Maccabi Tel Aviv will open the second round of the Euroleague tonight (Thursday, 21:00), after a difficult and especially frustrating first round for the Yellows. A round they only finished in 12th place, with a dismal balance of 7 wins versus 10 losses. However, the Israeli champion is only two victories away from eighth place, which guarantees a place in the playoffs.
- At 21:00 on SPORT5: Alba Berlin against Maccabi Tel Aviv
Before the game against Hapoel Jerusalem, we brought here data that teach, at least a little, about the difference between Maccabi of the season and that of last season. But those figures only referred to the Premier League, and the more interesting question is where does Yannis Sapropoulos’ team stand in relation to last year’s team in the Euroleague? And more precisely – what are the differences between the excellent first round that Maccabi provided last season (balance 6:11) compared to the first round this season?
Attack: Everything stands still
The positive balance of last season versus the negative of this year alone tells the story, but a dive into the numbers illustrates how much the team is less good this year, at least for now, than last season. On offense the differences are clear: 78.2 points this year compared to 84.7 last season, 52% for 2 versus 56%, 35% for 3 versus 37%, and about 3 assists less this season (15.8) compared to last season (18.4).
Maccabi of the season manages to produce fewer free shots – 8.7 such per game, compared to 12.4 free shots last year, but this season it is a little more accurate with such shots – 40% compared to 38%. On the other hand, Maccabi takes more shots under guard this season (52.2 vs. 49.6) but hits about five percent less compared to the first round in the 19/20 season.
In the standing game, despite the arrival of a clear center like Ante Žižić, Maccabi’s percentages in the post-up moves will fall dramatically, from 45% to only 33% this season. So what does Maccabi really like to do this season? Insulations Of course, in the spirit of the period: this year it produces 6.1 shots from isolation situations, compared to 4.8 last season, but less accurate: 35% compared to 39%. The weakness of the front line is reflected in the success rates in pick-and-roll situations, where the highs are only 55% accurate compared to 73% excellent last season.
Maccabi of the season likes to run, but the guys from last year liked more: The Yellows go out 5.6 bursts per game this season compared to 7.7 last year, and are also less accurate (60% last season compared to 57% this season). Maccabi of the season also likes to penetrate, but much less than last season: 10.5 penetration shots compared to 14.8 in the first round last year.
Protection: Hole in color
On the defensive side you can see even clearer differences between the quality of last season and that of the season. Maccabi Model 20/21 absorbs more, snatches less, and from almost every range and every move allows rivals higher shooting percentages. While there is a jump of about 2 percent in the percentage to 2, note the gaps from the three-point range: In the first round last season, Maccabi stopped its rivalry by only 25% from three, and this year the figure jumped to 36%. In general, Maccabi’s rivals provide one more assist this year compared to last season.
But that’s nothing compared to what happens in color: In almost every move, the opponent’s success rate soared to the sky. In back-to-back moves, Maccabi’s rivals score 22% more this season compared to last year. The situation is no better in the success rates of the tall ones who roll into the yellow color area at Pickerroll, with 62% this season compared to 55% last season.
The conclusions are clear: When it comes to the front line, Maccabi is suffering this season from a particularly poor output of its tallies on both sides of the field. The Yellows will hope that the recent awakening of Dragon Bender, and also of Ante Žižić in the last two games against Hapoel Jerusalem and Hapoel Tel Aviv, will be reflected in the second round of the Euroleague.
