Maccabi Tel Aviv's Poor Shooting and Defense Plague EuroLeague Start

Maccabi Tel Aviv has begun its EuroLeague season with significant struggles in both shooting efficiency and defensive perimeter coverage. In the opening 60 minutes of the season, the team shot a dismal 7 of 29 from three-point range (24.1%) in the first game, and continued this trend by making only 1 of 7 three-pointers in the first half of their second game. This brings their season total to 8 of 36 (22.2%), putting them on pace to be the worst three-point shooting team after the second round of the EuroLeague, both in makes and percentage.

Conversely, Maccabi Tel Aviv's defense has been equally concerning. They allowed their opponents to shoot an alarming 16 of 34 three-pointers (47.1%) in one game and conceded 8 of 13 three-pointers in the first half of another. Overall, opponents have shot 24 of 47 from beyond the arc against Maccabi this season (51%). The team is projected to finish the second round as the worst team in terms of three-pointers allowed and the highest opponent three-point shooting percentage by a significant margin.

These statistics raise considerable concerns for coach Oded Katash and the team's supporters, especially given the preseason questions surrounding the team's shooting capabilities. The team's performance suggests a need for immediate tactical adjustments to improve both offensive execution and defensive discipline on the perimeter.