Yam Madar’s Playoff Surge Raises Questions About His EuroLeague Role

Hapoel Tel Aviv lost a tense Israeli league final series 3-1 to Maccabi Tel Aviv, and will have to keep waiting for its first championship since 1969. But the team’s standout in the playoffs was guard Yam Madar, whose postseason form stood in sharp contrast to his limited role in the EuroLeague.

The 25-year-old played less than 10 minutes per game in Europe’s top competition, producing only 3.1 points and 1.4 assists. In Israel, after Hapoel reached the season’s decisive stage without MVP Elijah Bryant and without another primary guard, Antonio Blakeney, Madar stepped into a much larger role and delivered.

Across nine playoff games, Madar averaged 19.6 points, more than any other Hapoel Tel Aviv player, along with 5.6 assists in 32 minutes per game. By comparison, EuroLeague MVP and Hapoel’s highest earner, Vasilije Micic, averaged 16.8 points and 5.6 assists in the playoffs, but dropped to 13.5 points and 6 assists in the final series. Against Maccabi, Madar was even better, posting 19.2 points and 8 assists. Finals MVP Iffe Lundberg finished with 17.5 points and 4 assists.

Madar now enters what could be the most important summer of his career. After recovering from a persistent injury, he has shown he can carry a team with EuroLeague ambitions. His contract includes an exit clause worth several hundred thousand shekels, and there is reported interest in Israel and across Europe, leaving the 25-year-old at a major turning point.