Heavyweight Derby: Žižić and Jones in key roles

Winner League Basket 20-21

Moshe Barda 31/01/2021 14:30

Tyrrick Jones and Anta Žižić (Itzik Blanicki)

The Tel Aviv derby returns tonight (Sunday) at 21:00 for a game in which size will play a decisive role, but the game can also rise and fall on the back line players. The Yannis Castritis ‘reds will come without John Dibbler, who did not register for the game, while the Yannis Sapropoulos’ yellows chose to replace Chris Jones, Elijah Bryant and Dragan Bender. In addition, Maccabi Tel Aviv will be missing Sandy Cohen and Omri Caspi, who even if he still did not put the same numbers he put up last season until the injury, was a very dominant player on the floor and one that was an absolute advantage in the Premier League. .

Since the Corona hit the world, the teams have met three times in the playoffs and once in the state cup, and the Yellows have won three of the four meetings. The last of them was in the quarter-finals of the Cup a little over a month ago, so Ante Žižić ruled unchallenged under the baskets and Sapropoulos’ team won 66:83.

But since then they have managed to cross water in the river, and for tonight’s meeting the groups arrive at a completely different momentum. Maccabi Tel Aviv comes with two consecutive losses, one in the Euroleague to Fenerbahce and the other in the rematch against Hapoel Gilboa / Galil last Friday. On the other hand, Hapoel Tel Aviv defeated Hapoel Eilat in its last game and is in a good mood.

The importance of the derby for the teams is well known, and there is no doubt that concentration, down to details, energies, readiness, mentality and execution will play an important role in an entire team hall. But beyond all that, it is not inconceivable that the game will turn into a heavyweight battle between Ante Žižić and Tyrik Jones, who will meet the Croatian chin for the first time this season, after in the cup he could not take part after not receiving the international release.

Ante Zizic Drowning (Itzik Blanitzky)

The Reds told the game game after game that they were short and that throughout the season they suffered injuries and bruises, but from the moment everyone recovered and Jones joined the team, the ship trying to reach a safe shore seemed to have found its balance. With Jones, who has served as a mainstay in recent games, things look different.

However, Žižić is considered in the local sector to be almost unstoppable with averages of 15.9 points per game, alongside 7.9 rebounds and a 21.3 index. The idea that the game will be decided in a heavy battle between him and Jones is not unfounded, what is more, Maccabi decided to go with size when they signed Angelo Cloiaro and Othello Hunter for the game.

Othello Hunter (Itzik Belnitsky)

In the game against Gilboa / Galil, Maccabi wanted to play Zizic as much as possible and the chin responded with 23 points and 9 rebounds, but the team’s shooting from the outside simply did not exist (4 of 23), and this is mainly true of the line players. The back, who scored 2 of 18 from the three. In the absence of an outside shot it is difficult to profit, and the two who sat out in the previous game, Scotty Wilbkin and Tyler Dorsey, were called up for battle in the derby. While it is clear that the front line will play a major role, it is actually the back line that can steal the show.

Hapoel Tel Aviv on the other hand has shown that its backline players are very effective, with Yam Madar, Bar Timor and Gabe York, showing in the past that he can explode from the outside at any given moment. Castritis’ Reds look like a different team than the one that opened the season, and when you look at the table, there is no doubt that the victory over Eilat gave them breathing space.

Gabe York with the ball (Itzik Belnitsky)