Quite a few eyebrows were raised last summer, when Maccabi Tel Aviv announced the signing of interior player Jaciel Rivero - not one of the flashiest names in Europe, to say the least, nor with extensive experience in the Euroleague. Some yellow fans even expressed their displeasure at this signing, claiming that he was not the right player for the team's needs.
Rivero, it must be said, was very close to extending his contract at Valencia in the summer. The sides had already reached an agreement, but then the Spaniards pulled back - and Maccabi Tel Aviv took on what it considered a bargain. The Yellowjackets put their hand deep in their pockets, giving the relatively unknown Cuban a salary of $600,<> on a season-long contract with an option for one more, putting him fifth on the roster in terms of salary.
Today, about a month and a half after the start of the Euroleague season – an unusual season for the Israeli champions in every sense – Rivero's signing already seems much less puzzling. Even the fans, who at the beginning, as already mentioned, were pessimistic, are pleasantly surprised and begin to fall in love with Cubani.
The game that "bought" the fans was probably the victory over Milan, about three weeks ago. Then, the Cuban delivered a tremendous display of 21 points (8-of-9 from the field), 4 rebounds, 2 steals and 26 points (a new career high in scoring and a point away from matching career highs in points). He did all this in just 19 minutes on the court.
Overall, Rivero's season numbers so far aren't "eye-catching" — he's averaging 9.2 points per game and grabbing 2.4 rebounds. Nothing special, on the face of it. However, he does so in just 17 minutes on average on the court, which is enough for him to be the most productive of all the front-line players in Maccabi Tel Aviv when it comes to scoring.
These numbers, even if they are not unusual, are a pleasant surprise for the yellow fans, and probably also for the professional staff, which receives a great contribution from the Cuban interior player in relation to the small number of minutes he receives.
Rivero in front of Milan, photo: Getty Images
And if we're talking about the professional team, maybe there's a way to get even more out of Rivero. According to advanced data, the Cuban registers most of his minutes in the faceline alongside Roman Sorkin – a team that does not yield such positive results for Maccabi; However, when Rivero plays alongside Jake Cohen or James Webb, the numbers look better, too. True, Rivero isn't the most polished player there is. He also doesn't show minimal threat from outside the arc, and his defensive game isn't particularly impressive either, to say the least. Still, it provides the team with other tools for the front line, which is a big advantage.
For example, Rivero brings physicality and toughness that allow him to beat opposing centers on the way to the basket. These are aspects that are almost non-existent in the game of starting center Josh Nivo. This difference between the two – along with the fact that Rivero delivers in his minutes – gives Ketch the opportunity for diversity in the front line during games.
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So is Rivero Maccabi's missing piece on the way to a single leap forward, i.e. qualifying for the Final Four? Not sure. Could an interior player with other abilities (Bruno Caboclo, for example) be a better fit? Apparently. Still, there's one thing that's neither "maybe" nor "probably" — but certain: Rivero's ability so far is far better than expected. Tonight against Barcelona (without the injured Jan Vesely) he will try to continue that streak, and on the way perhaps lower some of the same eyebrows that were raised four months ago.
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