French side Dijon at any cost.
For that to happen, they'll need Jones in his prime once again.
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