Hapoel Jerusalem Basketball Team Opens Season with New Additions

Hapoel Jerusalem is set to begin their season in the Winner Cup against Kiryat Ata. The team has undergone significant changes over the summer, with eight new players joining the roster alongside returning players and head coach Paul Corsaro. The coaching staff has also been bolstered with the addition of Lithuanian assistant coach and fitness coach.

The club aims to significantly improve upon last season's performance, which they described as a "failure" due to their participation in the lower-tier playoff games. Last season saw the arrival of new owner Lev Mazor, who invested heavily in upgrading the team and professional system, leading to a substantial increase in the club's budget, a trend that continued this summer.

New additions include Justin James, Paris Lee, Freddy Gillespie, Adam Ariel, Noam Dovrat, Vincent Emsalem, Benaya Saror, and Jacob Wiley. However, Adam Ariel, Noam Dovrat, and Jacob Wiley will miss the upcoming games. Ariel is sidelined with a knee injury sustained during a national team game and will be re-evaluated in about a week. Dovrat suffered a knee injury during training and underwent a medical procedure, with his condition to be assessed in two weeks; his return is not expected soon. Wiley is scheduled to arrive in Israel on Tuesday morning and will therefore not participate in the initial matches.

Guard Ben Unach (22, 1.89), who played for Kiryat Gat last season, will join the team for the Winner Cup group stage games.