Monaco player Jacoba Avatra in an interview (Sasha Vargas, Walla! Sport)
Ali Traore knows European basketball before and before, after a rich career during which he played in Spain, Italy, Germany, Russia and in his native France, where he also appeared for the national team and won a silver medal in the European Championship. When it comes to the series between Monaco and Maccabi Tel Aviv, he can be treated as an expert. The former center accompanied all four games of the series from the floor in his hat as a "Skweek" commentator on French television, and some of his insights will encourage yellow readers here.
"This series doesn't disappoint, it's very evenly matched and reached five games. In my opinion, Maccabi was slightly better," Traore analyzed in a conversation with Walla! Sports ahead of the battle for a place in the Final Four tonight at 21 p.m. "The odds are about 00-49 for Maccabi. They won much more convincingly than Monaco, who couldn't do anything in Game 51. In Game 4, after the threes of DiBartolomeo and Baldwin, Maccabi had a chance to win in the end."
"The odds tend to favor Maccabi Tel Aviv." Traore, right(Screenshot, Stéphane Danna/Direction de la communication)
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What could make a difference in such a game, between two very similar teams that already know each other very well?
"Maccabi doesn't have to invent anything. Her method has worked great so far. Monaco needs to score threes, move the ball well to overcome Ketch's substitution defence. And she needs the X Factor. It could be Eli Okubo, who I don't want to say is disappointing, but he wasn't at his peak in this series compared to the regular season. He couldn't stop Baldwin and Brown."
Obradovic's suspension in Game 4, how much do you think it was meant to prepare the referees for Game 5? And how much will the judgment affect?
"It was definitely preparation for Game 5, but I don't know if the referees have more to the players. He wanted to cause a shock in the group and tried to wake her up."
Crossing the border? Maccabi Tel Aviv fans (Photo: Danny Maron)
Traore has no problem with Monaco's decision to transfer 300 fewer tickets to Maccabi Tel Aviv than initially agreed. On the contrary, he also has a clear explanation for why this is completely legitimate: "I wouldn't pass tickets at all, they still act nicely. No one talks about it, but what happened in Game 2 with Maccabi fans - can't happen. They teased Monaco fans, blocked the team bus, cursed the players. Draw the line. Monaco is doing everything they can to win Game 5."
How much will the disadvantage of Maccabi fans affect?
"It's important for me to make it clear that I have great respect for Maccabi Tel Aviv fans. They are some of the best in Europe. Of course it will have an impact, the first game felt like it was played in Tel Aviv."
Given the success of the away teams in the Euroleague playoffs this year, and the clean history of losing to home teams in Game 5, Traore is convinced that the pressure is on Monaco: "100%. It has home advantage, but Maccabi has proven that it knows how to make things difficult. And everyone else is 'celebrating' about this 5-game statistic, so Monaco needs to deliver."
You played for Monaco in 2018 and since then the club has been on the rise. What do you think about this process?
"I saw him from the inside. The club did everything together with the Principality of Monaco to build a successful team. They put at her disposal all the means to make this happen. It's a very professional club, you sign the right players to the right contracts. It's a little surprising because the Euroleague is tough this season, but it's less surprising when you see the hard work they put in."
Love Jundy, betting on Maccabi Tel Aviv. Ali Tauré playing for France (Photo by Getty Images, Ronald Martinez)
Maccabi also returned this year to heights it had not known for a long time.
"Legendary clubs don't die, and Maccabi is a legendary club. Like Panathinaikos, there are times when you don't go away because you distance yourself from the culture of the club. The comeback of David Blatt, one of the best basketball minds ever, brought back the positive culture to the club. He is a legend and I was happy to see the ceremony they gave him last week. Even if Maccabi Tel Aviv does not qualify for the Final Four this season, good years await it. Besides, they signed the most important players this season. Brown, Baldwin, Coulson, DiBartolomeo I love him. There is a project for three or four years. Maccabi is back on the right track."
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- Euroleague and European basketball
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- Maccabi Tel Aviv Basketball
- Monaco in basketball