Last season was pretty tough for Maccabi Tel-Aviv. The Israeli side failed to celebrate any championship after more than a decade.
Although the team managed to qualify for the EuroLeague playoffs, it got swept by Real Madrid (0-3). Domestic-wise, Maccabi failed to proceed to both the Israeli Cup and Championship Finals. Head coach Ioannis Sfairopoulos left the club before the season ended.
This summer, Maccabi has been deep in the market, having already signed 10 players. Oded Kattash has been appointed as the new head coach, after his short spell at Panathinaikos in the 2020/21 season.
For their part, players like Wade Baldwin (averaging 14.1 points at Baskonia last season), Jarrell Martin (averaging 16 points and 7.9 rebounds at Sidney Kings) and Lorenzo Brown (averaging 13.8 points and 6.1 assists at Kazan) are significant additions for Maccabi.
.@The_Fourth_Wade to @MaccabitlvBC will be fun 🕺
Throw it up and he'll knock it DOWN 🔨 pic.twitter.com/B0ekClK1kj
— Turkish Airlines EuroLeague (@EuroLeague) August 12, 2022
Furthermore, big man Alex Poythress, Darrun Hilliard and Bonzie Colson joined the Israeli side to contribute the most for its return to success.
On the other hand, the departures of players like Ante Zizic (averaging 12.2 points) and Scottie Wilbekin (averaging 15.4 points and 4.1 assists) are surely important, but I believe their gap will be successfully filled.
Head coach Kattash has a lot of experience in managing Israeli teams and his philosophy can help Maccabi return to the Final Four after the 2013-14 championship winning season.
The Israeli side’s big advantage has always been the great atmosphere at Menora Mivtachim Arena. They managed to win 12 home games last season, failing to do so only two times. The Israeli powerhouse recently announced a sold-out in season tickets for the coming season.
🔥
Season tickets are 👇 pic.twitter.com/L0FsRjlecd— Maccabi Tel Aviv BC (@MaccabitlvBC) August 10, 2022
However, Kattash has to build a team that is able to win at any arena this season, if he wants to fulfill the fans’ dreams for a Final Four appearance.
This will be a tough challenge, considering the fact that Maccabi has been completely reconstructed. Should the head coach succeed to do so, Maccabi will be a EuroLeague championship contender.
Otherwise, the “Yellows” could potentially face chemistry issues as a result of the transfers they made, as it is extremely hard for a lot of new players to connect in such a short time.
