Motley Explains Red Star Belgrade's Edge Over Hapoel Tel Aviv

Jonathan Motley, formerly of Hapoel Tel Aviv, has joined Serbian club KK Crvena Zvezda (Red Star Belgrade) for the upcoming EuroLeague season. In a recent interview in Serbia, Motley discussed the differences between his new team and his former club.

Motley stated his move to Red Star was driven by a desire to return to the top tier of European basketball. He anticipates a fast-paced style of play, though he acknowledged the team is currently losing the ball too often. "The moment we make better decisions and turn the ball over less, we will create more shots. Our percentages are good," he said.

He contrasted the coaching styles of Red Star's Dimitris Itoudis and Hapoel's former coach, Ivan Navarro. "Dimitris Itoudis is a systematic coach, he doesn't want you to shoot quickly. He waits to see matchups, you know in advance who you will shoot against on each possession," Motley explained. "Ivan Navarro is a different coach, it's night and day."

Motley believes Red Star's ability to make in-game decisions is key to reaching the Final Four, highlighting this as the primary difference between the two teams. "Every team and every coach is different," he concluded.