{"id":15988,"date":"2019-10-31T11:44:47","date_gmt":"2019-10-31T11:44:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sportsrabbi.agpwebdesign.com\/?p=15988"},"modified":"2019-10-31T11:44:47","modified_gmt":"2019-10-31T11:44:47","slug":"bryant-has-a-big-future-ahead-every-possession-counts-good-defense-gives-you-confidence-on-offense-maccabi-tel-aviv-downs-fenerbahce-analysis-3-pointers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportsrabbi.com\/en\/bryant-has-a-big-future-ahead-every-possession-counts-good-defense-gives-you-confidence-on-offense-maccabi-tel-aviv-downs-fenerbahce-analysis-3-pointers\/","title":{"rendered":"Bryant has a big future ahead, Every possession counts, good defense gives you confidence on offense – Maccabi Tel Aviv downs Fenerbahce Analysis & 3-Pointers"},"content":{"rendered":"

3-Pointers <\/strong>
\n1) Elijah Bryant very quietly had an excellent game for Maccabi. If you look at the stat sheet you\u2019ll see just 2 points in 20 minutes, 2 steals, 2 assists and a -2 efficiency rating, but you\u2019ll also see a whopping +18, the best on the team<\/strong>. The former Eilat guard in fact wasn\u2019t registered for the game against Jerusalem earlier in the week and played under 4 minutes last Euroleague game against Valencia but came out and played top level lock down defense for the Yellow & Blue and was a huge part in helping coach Ioannis Sfairpoulos\u2019s squad to a 41-21 halftime lead. \u201cIf you see the plus\/minus ranking Elijah had a +18 which was the best on the team,\u201d Sfairpoulos<\/strong> excitedly told me following the game. \u201cI think he has a big future ahead<\/strong>. He is getting Euroleague experience now after we watched him last year. His defense is unbelievable. Last year he was mainly scoring and this year he adjusted to our style and philosophy which is to play good defense first and then score. I think every week and month that goes by he will get better and better.\u201d
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Dov Halickman Photography<\/p><\/div>
\n2) Defense was the key to victory over Fenerbahce as Maccabi came out like a team on a mission in the first half and absolutely decimated Zeljko Obradovic\u2019s team and hit them before they could even react.<\/strong> It should also be noted that every single possession is worth gold in the Euroleague and that\u2019s on both sides of the floor, \u201cThe players put in a big effort on defense and offense,\u201d explained Sfairopoulos<\/strong>. \u201cIn the first half we had an excellent defensive display and that helped our offense in the second quarter.\u201d Nate Wolters<\/strong> also chimed in, \u201cEvery possession is huge<\/strong>. That was our focus and we got to fight each and every one. We knew they would be desperate and we gave them our best shot. This was a big win and we played really well defensively. When you play good defense it gives you confidence on offense<\/strong>.\u201d Bryant<\/strong> said the following about the victory and the squad\u2019s defensive showing, \u201cThis was a good quality team win and any Euroleague win is big. It\u2019s a lot different than the Israeli league when I played with Eilat last season. Every possession counts<\/strong> and there\u2019s the emphasis on defense. If a team can\u2019t score you can win and it\u2019s helping us win games. It all starts with stops and defense.\u201d Finally, Deni Avdija<\/strong> also had this to say about the club\u2019s D, \u201cThe coach likes defense and our defense looks great. The guys play defense with their hearts and it shows on the court.\u201d
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Dov Halickman Photography<\/p><\/div>
\n3) Maccabi Tel Aviv\u2019s free throw shooting was abysmal to say the least going 15\/27 and the team could have easily given away the game on the line.<\/strong> Big man Tarik Black went 6\/11 from the charity stripe but did score 10 points and grabbed 15 rebounds for a tidy double double. Coach Sfairopoulos<\/strong> explained why perhaps the percentage was lower than usual, \u201cWhen you fight for every ball going body to body with high intensity, it\u2019s not easy to shoot free throws with the calmness and quietness to have great percentages. When you fight for the ball it\u2019s not easy to go and shoot free throws and in the case today, one is going from wrestling and fighting to painting which is not easy<\/strong>. There are days with less intensity, less contact and less physicality where you can shoot 70-80%. Today we shot 55% but any close game and a game with a lot of pressure will make free throws tougher, but we need to shoot better.\u201d Black<\/strong> spoke about his free throws as he was leaving the arena, \u201cI had a tough time at the line and it was one of the worst games in my career. I\u2019ll work hard and continue to improve.\u201d
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Dov Halickman Photography<\/p><\/div>
\nOvertime<\/strong>
\nThere\u2019s no question that Fenerbahce is going through a ton of issues as they try to get out of the current rut that they are in.<\/strong> Coach Obradovic has an all star studded squad but one thing that is missing are the players that are going to do the dirty work. Last season Fener had players like Nicolo Melli, Marko Guduric and a fit Nikola Kalinic at their disposal. While Derrick Williams and Nando De Colo are terrific scorers, there\u2019s got to be some players who are mucking it up for the team. \u201cYou have watched these players,\u201d said Obradovic<\/strong>. \u201cYou know them. I believe that this is not their level. It\u2019s something on the coach. It\u2019s my job that they play better. Every one of them. This is my team and these are my players. I will always stay with them and I\u2019ll continue to trust them<\/strong>.\u201d Coach Sfairpoulos<\/strong> also talked about the Turkish club\u2019s current struggles, \u201cThey are not playing with good momentum and they had 4 games away with only one game at home. It\u2019s very hard to win away as all of the teams have quality. Fener has the quality to win on any court and I think we played great defense. In fact, this was the best game we played defensively since I arrived, we can\u2019t win big games and titles just from offense.\u201d
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