Double Dribble: Maccabi's crushing win sets tone for the season
Double Dribble podcasters analyze Maccabi Tel Aviv's crushing victory over Hapoel Tel Aviv, praising the team's continuity, energy, and strong start under Oded Kattash.
The members of the Double Dribble podcast, Walla! Sport editor Dror Hoffman, Roi Zuckerman, and Elad Hoffman, reviewed in their latest episode the crushing victory of Maccabi Tel Aviv over Hapoel Tel Aviv and the yellow-and-blue's start to the season.
"A year ago, Maccabi Tel Aviv started the season poorly," Dror Hoffman recalled. "They lost in the Winner Cup semifinal to Hapoel Jerusalem, lost the Supercup final, and then started the season with a 3-10 record, entering the season on the wrong foot. And back then we kept saying: Oded Kattash's Maccabi, it takes time. Yesterday we saw a slightly different Maccabi Tel Aviv, and that is the best thing that could happen to Maccabi Tel Aviv, because a strong start to the season is super important. And I think this victory gives a massive drive and boost to Maccabi Tel Aviv, especially after what we saw last year."
The Walla! Sport editor added and analyzed: "And yes, this is about continuity, it's about energy, it's about this brand of basketball by Oded Kattash, and all the players who already know the system, especially after last year when the team was much newer than this one. So I think it's a combination of excellent basketball, good energy, and also something you mentioned earlier. It could very well be that when Maccabi Tel Aviv built the team—and we will break down the small details shortly—they thought about how one player, Lonnie Walker, would be replaced by several players. I think we saw a true team, because it didn't rely on just one player."
Roi Zuckerman noted: "Maccabi's strong start can carry over into the EuroLeague, because let's face it—they are ultimately facing LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne next Thursday. That is a hurdle they simply must clear."
