like machines
In one of who knows how many evenings of nostalgia organized by Maccabi Tel Aviv to mark a historical event, this time the wonder team of 2005, one Anthony Parker sent a video in which he described the team back then. And explained that in the first season together, which is the year 2004, it went really hard. In the second joint season, which is the year 2005, it was already on automatic. like a computer game To be precise, the MVP explained everything in three words: We played like machines.
ok ok A little bit of proportions before we go wild here. The “difficult” season in question, as I recall, ended with the European Cup. And the second one too. And even when we wildly compliment the current version of the yellow club, which happens quite automatically, it is not claimed that these are similar teams. On the other hand, it is claimed that there is a common denominator, because even the players of Maccabi Tel Aviv model April 2024, similar to the empire of Parker, Charas, etc. and Go and Do, play like machines.
If we talk about postcards, we need to point out again and remind that Oded Ketch started this season as a lame duck. When the bitterness around him (and probably his too) stands out from afar. And if we continue and talk frankly, time to confess: I didn’t believe it would last. Worse than that for me, I thought at one point that Ketch’s inherent shortcomings, personally or professionally, would prevent this team from realizing its full potential. If we were to be more precise, I was afraid that those specific minuses might outweigh the extraordinary pluses that should be encouraged Ketch, as a special, deep and exceptionally talented basketball coach. who knows
so that’s it. no The version that hit Baskonia yesterday is one of the most precise and trained we’ve ever known and it’s all a celebration of how to do it right. Sorry, of how to do it nicely. Sorry, of how to do it both correctly and beautifully. Finney Gershon’s empire, the one from 2004-05, not only dismantled most of the old continent, but it played basketball that you couldn’t take your eyes off of. It was innovative, it was different, it was sheer pleasure. And again, to distinguish as many differences as you like, the team of Brown, Baldwin and Co. also plays different basketball. And in a certain way, certainly in the language of the second league in Tiva, there is also a dimension of innovation in this system. of pure pleasure. What fun it was to watch Maccabi Tel Aviv play basketball yesterday. Not just basketball. Snoopy Disco of basketball.
Every question has an answer
In the interview at the end of the game, Oded Ketch spoke about the successful game plan. Well, I don’t agree with the man. To talk about the game plan, that is, about elements of micro, of point tactics, it super diminishes what happened last night on the deaf parquet in Belgrade. The truth is that Maccabi Tel Aviv came prepared to Dushko and Howard, but that is only a (small) part of the story.
The victory over Baskonia reflects the wider supremacy, the absolute offensive supremacy. If you will, the strategic superiority. Maccabi Tel Aviv, unlike a significant part of its rivals, does not depend on one exercise or another. Its strength (and against certain opponents, its weakness as well) stems from the fact that it does not play a collection of specific elements, which depend on the coordinator or the coach marking 4 side or 5 down, but in the end everything is part of the same thing. From the same automatic rules of angles, spacing and timing. When you run it with enough talent on the one hand and with enough running time on the other, you reach a situation where you play like machines. So, the decision makers and the rest of the blind know, even if only in theory, what kind of structured solution there is to every obstacle that the defense puts up.
Basconia of the beginning of the game knew exactly what she wanted from herself, with a logical game plan that thought behind it. By and large, Koach Ivanovic’s main goal was to take away the color from Maccabi Tel Aviv. prevent the elevations to Nivo. To neutralize the part of the roll from the pick and roll. On the face of it, a great idea. That indeed prevented Manivo from reaching the ring and left him with only 4 points. who even worked for the Basques attracted some posers. That is, if we ignore what Lorenzo Brown did to them in those poses as well.
The Haida Let’s get started, and I need you guys focused, eh? Second attack of the game. A yellow flag covers half a frame. Brown’s first pick and roll at Nivo. And I ask you to take a good look at Sedkarskis. Who completely leaves Bonzie Coulson and invades the middle of the paint, to prevent the high throw to Nivo. And when Zach Cohen arrives to block Coulson, Sedkarskis remains rooted to the spot, switching with Monka and all his attention is on his tongue. Same thing in the second pick and roll. Almost the same in the third pick and roll. This. Baskonia stopped all the ideas of the yellows and left Brown for a desperation shot at the end of the clock. or not.
As the game progressed and after Brown marked himself a goal to hurt every Palestinian pro Basque who was watching the screen at his home in Vitoria and eating a heart, this solution was also completely broken and the yellow attack no longer needed miracles.
Baskonia’s other idea for Maccabi’s pick and roll moves, certainly against Baldwin, came in the form of a solution called FLAT, a passive defensive solution in which the tall guard steps back. And it’s true, Baldwin is an artist and master of the shot from half distance, but don’t worry, Dusku rubbed his hands with a wide smile, that’s what friends are for. Let them help and sting Baldwin from the sides. Baldwin, who knows and played with Dushko, also agreed and told himself that it was a really great idea. So there you go, pick and roll Baldwin and Rivero. The tall guard here is Costello, and he really steps back and waits for help from Monka and Marinkovic, who literally leave their players and jump towards Baldwin and the ball. And he is interested in Baldwin.
Okay, so neither. Maybe in exchanges it will work for them? We went out to check. This time, Baldwin is the one with the ball. Nibo Hosem and Brown after him. Basconia, who at this point is both completely hysterical and doesn’t know from whom or how she can help, throws McIntyre at Baldwin. And it’s true, this time too Nieuw has nowhere to cut, because his keeper Kutsar is waiting inside, but who will be able to pick up Lorenzo Brown who is moving towards the middle? nobody. not going to happen.
But not only in pick and roll situations. When everything beats like clockwork, a team like the current Maccabi knows how to solve problems in motion and quickly. For example, what happens when you have to deal with a situation of double guarding a player who plays with his back to the basket? Maccabi Tel Aviv does not have too many players or post-tap situations. But she does sometimes have Bonzie Coulson in there. In front of Basconia’s exchanges, etc., the man suddenly found himself in front of a small guard. Then the ball went to him. Then came the double guard – and the loss.
Well, there is a solution for that too. About a minute later, again some little guy guards Coulson and again the ball goes in for him. This time, the offensive response is different. Please pay attention to where Nivo and Cohen are at the moment and compare with the previous gif. This time Zak comes out, following Nivbo’s marking with his hand. This time Nibo is not stuck in the center of the square, but is hiding in a place where they will no longer be able to reach. This time there is no loss. There is a dunk. adios
Stop Howard
I promised you something about a game plan, so I will deliver. When you look at the statistics page, it is difficult to be impressed by all the defensive elements of the champion of Israel. Baskonia finished the game with 68% for 2 points that were not achieved only in garbage time – because it also finished the first half with 63% for 2. And at least at the end of the game, Baskonia’s 3-point percentage was also completely fine. OK, but not interesting. Maccabi Tel Aviv was interested in Marcus Howard, the man who recently burned all the rivals. The man who scored more than anyone else this year. In order to damage the abilities of the Basque villain, Maccabi Tel Aviv was ready to give up a lot. Including betting on McIntyre (who finished a monstrous game at the statistical level, with 32 + 8 + 7), who will be more of a scorer and less the one who activates his scorer.
Already in the first half it was clear where things were going. Howard finished with 1/5 for 3 and nothing and nothing else, except for one loss he accumulated on the way. And the defense of him came from several different players, including Lorenzo Brown, much to the astonishment. By and large, the beauty of the program is in its simplicity. in her zip code. in the degree of aggressiveness with which it is carried out.
For example here, during the first of the second quarter. Howard seems to go for a staggered block at first, but actually cuts between the first blocker and the second (and in American TWIRL), then goes again for a block of the tall Costello. now if you don’t mind Take a look at the video again and look only at Cleveland. All of his airs are aimed at escorting on Howard’s back. to be his tail. go behind him Make him take a shot in front of an outstretched hand – or he will be forced to dribble the ball, and then it is already better for the yellows. Okay, andNow take a look again and look at James Webb III. On Howard’s first cut, Webb sets him up with the elbow area. When he comes out on the block up, Webb leaves his man and comes to show himself, interrupt and bully. All this, together, succeeds even more than expected.
Now for the segment from the beginning of the third quarter. This time the man in charge of breaking the barriers is Baldwin. Unlike Cleveland, Baldwin’s approach is less Trail’s (ie tailing him from behind) and more blocking/getting into the passing lane to Howard. But the interesting and special thing is not that. After the ball is avoided by Howard, Basconi continues the attack. Throughout this season, the defensive players of Maccabi Tel Aviv lost concentration and their player, when it was without a ball and when the small clock was running out. This time too, if you notice, it almost happened. Almost, but Baldwin comes to his senses, recovers and discourages the great Marcus Howard. applause. Snoopy Disco. And applause again.
Defensive game plan? Any game plan at all? It’s time to bring back and relaunch Hannibal Smith’s immortal gif from Mitzvah to the point.
The return of BB
Micro, macro, tactics and strategy. These are all big and beautiful words. In the end, players win. In the end the top players win. And they arrived yesterday. What did they come to? Bigtime has arrived for Money Time. Lorenzo Brown delivered his best game of the season, including a career-high 7 3-pointers. Baldwin IV was no less great. In statistics, in style, in defense. in threes. Everything is coordinated, everything is synchronized. Everything beats like clockwork.
And here, too, it’s a coach’s job. We tend to judge coaches for clan or favor according to all sorts of group elements. guards? attacking? On the selection of the five, on the management of the exchanges, on the dressing room, on the results. which is great. In my opinion, a coach should be measured first of all in relation to the individual level demonstrated by his players. A good coach is a coach whose players play well. and vice versa. Like that, simple. And if Lorenzo Brown is also playing well now, at least as of yesterday, then great credit to both the player and his coach. Blackmail on both.
Three points to go
1. OR – Baskonia showed up for this game as the second-best defensive rebounding team in the second-best league. Well, have fun. Of the 33 misses of the Yellows, they collected 16 rebounds in the attack. Or if you want, out of the 34 rebounds that were taken under Baskonia’s basket, Maccabi Tel Aviv took 16. That is 47%. that’s crazy Oh, and this time Nivo was only responsible for 2 of these. And I wanted to show it to you here (please pay attention until the end of the move, that is until the second attack rebound), so that you will be as excited as I am. Physicality, athleticism, but also movement, positioning and wisdom.
Josh Niebo’s offensive rebound technique impressed not only us, but you too@shay_hausmann. And it will be only a small part of his column tomorrow for the play-in summary, there is something to look forward to pic.twitter.com/QOEe8Fx8xn
– Sport5 (@sport5il) April 16, 2024
2. 2 19 out of 36 in the area of trice. 53% including hard shots. Including 2 of Cleveland. i.e. 7, 4, 3 of Brown, Baldwin, Blatt. When you score in such percentages, the world is beautiful.
3. pow – the truth? Among the 6 potential opponents of Maccabi Tel Aviv in the playoffs, it may be that Panthenaikos is the most appropriate opponent of all. Or should we say the unit that can perhaps be removed. True, she finished second. And it’s true, Maccabi has already beaten her twice. They have the great Lesur, but they don’t have the super big, physically threatening man that Real, Olympiakos or Barca have. She doesn’t have the combination of athleticism and talent that Monaco has to offer. She doesn’t have the stylistic superiority that, say, Lefner has. And I’m not sure she has the right matchup. And yet, with a home advantage, the team of Argin Atman, Slokas, Mitoglu, Nan, the team of Huaca, is the favorite to qualify for the Final Four in Berlin.
Did you find a language mistake?
