“The games between CSKA and Maccabi are always interesting,” CSKA head coach Dimitris Itoudis said. “The opponents have a very strong team again and we open our Euroleague season at home against Maccabi for the second year in a row. They’ve already won the Israeli Cup and the first game of the domestic league; we studied both games as well as their exhibition game against EA7 Emporio Armani in New York. The main additions for Tel Aviv this year are definitely Farmar and Rochestie, high-scoring guards who push the pace of the team. Mbakwe at center has the necessary athleticism and speed to be integral part of a high-tempo offense as well as Randle, who helps to keep up the tempo. Smith, who plays at 3 and 4, together with Pnini create space on offense. Maccabi also has a deep roster with Ohayon, Landesberg, Faverani and the latest addition Onuaku able to help the team. Our opponents like to score and run the floor, so we have to stop them, stay focused through all 40 minutes to control the tempo of the game. As I said, this is our first Euroleague game of the season, which will be very difficult, but we hope to start successfully with good help from our fans – hopefully they’ll come in big numbers. I think we have enough quality to play for the win.”
It’s all about the Russian Rule
The Russian Rule – which describes the obligation of having at least two local players on the court in every moment – is repeated over and over in every discussion about Israeli basketball. And that rule, which isn’t being held in Russia for a few years, was the main reason for the revolution in Maccabi Tel Aviv’s roster this summer.
The yellows are coming off one of the worst seasons in their history. For the first time since 1993 – they were eliminated in the Israeli playoffs semifinals. Despite leading 2-0 over Hapoel Eilat in best-of-5 series, and despite having home court advantage, Maccabi collapsed. The main reason was lack of Israeli players, as Guy Pnini and Sylven Landesberg were injured, just like American star Devin Smith.
So this time, they wanted to make sure, it won’t happen again. Jordan Farmar, who played in Tel Aviv during the NBA lockout in 2011, is back` He will cooperate in a very offensive backcourt with last season’s Euroleague top scorer, Taylor Rochestie. Both of the got Israeli passports, as Farmar’s mother and Rochestie’s father are jewish.
Maccabi parted ways with Sofoklis Schortsanitis, Alex Tyus, Jeremy Pargo, Marquez Haynes, Nate Linhart, Joe Alexander and Jake Cohen, looking to reinvent itself. Smith, Pnini, Landesberg, Yogev Ohayon and Brian Randle stayed, along with head coach Guy Goodes, but you won’t find legendary Pini Gershon at the assistant coach position anymore.
The beginning of the season has been pretty promising for the Israeli side. Maccabi won the league cup in Tel Aviv and won right of their nine preseason games. Other than Farmar and Rochestie, the rest of newcomers are yet to shine. Trevor Mbakwe, Vitor Faverani and Dagan Yivzori missed the first league game (89-65 over Kiryat Gat) due to injuries, and Arinze Onuaku has just arrived last week.
The player to watch in Maccabi is Croatian teenager Dragan Bender. He chose the number 3 jersey, which once belonged to his country’s legend Drazen Petrovic, and the Russian fans shouldn’t miss the opportunity to document his first ever appearance in the Euroleague.
So the road to Berlin begins in USH CSKA – not the most friendly place for Maccabi in the past decade. Since Anthony Parker’s buzzer-beater, back in 2004, the yellows couldn’t beat the red army team in Moscow. They lost five times, in total of 100 points difference. To be continued?
Arale Weisberg, head of basketball department in Walla! Sports
Important numbers
Cory Higgins, Viacheslav Kravtsov, Dmitriy Kulagin, Mikhail Kulagin and Ivan Lazarev are poised to make their respective Euroleague debuts.
Milos Teodosic needs 10 more three-pointers to catch retired CSKA star Marcus Brown for seventh place on the all-time Euroleague charts. Teodosic enters the game with 317 career triples.
Teodosic has made at least 1 three-pointer in 24 consecutive Euroleague games.
Teodosic has made 21 consecutive free throws in Euroleague action.
Nando De Colo has made at least 1 three-pointer in each of his last six Euroleague games.
De Colo has scored in double figures in each of his last five Euroleague appearances.
De Colo has made 11 consecutive free throws in Euroleague action.
Kyle Hines is closing in on a spot among the competition’s all-time top 10 in blocked shots. He enters this game ranked 13th with 117 career rejections. Former CSKA forward Marcus Goree (120) is 12th, Nikola Vujcic (122) 11th and Darjus Lavrinovic (123) 10th.
Past matchups
Wins/losses: 19-17.
1974-75 – European Champions Cup. Group Stage: CSKA – Maccabi: (CSKA technical loss)
1974-75 – European Champions Cup. Group Stage: Maccabi – CSKA: (CSKA technical loss)
1976-77 – European Champions Cup. Group Stage: CSKA – Maccabi: 79-91 (-12)
1976-77 – European Champions Cup. Group Stage: Maccabi – CSKA: (CSKA technical loss)
1980-81 – European Champions Cup. Group Stage: CSKA – Maccabi: 83-81 (+2)
1980-81 – European Champions Cup. Group Stage: Maccabi – CSKA: 85-74 (-11)
1982-83 – European Champions Cup. Group Stage: CSKA – Maccabi: 80-84 (-4)
1982-83 – European Champions Cup. Group Stage: Maccabi – CSKA: 69-78 (+9)
1984-85 – European Champions Cup. Group Stage: CSKA – Maccabi: 87-81 (+6)
1984-85 – European Champions Cup. Group Stage: Maccabi – CSKA: 67-79 (+12)
1988-89 – European Champions Cup. Group Stage: CSKA – Maccabi: 92-97 (-5)
1988-89 – European Champions Cup. Group Stage: Maccabi – CSKA: 94-90 (-4)
1994-95 – European Championship for Men’s Clubs. Semifinal Round: CSKA – Maccabi: 87-78 (+9)
1994-95 – European Championship for Men’s Clubs. Semifinal Round: Maccabi – CSKA: 92-89 ÎÒ (-3)
1996-97 – Euroleague. Qualification Round: CSKA – Maccabi: 89-80 (+9)
1996-97 – Euroleague. Qualification Round: Maccabi – CSKA: 77-78 (+1)
1997-98 – Euroleague. Preliminary Round: CSKA – Maccabi: 71-63 (+8)
1997-98 – Euroleague. Preliminary Round: Maccabi – CSKA: 87-69 (-18)
2000-01 – Suproleague. Semifinal: Maccabi – CSKA: 86-80 (-6)
2001-02 – Euroleague. Top 16: Maccabi – CSKA: 69-68 (-1)
2001-02 – Euroleague. Top 16: CSKA – Maccabi: 81-77 (+4)
2003-04 – Euroleague. Regular Season: Maccabi – CSKA: 84-87 (+3)
2003-04 – Euroleague. Regular Season: CSKA – Maccabi: 80-83 (-3)
2003-04 – Euroleague. Semifinal: Maccabi – CSKA: 93-85 (-8)
2005-06 – Euroleague. Final: CSKA – Maccabi: 73-69 (+4)
2006-07 – Euroleague. Playoffs. Quarterfinals: CSKA – Maccabi: 80-58 (+22)
2006-07 – Euroleague. Playoffs. Quarterfinals: Maccabi – CSKA: 68-56 (-12)
2006-07 – Euroleague. Playoffs. Quarterfinals: CSKA – Maccabi: 92-71 (+21)
2007-08 – Euroleague. Final: Maccabi – CSKA: 77-91 (+14)
2009-10 – Euroleague. Regular Season: Maccabi – CSKA: 71-54 (-17)
2009-10 – Euroleague. Regular Season: CSKA – Maccabi: 77-72 (+5)
2013-14 – Euroleague. Top 16: CSKA – Maccabi: 100-65 (+35)
2013-14 – Euroleague. Top 16: Maccabi – CSKA: 76-81 (+5)
2013-14 – Euroleague. Semifinal: CSKA – Maccabi: 67-68 (-1)
2014-15 – Euroleague. Regular Season: CSKA – Maccabi: 99-80 (+18)
2014-15 – Euroleague. Regular Season: Maccabi – CSKA: 61-84 (+23)
Short dossier
Maccabi Fox Tel-Aviv, Israel
Founded: 1932
Colors: yellow, blue
Home court: Nokia Arena (11,000)
President: Shimon Mizrahi
Head coach: Guy Goodes
Website: www.maccabi.co.il
Accomplishments: Euroleague champions (1977, 81, 2004, 05, 14), Suproleague champions (2001), Adriatic League champions (2012), Intercontinental Cup winners (1980), Israeli champions (1954, 55, 57-59, 62-64, 67, 68, 70-92, 94-2007, 09, 11, 12, 14), Israeli Cup winners (1956, 58, 59, 61, 63-66, 70-73, 75, 77-83, 85-87, 89-91, 94, 98-2006, 10-15)
