In their first EuroLeague season, Hapoel Tel Aviv came within a step of the Final Four. It was more than a fine start yet, over the summer, they kept adding. One of the most ambitious projects in European basketball right now, and you can see it in the size and quality of the squad they've put together.
Money and ambition
The club is backed by owner Ofer Yannay, who has invested heavily in it. There's no secret about the goal. Hapoel want to compete with the best teams in Europe, and they've spent to give themselves the chance. In fact they have the deeper roster in the league.
But it's a necessity
If you count the names, you'll see more than twenty players. There's a reason for that: the Israeli domestic league limits how many foreign players a club can use in a single game. So Hapoel effectively run two overlapping squads: one built around their imported talent for the EuroLeague, and one that leans more on their Israeli players at home, with a rotating group of foreigners.
Yes, the coach has plenty of options but he also has a series of puzzles. Keeping that many capable players sharp and involved across a long season is not easy.
Home games in Sofia, Bulgaria
For now, because of the security situation in the region, Hapoel aren't hosting their EuroLeague games in Israel. Their home matches are being played in Sofia, Bulgaria. It's a genuine burden, for the club and for its fans, to play a European season without a true home behind you. Will they cope?
A proven coach
Fitting this many good players into one rotation is the hard part, and it's why Dimitris Itoudis is so important here. He won the EuroLeague at CSKA Moscow and has spent his career coaching deep, star-filled rosters. Hapoel are betting he can turn a very talented group into a real team.
The players
The heart of the team is the backcourt. Vasilije Micić, a former EuroLeague MVP, is still here. This summer they added Tomas Satoransky, an experienced playmaking guard back from the NBA. Two lead guards of that level is a strong place to start.
Around them there's scoring almost everywhere. Elijah Bryant is one of the most efficient scoring guards in the league, and Antonio Blakeney can fill it up quickly off the bench. Among the new faces, Zach LeDay brings experience, size and shooting up front, while Dan Oturu gives them a mobile, athletic centre who finishes above the rim. The Israeli internationals round out a rotation that goes very deep.
If anything, the squad is heavy on guards. The talent isn't in question. The question is minutes, and whether so many scorers settle into clear roles.
The big picture
Hapoel seems like they have it all: a former MVP, an experienced NBA guard, scorers at most positions, and a coach who has won at the highest level. What they can't buy is chemistry, and they're chasing it in unusual circumstances, with a large squad and a home a long way away.
Their first season was successful and even more. This one asks a bigger question. Can a club gather this much talent, this fast, and make it play as one? They've got the coach, the depth and the backing to try.
