Maccabi will need to take a good hard look at its roster and make some decisions, tough decisions as to who needs to stay, who will go and who will come in to give the yellow-and-blue a shot to reach European glory once again. It’s no easy feat, but it’s attainable. That should be the goal over the next month or so as the club begins to build the 2021/22 roster.
There will be question marks as management will need to see where it can upgrade and where it MUST upgrade.
The No. 1 priority has to be a point guard to play alongside Scottie Wilbekin, Maccabi’s star. The Winner League finals MVP, who also earned a spot in the league’s First-Team All-Stars, finished off the Israeli league campaign extremely strong. He demonstrated that he is the best player in the Holy Land, but over in Europe he needs to have a player by his side in order to free him up while also being a player that can be counted on to score.
We saw in the finals against a super tough Hapoel Gilboa/Galil team that other than Wilbekin, scoring was sorely needed after losing the likes of Elijah Bryant to the Milwaukee Bucks in the NBA and Tyler Dorsey. There was no secondary scorer and that could have cost Maccabi.
Chris Jones made his Euroleague debut with Tel Aviv and it’s an open question if he will return for a second season. Jones and Wilbekin never quite developed the on-court chemistry. Jones starred in Eilat to wrap up the semifinal series and he had some very good games, but on some nights he wasn’t able to make the impact that perhaps Maccabi was looking for.
There has been talk that a number of Euroleague teams are interested in Jones, including Barcelona, so the last thing Maccabi wants to see is Jones head to greener pastures and star for another club after having invested time and effort into the guard.
Keenan Evans, who starred with Hapoel Haifa, seems to have already been locked up by the yellow-and-blue, however there have also been reports that Zalgiris is interested in obtaining his services so that is another story that bares to watch over the next few weeks.
Iftach Ziv, who has matured as not only a point guard but as a true floor general, is another player on Maccabi’s radar despite the Gilboa/Galil star stating that he is interested in heading to Europe, specifically Spain, to ply his trade.
Maccabi coach Ioannis Sfairopoulos got to see up close and personal what Ziv is able to do and perhaps he’s a player that could complement Wilbekin in the backcourt.
It’s still unclear what Yovel Zoosman will do as he may want to team up with Israeli coach Oded Katash at Panathinaikos, however Maccabi can match any offer that Zoos receives and it would be a surprise to see him leave Yad Eliyahu.
Oz Blayzer will most probably continue with Tel Aviv next season as he was an asset for Maccabi in the Israeli league while earning limited minutes in Europe. Although he hasn’t been his best over the past couple of months, he has no ego and is a perfect fit for the club.
Angelo Caloiaro stepped up big time in the finals to help Maccabi win the title by playing suffocating defense while also hitting huge three-pointers. There’s no question that Angelo, who has another year on his contract, is an asset in the Israeli league but in Europe he’s got to be more productive for a player who is on the court for close to 30 minutes a game.
Word is that Jake Cohen will be returning to Maccabi for his third stint after a year at Obradoiro in Spain and he would come in to replace Dragan Bender, who is now out for at least a half-a-year with an ACL injury. But Cohen isn’t enough – Maccabi needs to look for another player, with Gilboa’s Kerry Blackshear being a candidate.
The same is true in terms of the center position. Ante Zizic will be back and while he is above the league in Israel, he is limited in the Euroleague and has trouble playing a switching defense. Zizic, who is now heading to join Croatia for the Olympic qualifiers, suffered a back injury and needed an injection ahead of Game 2 of the finals.
Othello Hunter looks as if he will be heading out of Israel after a season that saw him suffer numerous injuries. While he had flashes including in the finals, Hunter’s best days are behind him and Maccabi needs to look for a replacement.
One player who is right under its nose is Jehyve Floyd, yet another Gilboa player. Floyd looks like the complete package, from his defense to his play above the rim, and the big man who is in his second year abroad can bring an aspect that Maccabi so desperately needs.
Josh Nebo, who starred with Hapoel Eilat, is another option while Maccabi could bring back Idan Zalmanson, who has really developed nicely over the past few years with Jerusalem and Eilat, though he does have some limitations.
TJ Cline provided some needed enthusiasm and positivity off the bench, which was something Maccabi was lacking until he arrived. He’s a big-time energy guy and perhaps if he would have been with the team from the start of the season it could have even won some games it lost in Euroleague play due to the bench just sitting lifelessly at times. Will Cline continue? Reports indicate not, but you never know and a price tag can’t be put on his contribution.
It’s unsure what the future is for Sandy Cohen, who played a very limited role with the team this year after starring in last year’s final. It would be a shame not to see him stay with the club, but on the other hand, if he isn’t getting playing time why should he continue?
Finally, we get to the captain John DiBartolomeo, who remains the heart and soul of Maccabi Tel Aviv. The guard lays it all out on the line time and again and played a huge role after Dorsey and Bryant departed. Injuries stunted his last two seasons, but it seems that he’s back physically while a good vacation should get him ready to roll for the new season. DiBartolomeo has a contract with the club for the upcoming campaign and always seems to hit critical shots when the club needs it the most.
As for the first Israeli to play in the NBA, Omri Casspi, his future is still very cloudy after hinting that he may retire following the finals. He sounded very non-committal following Game 3 even stating that this may have been his last game as a professional. Although Casspi feels physically fine has had a number of injuries over the past couple of years and the mental side of the game is taking its toll. However, he did say that he will take some time over the next few weeks to make a decision with a clear mind. To many it would be a surprise if he does walk away from the game after just turning 33 on Tuesday.
When it comes to Sfairopoulos, this was a challenging season for the head coach, to say the least. But with all of the challenges from injured players, to COVID-19, war and more, the Greek bench boss was able to win all of the domestic trophies and that should be celebrated. On the other hand, the Euroleague didn’t work out the way anyone wanted it to. That is where the glory lies and that is obviously what the coach really wants to succeed in after going to the Final Four twice while in charge of Olympiacos.
Pressure at Maccabi is the name of the game and now that pressure moves to the general manager Nikola Vujcic, who will need to retool the roster and add those pieces that are missing while making the tough decisions of who will stay and who will go.
Despite heading into the off-season, there is never really an off-season anymore as the signings and player transactions are about to get under way.