Injuries, internal tensions, and war weigh heavily on Israel’s top basketball clubs

It was a rough week for the Israeli teams in their respective European competitions as Maccabi Tel Aviv, Hapoel Jerusalem, and Hapoel Tel Aviv all came up short, while the only team to pick up a win was Hapoel Holon, who won their first Basketball Champions League clash.

Maccabi’s Euroleague game was disastrous from the start, as the yellow-and-blue fell behind 26-7 to Zalgiris by the end of the first quarter, making the final 30 minutes an uphill battle that head coach Oded Katash’s crew just couldn’t overcome.

Jerusalem saw its contest slip away with six minutes left in an eventual loss to Cluj, as a 13-0 run broke a 67-67 tie and sealed the win for the Romanians.

Hapoel Tel Aviv’s hopes for victory dissolved when Anthony Lamb led Trento on a 20-5 run to end their game, sending the Reds to their second loss of the competition.

More losses

Three Israeli teams competing in the top two competitions found ways to lose, leaving their respective fanbases frustrated. Even Holon’s supporters are now shaking their heads after a report from Spain suggested Marcus Bingham, the club’s star player, might be heading to Valencia, which would leave the Purples with a major headache.

Maccabi Tel Aviv now sits with a 2-3 record in Euroleague play, with a double-week coming up against Fenerbahce and Real Madrid, both Final Four contenders. The yellow-and-blue is in trouble, with injuries to key players Tamir Blatt, Rokas Jokubaitis, and Wenyen Gabriel.

After the loss to Zalgiris, Katash said Jokubaitis should be back soon and he in fact played in an Israeli league game, earning MVP honors – a positive sign going into such a critical week when a point guard is a necessity after the offense’s struggles against Zalgiris. Without a true floor general, Maccabi struggled to create and score in the opening period, ending with just seven points after 10 minutes. Scoring under ten points in a quarter set a rough tone for the rest of the evening.

“We are missing our two main point guards due to injuries,” Katash explained. “Saben Lee is great for us, but he’s not with us all week, so it’s tough to practice. We can’t play our normal game, and we have to find a way to cheat the game – but you really can’t cheat in basketball. We have plenty of excuses, as I told the players at halftime, but we can’t rely on those. We have to keep our heads up and keep playing.”

Katash also pointed out a major complication: Lee, the new signing, has not yet come to Israel due to the ongoing war. As part of the deal, Lee and his family opted to stay outside Israel for the near future. This means not only one less player for domestic games but also limits the team’s ability to practice with him and integrate him fully.

“The circumstances are really tough,” the coach noted. “We knew when we signed him that he and his family wouldn’t come to Israel immediately. We all agree it would be better for everyone if we were together. Hopefully, we can live in peace soon and go back to normal, but for now, it’s a day-by-day, week-to-week situation.”

Meanwhile, Hapoel Tel Aviv head coach Stefanos Dedas is under immense pressure to produce results with a star-studded lineup. While the Reds don’t face issues with players avoiding Israel, thanks to owner Ofer Yannay’s willingness to invest, challenges remain in finding the right rotation and mix for success.

Patrick Beverley is a staple, playing substantial minutes regardless of his scoring. Dedas faces the tricky question of allocating minutes among Johnathan Motley, Ish Wainright, Marcus Foster, Tomer Ginat, and Bar Timor.

However, there are still questions about how much playing time Jor Ragland, Ben Bentil, and Noam Yaacov will see, both in Europe and in the Israeli league.

Bentil had been phased out of the rotation and was released by the club. Ragland, while getting minutes, is not in his usual role as the top player, as he was at previous clubs like Hapoel Holon, where there are now rumors he may soon return.

For Yaacov, continental playing time has been almost nonexistent, and although he has seen some minutes in the Israeli league, being loaned from Euroleague team ASVEL Villeurbanne for limited time was not what he envisioned.

Reports suggest he may be looking for a new team, and while many Israeli clubs would be interested, his future might lie in Europe with a team that allows him to run the offense.

Rumors of a reunion with Yam Madar, now with Bayern Munich, have circulated, but at this point a return is unlikely due to tax complications with income earned outside of Israel. The odds of seeing the Boston Celtics property in Red are slim to none.

Beyond on-court challenges, Hapoel Tel Aviv is also dealing with internal organizational friction. Longtime chairman Rami Cohen recently stepped down, and many of the club’s loyalists have left due to disagreements between the two main control groups. The move to the larger Yad Eliyahu Arena has faced resistance from the nonprofit group, which prefers the smaller Drive-In Arena. Yannay, citing revenue issues, wants the team in a larger facility to sell more tickets.

Over at Hapoel Jerusalem, a few issues still need to be resolved. While many players stayed from last season – including Speedy Smith, Khadeen Carrington, Chris Johnson, Yovel Zoosman, and Or Cornelius – newcomers Jared Harper, Austin Wiley, Justin Smith, and Jeremy Morgan are still working on their chemistry. Coach Yonatan Alon has his hands full.

Carrington has been in and out due to personal issues, while Smith, previously the dominant guard, has seen Harper take on more responsibilities. Meanwhile, both guards are still working on finding ways to utilize Wiley on offense.

However, Wiley’s injury could keep him out for a while, and the club will need to bring in a replacement.

The Capital City Reds suffered a EuroCup loss, dropping their record to 2-3 and heightening concerns that they may not click as quickly as needed to compete with top teams like Hapoel Tel Aviv, which defeated Jerusalem decisively a few weeks ago.

Holon picked up its first BCL win, moving to 1-2, which is encouraging for Guy Goodes’s team. Guard Elijah Mitrou-Long’s return after a few weeks out visibly improved the squad’s balance and cohesion.

However, there’s bad news for Holon, as Valencia, playing in the EuroCup, is reportedly set to sign Bingham, one of the league’s best import players. Known for his shooting, inside presence, and all-around skill, Bingham would leave a significant gap at Holon if he departs.

The season has already seen many ups and downs, with the ongoing conflict between Israel, Hezbollah, Hamas, and Iran worsening and showing no end in sight.

Even with the war continuing, Israeli sports fans have plenty to discuss and look forward to, thanks to the IDF’s efforts to keep daily life as normal as possible.

In challenging times, sports offer a valuable escape, and for that, we owe our thanks to the teams, clubs, and players who make it possible.