Hapoel Tel Aviv is considering a major rotation change before Game 4 of the Israeli Basketball League final tonight, Tuesday at 8:50 p.m., as it tries to force a deciding Game 5. The club chose to activate center Dan Oturu instead of Chris Jones, even though Oturu has not played in the last month and a half and is still far from game shape.
The decision comes after coach Dimitris Itoudis used Jonathan Motley for only 42 seconds in the second half of Sunday’s win over Maccabi Tel Aviv. One Hapoel staff member said an assistant coach explained afterward that Motley was barely needed because, as he put it, “He was surprised he came in at all. We did not need him, and the way he played in the first half, it was clear he would not play in the second.” Another club source said there was no real debate about Motley, describing him as a player who cannot rebound and is easy to attack defensively.
Oturu’s inclusion is not a simple choice, because Hapoel believes he is its best center this season and a key player for the future, but he remains out of shape after what the club described as an extended break. Team officials said they realized after his return to Israel last week that hopes of getting him ready quickly for the final were unrealistic. Conditioning staff warned that giving an unfit player heavy minutes in such an intense game greatly increases injury risk.
Hapoel also worries about how Oturu’s high-usage style will fit with a team that has recently flourished with a different rhythm, allowing Yam Madar and Vasa Micić to excel. Still, the club believes it can manage by relying on Tai Odiase for 27 minutes or more, or by switching back to איש ווינרייט at center if needed. The only other option, going without a second center entirely, was considered too dangerous because an injury or foul trouble could leave the team exposed. Looking ahead to the summer, Hapoel is expected to try to part ways with Motley, whose contract is worth more than $2 million and was signed with owner Ofer Yannay after the war, despite objections from some of the coaching staff.
