Maccabi Tel Aviv Faces Early Season Crisis After Two EuroLeague Losses
Translated & summarized from Now 14 by baba
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Maccabi Tel Aviv is 0-2 in EuroLeague after losing to Besiktas.
- Internal sources express deep concern over the team's poor functioning.
- Defense is a major weakness, with new signings underperforming.
- Coach Katash admits disappointment and the need for much work.
- The team faces a difficult upcoming schedule, starting with Panathinaikos.
Maccabi Tel Aviv is grappling with significant disappointment following a 0-2 start to their EuroLeague season, marked by consecutive losses. After falling to Villeurbanne in the opening game, the team suffered a decisive 109-93 defeat to Besiktas in Belgrade on Wednesday. This poor performance has left the club concerned, with internal sources expressing frustration over the team's current state.
"We cannot look like this. Nothing is functioning, certainly not the defense. Nobody imagined we would start the season like this," an insider revealed. The team's defense has been particularly weak, struggling to contain opponents, especially in the paint. Offensive fluidity has also been an issue, failing to generate consistent scoring.
Much of the criticism is directed at the team's new signings and star players, who have yet to meet expectations. Jalen Reynolds has struggled to make an impact, T.J. Leaf is still finding his rhythm after an injury, and Daniel Theis has delivered underwhelming performances. Newcomer Armando Bacot has seen minimal playing time, appearing in only three minutes in the previous game and not at all against Besiktas.
Concerns also extend to the backcourt, with Yovel Zoosman failing to find his form after not starting, and Wade Baldwin IV not replicating his standout performance from last season. Kithon Wallace has also been a disappointment so far.
Coach Oded Katash acknowledged the team's struggles, stating, "Very disappointing. This was a must-win game for us, but we didn't start with the right energy." He emphasized the need for significant improvement, noting, "We have a lot of work to do, we have our shortcomings, but it's still early in the season. We need to find a way, because it's not going to be easy with the schedule we have."
The team has little time to regroup as they are set to travel to Athens to face Panathinaikos on Friday, who have started their season with two consecutive wins. Following this challenging EuroLeague matchup, Maccabi will proceed to the Winner Cup semifinals against Hapoel Jerusalem, intensifying the pressure to find solutions and show marked improvement.
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