Israeli Basketball

[QUOTE=b.jerk]Will Bynum along with Cummings was arrested last night. He approached a mother at a bar and asked her for sex, her husband intervened. Bynum then sucker punched him in his face after the sucker punch the husband kicked Bynum ass. Cummings and Bynum withdrew into maccabi owned car with a hostile crowd taunting them and trashing their car. Bynum then drove the maccabi owned car into the crowd and running over the 22 year old deejay and I'm not joking than tried to allude the police. The Police caught Bynum and Cummings, arrested him and two Maccabi players are suspects for attempted murder with a vehicle, assault and disorderly conduct. Worse the new coach of Maccabi, Sherf was too drunk to visit the arrested players at the police station and the team owner is trying to justify their actions. Maccabi has so many problems israeli players are refusing to sign to maccabi, their best two prospects Omri Casspi and Lior Eliyahu are unhappy at maccabi and can leave maccabi next year, the foreign players are being blown out by it's domestic rivals and the public views the franchise as out of touch and supports the withdrawl public funds from the team.[/QUOTE]Sounds like Bynum and cummings are in a lot of trouble!!We could finally see another team win the league in Israel?wow that would be refreshing.Yet in the Euroleague they went to efes and blew them out,with a great Morris.An israeli team feeling more pressure in tel aviv than in istanbul,thats bizarre.Maybe in Israel they should limit the amount of foreigners they can play like in the ACB?

Will Bynum is guilty of being an ass and getting his ass kicked by a pedestrian in a bar. But he isn't a criminal if his story is true and he's going to pay the price for being ass by spending his next five days in jail. I felt sorry for him after seeing the video of him under arrest at the police station.

I'm not for acb quotas, having fans more aware of the world because of basketball is a good thing.

I laughed but does the media have to video Will Bynum in handcuffs, foot chains and wearing a maccabi warm up. It isn't right to humiliate someone before a trial and before the investigation is even complete.

[IMG]http://images.one.co.il/images/d/gg789977.jpg[/IMG]

[URL="http://www.iba.org.il/media/?recorded=tv&broadcastUrl=http%3A%2F%2Fswitch5%2Ecastup%2Enet%2Fframes%2F20040704_IBA_Popup%2Fiba_gray%2Easp%3Fai%3D3191zA81ar%3Dspecialtv-kadursal_Men-2"]http://www.iba.org.il/media/?recorded=tv&broadcastUrl=http%3A%2F%2Fswitch5%2Ecastup%2Enet%2Fframes%2F20040704_IBA_Popup%2Fiba_gray%2Easp%3Fai%3D3191zA81ar%3Dspecialtv-kadursal_Men-2[/URL]
If you want to watch today's maccabi's game.

the isrealie league has been real big lately. Some of the good college players that don't make it in the pros go to the Isreal league. E.G. Lee humprey
Billy Thompson a great dunker who played in the aba played there too

Will Bynum is going to jail if the tel aviv police can prove he had prior intent to run over a pedestrian.

[URL="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSFdO3em2I8&eurl=http://www.safsal.co.il/"]Youtube[/URL] video of a typical fight for a youth basketball game in israel. It's a sin to like israeli basketball like football, rugby and tabloid journalism but I do.

so much for israeli basketball.Hapoel jerusalem have not done them a favour.
Unics 98 Hapoel Jerusalem 45!!!!!wow.one game means nothing I admit but it never helps.

[QUOTE=la bomba]so much for israeli basketball.Hapoel jerusalem have not done them a favour. Unics 98 Hapoel Jerusalem 45!!!!!wow.one game means nothing I admit but it never helps.[/QUOTE]

Hapoel Jerusalem had to play the game one hour after the plane landed and they beat Unics by over thirty the last game. Israeli basketball is a lot like the SEC, lot's of local talent and a culture that believes in a standard. Their teams will learn to play hard two games a week in the next two years. After that happens their national team will be good enough to beat any team including team USA. Let's hope in the future that game will be played, in the past team USA played in fiba events even if team usa refused to take a fiba drug test. Nba players may not show up to future fiba events if fiba required nba players to take their drug test.

[QUOTE=b.jerk]Hapoel Jerusalem had to play the game one hour after the plane landed and they beat Unics by over thirty the last game. Israeli basketball is a lot like the SEC, lot's of local talent and a culture that believes in a standard. Their teams will learn to play hard two games a week in the next two years. After that happens their national team will be good enough to beat any team including team USA. Let's hope in the future that game will be played, in the past team USA played in fiba events even if team usa refused to take a fiba drug test. Nba players may not show up to future fiba events if fiba required nba players to take their drug test.[/QUOTE]

I really doubt Israel can reach that level in just two years, but I think they could be in their way to increase the chances to be a contender in the future. If I remember well, they were 5th or 6th in the U20 eurobasket, so the initial talent is there. But reaching the level of USA (with their best players), Argentina or Spain is difficult. And they probably will need to protect these young players limiting the number of foreing players. We will see.

[QUOTE=berraco]I really doubt Israel can reach that level in just two years, but I think they could be in their way to increase the chances to be a contender in the future. If I remember well, they were 5th or 6th in the U20 eurobasket, so the initial talent is there. But reaching the level of USA (with their best players), Argentina or Spain is difficult. And they probably will need to protect these young players limiting the number of foreing players. We will see.[/QUOTE]

A real test for a basketball culture is the performance of their lesser national teams. It's true that the israeli youth teams aren't good as they should be since the maccabi youth players selected aren't always the best player available but israel still has a winning history with their university teams and other B level competition. America, Spain and Argentina are larger countries with great basketball coaches but a smaller country like Greece has been competitive to those bigger countries. A lot(really most) of america's best athletes come from a relatively small area of southern military bases where it's hot and there's a culture of athleticism. It wouldn't surprise me if israel does really well in basketball in the future since Israel has a comparable subculture where it's even hotter with more of a focus of athleticism that the majority of countries don't have.

Saw the Maccabi and Unicaja game and Maccabi looked more like the team in preseason than the team at Ramat Gan. Omri Casspi wasn't the only side story of the game but his was the best. Management didn't realize how good Omri Casspi was until a visit from a San Antonio Spurs scout. Omri Casspi played eleven minutes and he looked like the Omri Casspi from Galil-Elyon and not the player at Maccabi. A casual fan could tell he matured this year with maccabi by his improved defense and decision making but he hasn't learned to play the game with all his athleticism. Omri Casspi was dominant enough for Unicaja to choose not to exploit David Blumenthal foul-prone and weak defensive play to keep Casspi on the bench. For the eleven minutes Casspi played he was the best player at 19 not in the nba.

Two interesting side notes, Lior Eliyahu is unhappy with his lack of playing time at maccabi tel aviv and may part ways next season and commentators are saying the youth players will be best prospect ever even better than Omri Casspi(The only player that made Michael Beasley look bad).

[QUOTE=b.jerk]Two interesting side notes, Lior Eliyahu is unhappy with his lack of playing time at maccabi tel aviv and may part ways next season and commentators are saying the youth players will be best prospect ever even better than Omri Casspi(The only player that made Michael Beasley look bad).[/QUOTE]
Any ideas or rumors about where he might go?It seems strange that he doesn't play,every time he plays he looks dangerous,Was it with the same coach when he played the eurobasket in spain? He didn't play the first game then played against Croatia(i think) and was great.

[QUOTE=la bomba]Any ideas or rumors about where he might go?It seems strange that he doesn't play,every time he plays he looks dangerous,Was it with the same coach when he played the eurobasket in spain? He didn't play the first game then played against Croatia(i think) and was great.[/QUOTE]

Eliyahu can play but I think he's too much of a hebrew school kid rather than a diamondair or other less kind elements people ignore. He's behind Marcus Fizer who plays the game on the offensive end my opinion the right by using his body to go through the defender and Terrance Morris and he plays good enough in the euroleague. Him and Omri Casspi are being used as "safe wall" in the bsl to prevent upsets. Since the rotation didn't change when Oded Kattash resigned I have a feeling Sherf was always in charge of the rotation. I think Lior Eliyahu will play more either because of an injury to Terrance Morris or Marcus Fizer or as a rotation adjustment to a CSKA, Paok, Tau or Olympicos in the second stage. Maccabi seems to rather build around foreigners or some of their youth prospects rather than Eliyahu and I would be surprised if Maccabi and Eliyahu didn't part ways this offseason.

Where do you think he will go?very few israelis actually play outside israel.I know Halperin played in Slovenia.I think he would do well in spain or greece.I know he had been drafted but I think his career has gone back a step because of his lack of minutes this season.

[QUOTE=la bomba]Where do you think he will go?very few israelis actually play outside israel.I know Halperin played in Slovenia.I think he would do well in spain or greece.I know he had been drafted but I think his career has gone back a step because of his lack of minutes this season.[/QUOTE]

Only him and his agent would know but he played well today on sport5+. Preseason last year coach of maccabi and this years coach of Tau Victoria requested Lior Eliyahu for a loan.

[QUOTE=b.jerk]Only him and his agent would know but he played well today on sport5+. Preseason last year coach of maccabi and this years coach of Tau Victoria requested Lior Eliyahu for a loan.[/QUOTE]yes he did well for spahija but will spahija still be at tau next year?There are rumours that dusko ivanovic will return to TAU as he finishes his contract with barca who are definately not going to offer him a new one.

I think the Rockets will offer him the standard nba contract next year since the Rockets like most teams want to save money and the league standard for a second round draft pick is 500K. But basketball is a business and he will be offer more money to play in europe and likely won't leave. It won't surprise me other players like Rudy Fernandez or Tiago Splitter will be offered more money to stay in europe or better nba players are offered competitive contract. Two selling points I periodically read about Lior Eliyahu and Omri Casspi are their leaping and athleticism didn't come from doping(hgh) and players that do dope won't have the same longevity and athleticism throughout their careers.

Saw the game with AJ Milano and Sherf played Batista at center and Vujcic at small forward as if Vujcic could stop any power forward that can jump two feet. It looks like Maccabi is going to Yaniv Green, Lior Eliyahu and Sharon Sasson, Omri Casspi. I believe both will rather leave Maccabi than waste their careers on maccabi's bench and the better israeli players will refuse to sign with maccabi. Sherf succeeds because he is surrounded by better talent, maccabi won't have the same magnitude advantage next year and will be exposed.

It's been a great two weeks for Israeli basketball 6-0 in international competition, Raviv Limonad(the only elite player Le Mann has) leading Le Manns to their first euroleague victory and the construction of a new stadium at euroleague standards for Hapoel Jerusalem advances. If Hapoel Jerusalem could sign Raviv Limonad, Lior Eliyahu and Yaniv Green this off season they could make it to the euroleague and be a force against maccabi.

[IMG]http://img299.imageshack.us/img299/3633/netaniastadium12072007npi4.jpg[/IMG]

Typical and eventful week in the bsl there were multiple fights during multiple games and the Hapoel Jerusalem and Bnei Hasharon game was the most violent. There were some many forearms to the throat and back hands to the head the referees stopped caring and didn't call them. There was one point Dror Hagag through one of the ex-nba american center over his back and to the ground. Maccabi is still a mess Lior Eliyahu is sick of maccabi and wants to leave, the coach Sherf to the media complained about the officiating and the Galil coach called maccabi a bunch of crybabies and even said maccabi was so out of touch that maccabi eventually fall and Galil had more of a future in israeli basketball. All in all a typical week of israeli basketball including the usual death threats, racist chants by fans and the entire league having no respect and hating the national team coach. On the positive side no maccabi players ran over a pedestrian three times, or homemade bomb thrown on the court threating player and maiming a security guard, or vandalization of the bsl headquarter with the typical graffiti of "we know where you live and we want to kill you, traitors".

[QUOTE=gsafier]Thank you for being polite, but you totally missed my point.
I wasn't talking about this year in particular, but rather on the long-term ability of the franchise.

Yes, Hapoel Jerusalem kind of fell on their faces this year but a franchise with 5,000,000$ and a potential to bring 6,000 fans every game, could make it in the ACB.
But Beni-Hasharon and Holon, despite having a good year, and other clubs like Naharia and the Galille simply don't have the budget and fan base to compete in the ACB for a long term.
Perhaps Holon, Naharia, and Galille together with the late Hapoel Tel-Aviv have the potential to be there at some point in the future, but not now.[/QUOTE]

If you're saying that the stadiums are better and the operation are better in the acb than the bsl than I completely I agree with you but israel is building some new stadiums. You may think I'm crazy and delusional but I really don't want the bsl to become the acb and one of the bsl most endearing features is it's lack of size and it's small town feel. It's one of the few leagues were a guy who is a great pickup basketball and has the size and attitude doesn't have the barriers preventing them from the major league. Sometimes when I watch professional basketball I wonder if I'm seeing the best basketball possible because there's a lot of politics involved and people who could be great players do get discouraged and quit. With the shekel rising and strong television ratings it's not inconceivable to see a $4-5 budget average in the near future.

Hapoel Jerusalem upset Maccabi to retain the cup and Maccabi fans are already calling for Sherf's dismissal. It isn't like Maccabi is mediocre, maccabi has improved a lot during the season and are now really good. Hapoel Jerusalem struggled in the midpoint of the season but are now looking really good and to be honest all the bsl is underrated and are really good. Jamie Arnold was the mvp of the game and he will never get his chance to play in the nba again but he could. Omri Casspi looked good and if he played more he would be the best at 19 in europe and maybe more but maccabi understandably doesn't want to put their fortune with a teenager but he's going to be huge in the euroleague or in the nba.

[URL="http://www.iba.org.il/media/"]If you want to view the game over the net here is a link[/URL]

isreal needs to check itself. america's youth has woken up and we know about the rothschilds.

[QUOTE=final.wrath]isreal needs to check itself. america's youth has woken up and we know about the rothschilds.[/QUOTE]

Please enlighten me

Maccabi looked really good today and better than any team in the acb now but I have to ask the question why didn't Omri Casspi play more? He may not have developed earlier in the year but he's got the too big and too good to be stopped quality to him. With him Maccabi's got the chance to get lucky and pull an upset in the big games later on.

Hapoel Jerusalem and Maccabi played today, some would call it a rivalry but until Hapoel Jerusalem wins the championship I won't consider the matchup a rivalry. Omri Casspi and Lior Eliyahu seemed to get along well and have a nice conversation with the management and coach of Hapoel Jerusalem and it would be a disaster for Maccabi if either of them left.

Hapoel Jerusalem was blew out in the fourth quarter by Besiktas Turka, Hapoel Jerusalem didn't get the calls but they still need to perform regardless. The israeli coaches need to be held accountable for their team choking and player not performing consistently.

[url]http://www.ballineurope.com/specials/funny-notes/team-of-heroes-nike-goes-europe/#more-531[/url]

crazy!

Surprisingly, Maccabi lost again domestically.

Oded Kattash is returning as coach of Galil Elyon, I kinda of feel bad for him since he was responsible for many of the successful signings of Maccabi Tel Aviv including Terrance Morris and it wasn't his fault maccabi didn't jell as early as they should of. He wouldn't of been better off staying at Galil Elyon and leading them in the ULEB but now Galil Elyon is no longer qualified for the uleb and he has to start from scratch again. I think he'll be successful since he knows how to develop raw talent with ability and that raw talent is plentiful where he is.

Hapoel Holon upset Maccabi Tel Aviv today, I got three thoughts. Morris was great but even his best game wasn't good enough for a win and if Maccabi losses key players next year could be a disaster for maccabi. I want to compliment Maccabi's management for still believing in David Blumenthal after losing maccabi 10+ games most teams would bench him or release him but maccabi has faith in Blumenthal, his complete game and his defense. Casspi has as much talent as everyone else but he isn't ready for the nba, he only took eight shots today and someone with his natural talent should be taking at least 15. Maccabi has too much scoring potential for him to get 20 shots a game consistently but physically and skill wise he has everything but he needs to learn how to get and manage more shots for a game, the great players in the nba usually manage 30 shots a game but they can manage 35-40 shots per game and sometimes even more.

Not an upset. Hapoel Holon today is as good as Maccabi.
I'm not sure who would win in a series between the two.

It's only my opinion, maccabi is the most talented team in israel because they made it to the euroleague final four and that's something Hapoel Holon couldn't do. With that said I also have the opinion that the management of maccabi incompetence has been masked because they were the only team with a real budget and stadium in israel and now that other teams are making some revenue things are going to change.

I want to congratulate maccabi's leadership and their belief in David Blumenthal, it is obvious that maccabi is in control and are free from doubt of their ability over their domestic rivals.

It looks like Hapoel Jerusalem will finally get their euroleague stadium, construction will start in two weeks and will seat 5,700 people with the option of further construction seating 10,000 people

Maccabi lost again and they are 1 out 5 for their last domestic games and maccabi was lucky to get that win. Congratulations to David Blumenthal he was his usual self in the fourth quarter 0 points in 15 minutes. What can I say Oded Kattash is the better coach.

[QUOTE=b.jerk]Maccabi lost again and they are 1 out 5 for their last domestic games and maccabi was lucky to get that win. Congratulations to David Blumenthal he was his usual self in the fourth quarter 0 points in 15 minutes. What can I say Oded Kattash is the better coach.[/QUOTE]
who leads at the moment in israel?

[QUOTE=la bomba]who leads at the moment in israel?[/QUOTE]

Hapoel Holon, which in my opinion, are just as good as Maccabi.
Meaning, in a series between the two, I'm not sure who would win.

[QUOTE=gsafier]Hapoel Holon, which in my opinion, are just as good as Maccabi.
Meaning, in a series between the two, I'm not sure who would win.[/QUOTE]
so lets say that miraculously maccabi do not win the league.who goes to the euroleague?is it always the champion?
Or do maccabi have a guaranteed place?

It wouldn't be an issue, neither Hapoel Holon and Hapoel Jerusalem won't have a facility ready for the euroleague next year but when they do which will be soon than the israeli league will be in a different tier

Hey Maccabi lost again 5 out of the last 6 domestically, How's Sherf's job security since Kattash was fired for much less