The Israel Basketball League is slowly but surely coming back to life after the summer break as players return to their clubs around the country as training camp begins in earnest ahead of the new campaign. Both Israelis and foreigners are arriving back in the Holy Land and are starting to get into the swing of things across the board, as an exciting season awaits the players and fans.
One of last year’s surprise packages was Maccabi Ramat Gan, which finished the regular season in third place with an 18-11 record. However, in the quarterfinals, Shmulik Brenner’s team was swept 3-0 by an upstart Kiryat Ata team, which left a bitter taste in the newly promoted club’s collective mouths.
Now, Ramat Gan is back and better than ever with a number of critical additions to the squad. Along with several players entering their second season with the club, Brenner’s crew is raring to go to prove that last year was no fluke and that the team can make a deeper postseason run.
One of the key players entering his second campaign with Ramat Gan is center Benaya Srur. The 24-year-old Israeli big man has seen marked improvement in his play over the past few years but took a huge leap in his debut season with Ramat Gan, as he averaged 5.4 points and 5 rebounds in close to a career-high 17 minutes per game in his fifth year in the top league.
Ramat Gan began practice this week for a season that will see the club not only play in the domestic Israeli league but also in a European competition, the Basketball Champions League. Srur will have a chance to also get his feet wet in continental play and take the next steps in his young career.
Speaking with the Jerusalem Post
Just as training camp opened, Srur spoke to The Jerusalem Post about a myriad of topics as he readies for year two at a place that he can call home.
“I’m very excited,” Srur began. “As someone who knows this place, Ramat Gan, it’s like a family and a warm home. Starting my second season in a row is going to be amazing fun.”
Srur, who is from Afula and played with nearby Hapoel Gilboa/Galil, is now experiencing a change playing and living near Tel Aviv.
“It’s true that this is a new place for me, as I come from the north, after all, from Afula, so there’s a different atmosphere. But Ramat Gan has welcomed me with open arms. It really feels like home, and I’m happy to be here.”
As for the Champions League, Srur can’t wait to get a chance to match up against other big men from across the continent.
“The truth is, it’s really my dream to play in Europe, and I can’t wait to begin.”
Israeli centers are hard to come by, which has been an issue for the National Team as well. That being said, Srur is slowly but surely making his mark and developing into potentially the next big man to wear the blue-and-white, but he knows he still has a way to go.
“It’s hard for me to talk about myself, but I’m glad you’re telling me that. I, of course, think I still have a way to go and goals to achieve, but I’m trying as much as possible to progress and strive forward. Unequivocally, my dream is to play for the Israel National Team, and with God’s help, I hope to achieve just that.”
One of the areas that Srur has to work on is his free-throw shooting, which has always been his Achilles’ heel. Last year’s percentage sat at just 13%, having gone 5/38 overall, with a career average of well under 30%. Foul shooting has historically been an issue for centers, with one of the most famous culprits being Shaquille O’Neal, when teams instituted a “Hack-A-Shaq” strategy to send him to the charity stripe, often resulting in missed opportunities.
“At the end of the day, people will always have something to say, good or bad. I don’t think about it, and I only deal with my basketball game as a whole,” Srur said when asked about his free-throw shooting.
Ramat Gan brought in some solid reinforcements, including center/forward Amin Stevens, who played for Kiryat Ata for a number of years and was named to the league’s Starting 5 Players of the Season. Srur believes Stevens will be a big boost for the club.
“I believe that he will be a great fit for the team because there are guys here who are already playing together for the second year in a row, while some will be playing in the top league for a second season as well, which makes the team more cohesive.”
When basketball aficionados talk about the so-called big teams in Israel, names like Maccabi Tel Aviv, Hapoel Jerusalem, Hapoel Tel Aviv, and Hapoel Holon are always on the tips of their tongues, but Ramat Gan is not mentioned. Srur believes that they have earned respect with last season’s results and should be in the mix.
“I think those who look back at last season and see how we did, considering what the expectations were, can without a doubt say that we should be in that discussion.”
With Ramat Gan having had such a good season last year and then coming up short in the playoffs, Srur and the club are highly motivated this coming campaign. “It’s true that the end of the season didn’t go as we had expected and hoped because we really had a good season. There were injuries and a variety of other reasons, but we came in to win every game, no matter if it was the quarterfinals or a so-called unimportant game.”
Back in 2019/20, Srur – who believes the best center he played against has been former Maccabi Tel Aviv big man Ante Zizic – had the opportunity to match up against a pair of elite big men in Amar’e Stoudemire and Othello Hunter during the Final Four semifinals, which was a highlight for the young center at the time.
“I always look back at that as one of the important games that I played. I came into that season out of nowhere, and nobody knew me or who I was. I was a player who came out of nowhere and started in the semifinals. It was a crazy experience.”
As for dreams and goals, Srur is straightforward.
“To once again make the playoffs and do as well as we can in the BCL, while my biggest dream is to play for the National Team and represent the country.”