Crvena Zvezda had the ball, down four, with 15 seconds left in the third quarter.
They finished the quarter down eight.
That sequence perhaps illustrated Zvezda’s night better than anything else: the hesitation and uncertainty that defined their 81-80 loss to Hapoel Tel Aviv in EuroLeague Round 2.
At the other end, Dimitris Itoudis’ team showed some encouraging signs. But Hapoel are also far from the finished product – and certainly not yet the team their ambitious ownership envisions.
Zvezda’s Pick-and-Roll Defense
For the second home game in a row, Zvezda allowed 28 points in the first quarter, leaving themselves chasing the game almost from the opening tip.
That is far from ideal under any circumstances, especially for a team still trying to find itself while players adjust to new roles.
Just like Žalgiris in Round 1, Hapoel found their way to the rim far too easily out of the pick-and-roll.
It would be easy to put all the blame on Jonathan Motley. Motley deserves a significant share of it, but Zvezda’s guards were hardly blameless. Ibon Navarro himself cited defense as the reason Chris Jones did not return to the floor in the fourth quarter.
Also, Zvezda’s help-side defense was either late or not decisive enough to stop easy finishes – even if stopping them simply meant committing a foul.
A Hole in the Middle
Zvezda’s biggest problem at the start of the season is in the paint.
My eyes have probably never deceived me more when it comes to rebounding.
Zvezda actually finished with 13 more rebounds than Hapoel, including six more on the offensive glass.
It certainly did not feel that way. Probably because Hapoel did more with the second chances they created.
Everyone was waiting to see how Motley would respond after his nightmare performance in Round 1.
As it turns out, even experience does not help much when confidence disappears this quickly.
Motley missed another point-blank finish and had a fadeaway blocked almost like a junior. The confidence simply is not there right now.
I cannot remember seeing a player booed in only his second official game for a club.
Ebuka Izundu is struggling as well. He missed several finishes around the rim that he would normally convert with ease.
Between them, Motley and Izundu directly gifted Hapoel four points.
After Zvezda went on a run to take a 35-34 lead in the second quarter, Motley fouled Elijah Bryant while hedging eight meters from the basket on the very next possession.
Late in the third quarter, Izundu committed a foul in the backcourt with 0.5 seconds remaining.
Navarro again experimented with small-ball lineups featuring Semi Ojeleye and Chima Moneke. That did not look particularly convincing either.
Third center Vojin Medarević spent the game in street clothes next to the bench.
Where Do Zvezda Go From Here?
Ibon Navarro does not speak Serbian and does not read what is being written about him.
He is focused on the job.
Probably for the best.
Hiring a coach with a system that may not be revolutionary, but is genuinely different, requires patience – and more than a little of it.
Club president Željko Drčelić publicly backed Navarro immediately after the loss to Hapoel, fully aware of how quickly the mood can change in Belgrade.
Still, there is reason for concern in the fact that Zvezda looked considerably worse than they did against Žalgiris – and even less connected.
Unlike in the EuroLeague opener, they were rarely able to find good solutions coming out of timeouts.
At the end of the first half, they simply allowed the shot clock to expire.
Late in the third quarter, after a Hapoel challenge had given Zvezda time to discuss what they wanted to run, Ognjen Dobrić only received the ball around half court with eight seconds remaining, before charging into the paint.
There were other examples.
One of the few bright spots for Zvezda was Tyson Carter.
His importance is even greater because he spent three years playing for Navarro at Unicaja.
Hapoel Are Not There Yet Either, But…
Let’s not pretend this was a game that will be remembered as one of the best of the EuroLeague week.
Quite the opposite.
Hapoel missed eight free throws. Vasilije Micić kept Zvezda alive with a string of missed shots.
And yet, Itoudis’ team generally controlled the game from beginning to end. The final 81-80 score does not really reflect how much better Hapoel were for most of the night.
The key number was six turnovers.
After the loss to Bayern, Hapoel talked about the importance of tactical discipline and responsibility with the ball.
Against an opponent that wants to live in transition – or at least is supposed to – they kept their turnovers to a minimum.
There was also plenty of value in the combination of experience and quality provided by Zach LeDay and Tomáš Satoranský, both of whom played smart, composed games.
Elijah Bryant simply picked up where he left off last season, producing another versatile performance and making the right plays at the right moments.
After two rounds, though, Hapoel do not yet look as good as last season’s team, let alone better.
It is still far too early for a final judgment. As their own players keep saying, much will depend on how well they manage their egos and accept their roles.
A win in Belgrade is certainly a step in the right direction.
