Casspi could play with Parker in France

The San Antonio Spurs would undoubtedly prefer to see them playing together in South Texas, but the prospect of Tony Parker and longtime Spurs favorite Omri Casspi teaming up in France is very much alive.


Sources close to the situation told ESPN.com on Monday that Casspi is giving strong consideration to signing with ASVEL in France's top division.

That's the same ASVEL club which claims Parker as a co-owner and as its vice president of basketball operations.

It initially appeared that Casspi -- after being dealt from Sacramento to Cleveland on June 30 in the final trade consummated in the NBA before the start of the July 1 lockout -- was a lock to play for perennial Euroleague power Maccabi Tel-Aviv in his native Israel in the event of the lockout bleeding into November or December.

But David Pick of Eurobasket.com reported earlier Monday that Casspi and Maccabi officials, after a sitdown, have mutually agreed that they would not be able to reach contract terms that both sides can stomach.

France isn't the only destination that Casspi -- coveted by the Spurs since he was drafted No. 23 overall by the Kings in 2009 -- is considering as a lockout alternative. Various reports in the Israeli media say he's drawn interest from clubs in Russia and Spain.

But ASVEL, situatated in the Lyon suburb of Villeurbanne, does have one clear advantage: Casspi and Parker share the same agent. They're both represented by CAA's Steven Heumann.

Last week in London on duty with the French national team, Parker told ESPN.com contributor Ian Whittell that he will play in his native France if he plays anywhere other than the NBA this season as opposed to seizing upon the interest Parker has generated from teams in China.

"My agent talked about China a little bit," Parker told Whittell. "... I'm not going to take any decision until the end of September, after the European Championships. I want to see if I'm healthy, if I'm hurt and by then we will also know a lot more what is happening with the situation of the lockout. 


"If I play [abroad], I will definitely play in France, for my fans, for my team ASVEL." 

As for the prospect of Casspi ultimately winding up alongside Parker in the French League, one source close to the situation said it really "might happen."

Casspi is currently nursing a injured left knee that threatens to knock him out of the European Championships (EuroBasket) later this month in Lithuania. Israel's only NBA player told reporters over the weekend that "right now my leg is in a bad state."

source : espn.com


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Maccabi to replace Jeremy Pargo

Pargo Says He’s Not Returning; Maccabi: “It’s a breach of contract.”


Jeremy Pargo has announced to the team’s management that he does not intend to report to training camp next month. The club’s response: “This is a breach of the duly signed contract between the player and the club. We take exception to his behavior.”

Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv’s player Jeremy Pargo has informed the team through his agent that he wishes to be released from the two-year contract with the club that he signed just last May; he intends to play instead in the NBA.

Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv has conveyed to the player that in light of the NBA lockout and fact that he does not and will not have a guaranteed contract with any NBA team for the coming season, the announcement by his agent is a violation of the contract between Pargo and Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv.

In spite of that, Pargo has expressed his intention of remaining in the U.S. and awaiting an end to the strike.

Maccabi’s management has conveyed to Pargo and his agent that it takes exception to his behavior and views the player as responsible for any damage caused to Maccabi by his breach of contract. Maccabi intends to take all appropriate action to protect its rights in the matter.

Following the player’s announcement and in reliance thereon, Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv will use any means necessary to strengthen its roster for the coming season.

source : maccabi.co.il


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Theo Papaloukas Signs with Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv

That was a bit unexpected.


Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv is proud to announce that it has signed Greek superstar Theodoros Papaloukas (2.00, 34) for one season. Papaloukas led CSKA Moscow to two European Championships and the Greek National Team to second place in the world.


Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv is proud to announce that it has signed Greek superstar Theodoros Papaloukas (2.00, 34) for one season. The guard joins the ranks of summer 2011 signees Shawn James, Devin Smith, Jon Scheyer, Yogev Ohayon, and Jordan Farmar.

Papaloukas is considered one of the best European players of all time. He runs a tight game and is a true leader at the point guard position – where at 2.00 (6’ 7”) he comes in at the tall end of the range – a cool-headed winner with the kind of on-court vision coaches dream of.

In 2008 Papaloukas was chosen one of the 35 All-Time Greatest Players of the Euroleague, and in 2010 he joined the ranks of the Euroleague 2001 – 2010 All-Decade Team (along with former Maccabi players Nikola Vujčić, Anthony Parker and Šarūnas Jasikevičius, among others). So far, he has played in the Euroleague for 10 seasons – 215 games – and tops the Euroleague list of all-time assists with 907 as well as all-time number of steals with 315.

In all of his years playing, Papaloukas has come off the bench; he loves to come into the game and be a force for change, especially when it comes to making critical decisions at the moment of truth. He has won the Euroleague title twice while playing for CSKA Moscow (defeating Maccabi Tel Aviv both times, in 2006 and 2008). He has played in the Euroleague Final Four a record 8 consecutive years (6 with CSKA, 2 with Olympiacos).

source : maccabi.co.il




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Maccabi in talks with Bobby Brown

Replacement for Doron Perkins?

With the summer progressing, Israel's top organizations are still in search of the perfect quarterback combo guard duo to increase their chances of an upcoming season title. Champions Maccabi Tel Aviv were recently in intensive talks with former NBA guard Bobby Brown, who played last season overseas, splitting his time in Poland and Greece.

Despite a 2007 championship year in Germany with Alba Berlin, and the fact that Maccabi was pursuing Brown aggressively the following summer, the Cal. St. Fullerton guard decided to sign with the Sacramento Kings. Lately, Brown's name has come up again as a possible recruit for Maccabi, complementing Jeremy Pargo from the second guard position. However, negotiations came up short and the Euroleague experienced Brown, still has interest of playing in Israel and has already been in contact with Hapoel Jerusalem, who is eager to find a suitable replacement for Will Solomon.

Before the NBA strike took place, Brown had successful workouts with the Raptors, Pacers and Lakers, though the 'ongoing' lockout is forcing the guard to reconsider his European offers. Brown's current financial demands may be a bit too much for Jerusalem's budget; yet, the team already informed the player's representatives to be on 'standby' for possible updates that may attract the California native to the Holly Land next season.

In College, Brown enjoyed four-years at Cal State Fullerton finishing his career as the schools leading scorer with 1,961 points (ninth in Big West history). After not being drafted in 2007, Brown went abroad and helped Alba Berlin win the German championship, averaging 14.5 points, 4.1 assists and 3.2 rebounds per game. In the ULEB Cup contest, Brown improved his performances and averaged 17.4 points, 4.4 assists, 2.8 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game.

After a stellar year, Brown returned home and signed a two-year contract with the Sacramento Kings. He would then continue his NBA journey playing for the Minnesota Timberwolves, New Orleans Hornets and Los Angeles Clippers. Last season looked promising as Brown signed a deal with Polish Prokom Gdynia where he performed at a high level posting numbers of 23.8ppg, 3.0rpg, 4.3apg and 1.8spg in the Domestic league. Battling in the Euroleague, Brown averaged 10.7ppg, 1.0rpg and 1.8apg. In December, Brown left for Greece where he signed with Aris Thessaloniki. The impressive European double figure scoring averages was maintained as Brown recorded 11.3ppg, 2.5rpg and 3.0apg in the Greek league and posted higher digits in the international EuroCup competition averaging 14.2ppg, 2.6rpg and 3.3apg.

source : eurobasket.com


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Maccabi renewed with Schortsanitis for 2 more seasons

Sofoklis Schortsanitis Extends Contract with Maccabi


Schortsanitis, who was one of the top players for Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv last season and who was named to the All-Euroleague First Team, has extended his contract with the team for the coming season, with an option for 2012 – 2013.


The management of Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv is pleased to announce that, following a meeting with Sofoklis Schortsanitis’ representative, an agreement was reached wherein the center will remain with the team for the coming season (2011 – 2012). The agreement includes an option for the 2012 – 2013 season, as well.



source : maccabi.co.il

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Eidson to Barcelona for 3 seasons

FC Barcelona and American guard Chuck Eidson have reached an agreement for the next two seasons. The former Maccabi Tel Aviv player is the first signing of the 2011/12 season.



Chuck Eidson comes to Barça as one of the most powerful outside forwards in Europe. Coming from Maccabi, the American offers great versatility and vision, following his brilliant performances in the Euroleague.

Extensive experience in Europe 

Born in Summerville (United States) 30 years ago, Chuck Eidson was educated as a team player at the University of South Carolina. The U.S. player, 2.02m tall, has solid experience in European basketball. After first playing in Germany, in Giessen (2004-06), and France, in Strasbourg (2006-07), Eidson began to shine for the Lithuanian team Lietuvos Rytas, where he played for 2 seasons. Maccabi Tel Aviv signed him in the summer of 2009 and there he became one of the key players over the last two seasons.

Multipurpose

 Eidson can play as either a 3 or a 4, he’s one of Europe's most powerful outside players. Intelligent, strong defensively, good rebound player, and good passer of the ball, he has the capacity to score from anywhere and has the character of a leader, and great vision.

Great season in the Euroleague

This season, with Maccabi, Eidson had an average of 9.7 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.6 ball recoveries in the Euroleague. He was also one of the leading players in the Final Four and became Real Madrid’s nemesis in the semifinals, where he played his best game this season, with +33 valuation (19 points, 8 rebounds, 6 ball recoveries, 2 assists, and a tap).

source : fcbarcelona.cat


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Yotam Halperin returns to Maccabi

Return of the prodigal son..



Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv is happy to announce that Yotam Halperin has signed a contract for the next three seasons. Maccabi head coach David Blatt had this reaction to the agreement: “We’re very happy. We wanted to bring him to the team last season. It was very important to bring him back, and to renew Pnini’s contract, and I’m very pleased we were able to do both of those things. The players that come to us do so because they want to, and their decisions involve making some concessions. We’re talking about one of the top players in Europe, a player that I and everyone else in the Maccabi system wanted on the team.”

Halperin (27, 1.96) played in the Maccabi Tel Aviv youth league, where he won both the state cup and the championship twice. In October of 2001, when he was only 17 years old, Halperin made his first appearance with the Maccabi Tel Aviv professional team. Four years later he was signed by Union Olimpija Ljubljana, where he also won both cup and championship. That summer, Halperin tried his luck with the N.B.A. draft, where he was chosen in the second round at number 53 by the Seattle Supersonics and was not guaranteed a contract.


Halperin returned to Maccabi for two seasons starting in 2007. In the 2007 – 2008 season he led the team to the final game of the Euroleague Final Four. He finished that season with averages of 10.2 points, 4 assists and 2 rebounds per game. In 2008 he signed with Greek powerhouse Olympiacos for two seasons. With them he reached the final game of the Final Four in 2009, and won the Greek Cup the following season, when he helped his team defeat arch-rival Panathinaikos.

Halperin finished his second season with Olympiacos with averages of 8.2 points (45.2% shooting from three-point range) and 1.9 assists in the Greek league, and 4.5 points and 1.9 rebounds in the Euroleague. To date, Halperin has won 5 Israeli championships, 2 European cups, 4 Israeli cups, one Slovenian championship, one Slovenian cup and two Greek cups.


source : maccabi.co.il



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Maccabi announced John Scheyer for 2 seasons

Another one for Maccabi.


Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv is proud to announce that it has signed Jewish-American guard Jon Scheyer (23, 1.96) to a two-year contract.

Scheyer, an intelligent, talented and competitive player, was born in Illinois. As a stand-out high school player, Scheyer led the Glenbrook North Spartans to an Illinois High School Association Class AA championship. In his senior year, Scheyer once scored 21 points in the final 75 seconds of a game, earning national recognition for what was called at the time one of the best high school performances ever. In his final year of high school Scheyer averaged 32 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 steals per game. In addition to his nickname, the “Jewish Jordan,” Scheyer earned the title of Illinois Mr. Basketball in 2006.


source : maccabi.co.il



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Maccabi Tel Aviv interested in Giorgi Shermadini

This just came in..


According to sources of the Hoop from Israel, Maccabi Tel Aviv are in talks with Panathinaikos regarding Georgian center Giorgi Shermadini(2.16-C)

Shermadini had a great season with Union Olimpija Ljubljana (on a loan agreement from Panathinaikos) as he was 2010-11 All-Euroleague Honorable Mention averaging 7.4ppg, 3.4rpg, 1.1bpg, 3rd in field goal percentage (71.4%), with a free throw percentage of 84.8%, all that in the Euroleague.

He was 1st in field goals in the Slovenian League (68.55%), 2nd in the Adriatic League (72.1%) and 3rd in the Euroleague (71.4%). He is also a central member of the Georgian National Team and led the Euroleague Top 16 in blocks with 2.2 blocks per game.


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Chuck Eidson to sign with Barcelona?

This might be too soon to say..


According to Israeli portal one.co.il, Chuck Eidson(2.02-SG/SF) will be playing for Barcelona next season. Maccabi Tel Aviv went into negotiations with the player but in the end it seems that he will be signing with Barcelona for a total of 4 million dollars for 2 seasons.

Eidson was one of the most important players of Maccabi Tel Aviv the last 2 seasons and one of the cornerstones of the team's great run this past season. He also led Lietuvos Rytas to the Uleb Cup title back in season 2008-2009 among other things. This season he averaged 9.7 points 4.3 rebounds 3.5 assists and 2.6 steals in 22 games in the Euroleague and also 10 points 4.3 rebounds 4.6 assists and 1.6 steals in 32 games in the Israeli League helping Maccabi regain the title.

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David Blu renewed with Maccabi TA

Another one renews with Maccabi.


Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv, who are attempting to preserve as far as is possible the same team that brought them the Israeli Cup, the vice-championship of the Euroleague, and the Israeli League Championship this past season, have successfully added David Blu to the list of players who will be returning for the 2011 – 2012 season. Blu, who was named MVP of the Israeli Final Four last month, has signed for an additional year with the club. It will be his third straight season, and sixth overall, with Maccabi.

Blu, who is known for his smooth touch from outside the arc, finished the Israeli League last season with averages of 10.9 points and 3.9 rebounds per game, and no less than 49.2% shooting from three point range. The forward also enjoyed an excellent season in the Euroleague, averaging 8.9 points and 3.1 rebounds and 42.7% shooting from downtown. Blu was also outstanding in the Euroleague Final Four in Barcelona, where he finished with 10 points against Real Madrid in the semi-final, and 14 points against Panathinaikos in the final.


source : maccabi.co.il

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Maccabi announced Shawn James

Maccabi strengthen their front line.


Maccabi Tel Aviv announced via their official website the signing of forward/center Shawn James (2.08-PF/C). He's come a long way since he joined Bnei Hasharon 3 years ago and this season was his best so far by achieving the title of the MVP of the Israeli League. The duration of the contract wasn't announced but it's rumored to be for 2 seasons.

As head coach David Blatt said, James brings certain skills to the table that Maccabi were missing this past  season, rebounding and blocking. These are areas that James excels at and it's the main reason he was picked by Bnei Hasharon in the first place. This season he averaged 13.1 points 10.6 rebounds and 3 blocks in 30 games in the Israeli league making him a force to be reckoned with, within the paint.

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Maccabi announced Pargo for 2 more seasons

They managed to keep him.. provisionally..


Maccabi Tel Aviv announced via their official site the renewal of Jeremy Pargo's(1.88-PG/SG) contract for 2 more seasons via their official website. The most exciting player of Maccabi Tel Aviv will be staying with the Euroleague runner-ups unless of course he signs an NBA contract by the end of July.

Pargo was pivotal in leading MTA to the final of the Euroleague(averaging 13 points 3.5 rebounds and 4.3 assists in 22 games) where they lost to Panathinaikos and Pargo displayed that he is made of the stuff that great players are made of but he lacks the experience and this could be it for him. Many rumors appeared the last few weeks implicating many European powerhouses but Pargo will play for MTA alone if he stays in Europe.

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Aris and Sharon Drucker parted ways

It took longer than expected.


Did it take another dramatic game that could even ended in a home loss against one of the weakest teams in the League? Aris beat Ilisiakos today in overtime at home and the team managed to lose a 16 point margin and almost lose the game against a team with fight to stay in the league.

After the game it was announced via the official website of Aris BC that the team and Sharon Drucker parted ways. The administration of the team announced to Sharon Drucker that they can no longer work with him and the announcement says that they parted ways as friends. It also says that a veteran of the team and former coach, Slobodan Subotic will be travelling to Thessaloniki tomorrow to discuss with the team the possibility of becoming head coach. Thanasis Papachatzis was also named in the announcement, who was assistant coach during season 2006-2008. What is strange here is that Aris and Subotic did not part ways on the best of terms as he left the team in 1997 to become head coach in Panathinaikos. Subotic and Papachatzis have worked together before so there is common ground there.


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Aris to replace Drucker with Sferopoulos?

I bet you weren't expecting that..well me neither..


This must be a first for the Greek A1 League or if it has happened before I surely don't remember it. Then again I'm not that old but let's cut to the chase. This is not 100% confirmed rumor but very close to that and it says that Giannis Sferopoulos will be leaving Kolossos BC for Aris BC.

Sferopoulos will be replacing Sharon Drucker who probably never got accustomed to the Greek League and chances are he never will. So it seems that Sferopoulos will be leaving Kolossos to become the head coach of Aris and this move raises a lot of questions. Kolossos BC have never been implicated in any rumors of financial problems for the last two and a half seasons that Sferopoulos has been the head coach and he has done quite a good job considering the limited resources that he had at his disposal. In fact I wasn't even sure whether the rules of the Greek League allow such a move between teams right in the middle of the regular season but apparently the rule only affects players. Then again not even Kolossos BC could be immune to the recession that has sweeped the globe. And if this is the case it would explain why Sferopoulos wants to move to a more secure environment.

It is rumored that Sharon Drucker is technically on loan from Maccabi Tel Aviv as Drucker didn't want to be assistant coach again and David Blatt didn't really want him as his assistant coach. So initially the deal suited quite a few sides but then again Sharon Drucker has used some peculiar lineups and combined with a total disrespect to team defense he managed to lose games that could've easily been won. And he lost them against teams with weaker rosters and lesser wallets. To be perfectly honest he did quite well in the Eurocup but one must play hard-nose defense in order to survive in the Greek league and Drucker didn't do that.

So Sferopoulos could be the next head coach of Aris and one might think why are they waiting in Aris for things to go really bad before they make a substantial and objectively good move hiring such a talented and promising coach. The same happened with Fotis Katsikaris who didn't manage to withstand the pressure of a bench that had 21 titles hanging over it. Will Sferopoulos doing it at this juncture? It's hard to tell..

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Aris to replace Drucker and Dunston?

Someone needs to stir Aris back into course.


According to salonikabasket.blogspot.com, Sharon Drucker is counting his last days, perhaps even hours, as the head coach of Aris BC. He started the season quite well but as the season went on the bad results started becoming a repeating occurence for Aris. It is the opinion of this blog that Sharon Drucker was the wrong choice of a coach for the Greek A1 league and that is reflected in losses even at home to poorer teams with weaker rosters. It is rumored that the administration of the team will start looking for a new head coach although that is not 100% certain. Drucker is under heavy scrutiny as the team made 2 consecutive losses that will prove critical in the next season and has to show a streak of bad performances against even the weakest opponents in the A1. Even if Drucker stays the team has made already made 6 losses and is in really bad shape.

Another unconfirmed rumor but from a reliable source says that Aris signed veteran center John Thomas(2.06-C) who played for Hapoel Holon last season. He averaged 12.8 points 8.6 points and 2.1 assists in 22 games in the Israeli League. He was invited last September by the Minnesota Timberwolves to participate in their training camp but he hasn't played for a team yet. He will probably replacing Bryant Dunston(2.01-PF) who was misused by Drucker as a center and averaged 6.2 points and 3.8 rebounds in 15.6 minutes of playing time. Rumors say that Thomas will be arriving to Greece on Tuesday.

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Mediterranean League - fact or fiction?

It could be closer than we think..


The rumors started last season but nowadays they keep springing up from all directions in Greece but as of yet there is nothing concrete to report. The idea is very old but the execution needed some infrastructure and most of all, some money.

Let's face it, the Greek league has seen better days. It could be classed as an example to avoid when it comes to organisation and meritocracy.

It becomes hard to find a team that doesn't owe money to players, or in taxes to the state. Some teams shouldn't even be playing in the A1 league because they can't collect all the necessary certificates that guarantee the club's financial wellbeing and stability. The president of the league becomes more of a decoration and his sole purpose at the moment is (in theory) to try and find a good television broadcast rights contract for the teams of the league. So currently we've got teams that cannot even afford hot water to have a shower after practice or teams that have changed more players and coaches than they currently have on their roster. Fortunately some other teams seem to be adapting to the

The league solely exists at the moment for the finals between Olympiakos and Panathinaikos and the same goes for the Greek Cup where (conveniently) the 2 Greek powerhouses never seem to meet before the final. This situation has the support of a body of sports journalists, who make their living out of the rivalry between the reds and the greens and also by the players themselves who can't stand up to their rich bosses. Hence one might be thinking what's the purpose of the Greek league? Let's create a new league where Olympiakos and Panathinaikos can play against more powerful opponents and one aging executive can come out as the Messiah who gave new impetus to a decomposing league.

So this is the plan.. in theory always. 3 teams from Greece, 3 from Turkey, 2 teams from Israel, the champion of Serbia, the champion of Cyprus, possibly Lukoil Akademik and last but not least one team from.. Qatar. This is not final and the specs of the league might change until the last moment. One might be thinking.. Qatar..? what the..? the rumors are that the team from Qatar will actually belong to the sponsors of the league. Hence they will provide the funds to organise the league and they will find other sponsors as well to make sure there are adequate funds to run a professional league smoothly.

The premise here is that the teams that will participate in this league will not be playing in the regular season in their corresponding countries but they would return in their local league only for the play-offs. This is the model of the Adriatic League and the purpose of it is that these teams will not be participating in a league that doesn't offer any substantial challenge. That might seem like making the league more challenging for the remaining teams but from a moral point of view it's exposing the current degradation of the league.

A Mediterranean league without teams from Italy or Spain? That sounds strange to me too but they just might be content playing for the Eurocup. For example this season we've had Gran Canaria, Estudiantes, Cajasol, Cantu, Benetton Treviso, Caserta. Why would they want to leave a league as organised and glamorous like the ACB or the LegaA1?

On the other hand, Olympiakos and Panathinaikos are gagging to leave the A1. The same goes for Fenerbahce and Efes Pilsen,  Maccabi Tel Aviv etc. The idea is that the teams picked from each country will be chosen according to their final position at the end of the play-offs. Also that the funding from the Mediterranean League itself will be significantly larger than that from Uleb leagues. This gives certain teams a motive in Greece to gain the 3rd place as it would secure their finances. The same goes for Turkey.

Chances are that the scheme will be announced some time before the end of this season and it will outline how the teams will be chosen and also the details of the league's layout. So this will be the "pilot-season" of a league that will aim to become one of the most popular leagues in Europe and rival the Euroleague, or fail miserably..


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Maroussi waiting on Denis Clemente's contract

He will be replacing the "intoxicated" Tony Weeden.


Denis Clemente(1.85-PG/SG) is supposed to be returning his contract to Maroussi anytime now according to basketnet.gr. The Puerto Rican point guard started the season in Israel playing for Maccabi Rishon Le-Zion but he was waived by his team because they wanted a pure scorer. He averaged 9.6 points 3.1 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 7 games in the Israeli League. He graduated in 2010 from the Kansas State University but went undrafted.

If he sends back his contract signed he will be replacing Tony Weeden (1.88-PG/SG) who was caught positive in a drugs test for a forbidden substance. It was part of a medication that he hadn't warned his team about and so Maroussi had to waive him although he wasn't doing bad, averaging 10.4 points 3.1 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 7 games in the Greek A1 league.

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Maccabi to give away Richard Hendrix on loan?

He has a 2 season closed contract.


According to walla.co.il, Maccabi Tel Aviv are trying to make some more space in their rotation for Milan Macvan(2.06-PF/C) so they're trying to find a way to get rid of Richard Hendrix(2.03-PF/C). Hendrix was signed by Maccabi before David Blatt and the American forward/center was never fully in the plans of Blatt. One option that was also mentioned in Greece and the article from walla.co.il is for Hendrix to play on loan for Aris BC in Thessaloniki, Greece.

Head coach of Aris BC, Sharon Drucker was the assistant coach of Maccabi TA last season and has still very good relations with Maccabi and David Blatt so the option of him to play there for the rest of the season is very possible. If this were to happen then Richard Hendrix would replace Bryant Dunston(2.01-PF) because of the limit of non-European players in the Greek A1 league. Hendrix averaged 5.1 points and 3.6 rebounds in 9 games in the Euroleague in only 11.6 minutes of playing time. Let's not forget this is the Revelation player of the ACB of last season where he dominated the floors as a player of Granada. Aris would welcome Hendrix's addition for the next stage in the Eurocup.

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Maccabi TA announced Milan Macvan

It’s Official: Milan Mačvan Inked by Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv


Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv is proud to announce that Serbian forward/center Milan Mačvan (21, 2.06 meters – 6’9”) has signed a four and a half year contract with the club, through the 2014 – 2015 season. Mačvan will arrive in Israel tonight at 22:45.

Mačvan is one of the greatest talents in Serbian basketball today. He is a gifted player who combines many elements, such as good shooting ability from the middle distance and outstanding passing for a player of his
height, and is a great post-up player with the ability to drive to the basket. Mačvan, who has the ultimate combination of massive size with a good shooting hand, is a tough fighter on the court and an amiable  personality off the court.

Mačvan got his start in the youth departments of FMP Železnik; during the 2007 – 2008 season he transferred to KK Hemofarm of Vršac, Serbia, where he has played up until now. The 2008 – 2009 season was a breakaway year for the young talent, in every aspect of his game. In the Adriatic League he finished with averages of 10.9 points and 4.4 rebounds, and in the Eurocup with 11.3 points and 4.2 rebounds. That same year, he was named ULEB Eurocup Rising Star.

In the summer of 2009 Mačvan took part in the Nike Hoop Summit in Portland, Oregon, where he was named MVP in the game against the American National Team in which he scored 23 points, pulled down 14 rebounds and made 6 assists in the international team’s first victory since 1998. Last season (2009 – 2010) he demonstrated impressive ability with averages of 14.6 points and 5.8 rebounds in the Adriatic League and 9.5 points and 3.7 rebounds in the Eurocup. In the Serbian League, when his team dropped out of the finals series against Partizan Belgrade, he was leading Hemofarm with 14.3 points and 6.5 rebounds.

This season, Mačvan is considered one of the best and most in-demand players in Europe, when he posted amazing averages of 17 points, 8 rebounds and 3.8 assists in the Eurocup, and 19.2 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 2.8 assists in the Adriatic League. In the Euroleague preliminaries, he finished with averages of 20.8 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3 assists per game; in his game at Nokia Arena against Hapoel Gilboa/Galil he scored 31 points, pulled down 6 rebounds and made 3 assists in Hemofarm’s victory. In his final game in Serbia, Mačvan scored 15 points, made 4 assists and took 3 rebounds.

Mačvan has also been a fixture on the various strong Serbian National Teams. In 2007, he was part of the U-19 team that won the world championship. That same summer, he played for the Serbian U-18 team, which won the European championship. The following year, he won another gold medal, this time with the U-20 Serbian National Team in the European championships, which he finished with impressive averages of 16.9 points and 6.6 rebounds. In the EuroBasket of 2009 he joined the senior men’s National Team, which took the silver medal after losing to Spain. He also played with the Serbian National Team last summer at the European championship in Turkey.

source : maccabi.co.il


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