'A shift had to be made': Maccabi's captain DiBartolomeo recounts his team's comeback story / News - Basketnews.com

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Valentine's Day in 2022 was not all love for Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv and their devoted fanbase. The Israeli powerhouse received a huge blow from rivals Hapoel Tel Aviv in the derby game, which put an end to their Israel Cup dreams.

The elimination didn't go down well with Maccabi fans, who tried to break into the team's locker room and have a word with players. Local media reported that head coach Ioannis Sfairopoulos and the athletes had to stay in the Menora Mivtachim Arena for quite some time after the game ended to avoid any unnecessary altercation.

Some of the fans were contained by security, but the players had to leave using a side exit instead of the usual one. Moreover, Sfairopoulos left the arena accompanied by security guards.

To add insult to injury, another situation escalated the next morning when a video depicting three Maccabi players enjoying a night out leaked on social media. Those mentioned in the video, like Khyri Thomas and Derrick Williams, reacted strongly, while the club itself took one week to investigate and give the final verdict on the issue.

As the controversy proved to be a false alarm, the coaching change alarm wasn't false at all. On February 15, Giannis Sfairopoulos's 40-month term in Tel Aviv was officially over.

Maccabi management had already expressed their trust in the Greek tactician when the squad lost eight straight games in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague.

When Sfairopoulos was fired, the Israelis were sitting 12th in the EuroLeague standings with 11 wins and 12 defeats and third in the local competition, lurking behind Hapoel Jerusalem and Bnei Herzliya with 9 wins and 6 losses.

"I don't mean to discredit Sfairopoulos or (his assistant) Vassilis Geragotellis, who are two great, fantastic coaches, and I absolutely love them, having played for them for a while," team captain John DiBartolomeo tells BasketNews.

"But we were struggling, and a shift had to be made."

That shift came in the form of Avi Even. A name only a few had heard before, the former Maccabi head of scouting department and player development turned into the team's head coach literally overnight, despite his lack of experience.

Although he had never coached at this level or even close to it, his case was full of other advantages.

The most important among many was the fact that he didn't have to adjust, learn and understand who is who. Even and his two assistants, Noam Levy and Doron Perkins know the club's DNA better than most.

He was on the professional team as an assistant coach under Pini Gershon, David Blatt, and Zvika Sherf before moving to the player development department.

"Obviously, he's no stranger to Maccabi basketball," DiBartolomeo concurs.

"He's been here for a very long time. I've been working with him since I've gotten here. He was doing individual workouts for all the guys, so he knows all the players very intimately. That has helped him get the most out of them in recent months, especially on the offensive end."

In his first game, against Hapoel Eilat, Even introduced a number of changes compared to the Giannis Sfairopoulos era. It included lineups with three guards (Keenan Evans, John DiBartolomeo, and Scottie Wilbekin) and the pairing of bigs Ante Zizic and Jaylen Reynolds.

A 77-66 victory over Eilat was just the beginning of a two-month rollercoaster ride that included several triumphs all over Europe and, predominantly, in the Menora Mivtachim Arena, which turned into a real fortress.

"Stay focused, stay humble" is what he usually says after big wins that not only allowed Maccabi to get back to playoff contention but handed them the 6th place in the standings.

"Avi has done a great job since he's been here. First off, something had to change, and when a team is struggling, the coach is looked at first," DiBartolomeo insists.

According to people close to the situation, the main idea Even tried to install in his players is that the individual will grow out of the team and not vice-versa. The team is first, but Even lets players showcase their talents, and the results speak for themselves.

"Avi came in with positive energy, an open mind, and the belief that he can make a difference. He was willing to listen to all the players and see what approach can get us to a better position. Even within the first one or two weeks of being here, he had made a significant change in the locker room," DiBartolomeo confirms.

Nothing would have happened without the players realizing their full potential. DiBartolomeo describes a situation very similar to the process AS Monaco had gone through some weeks earlier when Sasa Obradovic replaced Zvezdan Mitrovic, changing the atmosphere in the locker room by winning some key players over.

"It was the players who decided to get over their hump, and we couldn't have gotten to that point without them," DiBartolomeo concedes.

"But Avi addressed the problem, and since then, we were able to build on a stronger foundation together. On top of that, he gives guys confidence and a lot of freedom. On the offensive end, we're playing at a faster pace than we have played in the past. That has tailored better to the roster we have now."

Although the team's overall offensive output took a significant rise in the four last games of the EuroLeague regular season, Maccabi's six straight wins garnered them the playoff ticket.

European fans know that the Israeli powerhouse has always played its particular brand of basketball, based on speed, athleticism, and the American players defining both the tempo and the team's fate.

Giannis Sfairopoulos, albeit having been successful for the most part of his tenure, represents a different style. DiBartolomeo points out that the Greek coach had his share in what Maccabi accomplished between 2019 and 2021 but confirms that Even's approach is different from his predecessor.

"I've been in Maccabi for five years, and I played for Giannis for nearly four of them. Giannis is a very successful coach, and his style had worked for us, especially in his second year when we qualified for the playoffs very early. He's had a lot of success at Olympiacos, and he'll continue to be successful wherever he goes.

Now we're having success with a different style in Avi. That's not to say that one is worse than the other," he diplomatically replies.

Credit Regina Hoffmann/Euroleague Basketball via Getty Images

DiBartolomeo, 30, was born in New York City but holds dual citizenship from both Israel and the United States. He joined Maccabi Tel Aviv in 2017, coming off a two-year stint with Maccabi Haifa.

The 2016-17 campaign was his breakout season, where he stepped up and put career-high numbers as he became one of the hottest names in the Israeli Winner League.Midway through his first season with Maccabi, he was named Maccabi's team captain, replacing Itay Segev. Recalling his best moment with the perennial Israeli champs, the 1.83 m guard mentions the championship title Maccabi won in 2018, which put an end to a four-year drought.

"At first, I didn't know what to expect. It was one of those up-and-down years, as we were challenged a lot in the Israeli League. But we made the Final Four, blowing both teams out. We got to celebrate Maccabi's first title in four years. It was great to bring it back," he stresses.

Now in his fifth season with the club and being the oldest guy on the team, the experienced guard has an explanation for his longevity."I like to think that I'm a good teammate," he promptly responds.

"I like to do my job well. Maccabi is a fun place to be, and they're very loyal to people. There's a lot of mutual respect and admiration between us. I've enjoyed it since I got here. I've been in Israel for seven years. I found myself at home here.

When I started playing professional basketball, Maccabi was a team that absolutely checked off all the boxes on the list of all the places I wanted to go and be. I'm very grateful and fortunate to be here. It's been a long ride and a great experience."

That said, battling adversity and handling delicate issues revolving around inter-personal relationships are some of the tasks a team captain needs to carry out. At some point, things on the team were really bad.

Reports started to surface that some players got into altercations during practices, James Nunnally didn't join in one of the away games, Sfairopoulos urged fans to support the team more, and ultimately, Maccabi were eliminated from the Israeli Cup. "We had some tough moments as a team. It's a very long season, and every team is tested throughout it. When you're on a big club like Maccabi, expectations are higher, and with that comes pressure. I think there are growing pains with every team," DiBartolomeo says in an attempt to rationalize the situation.

The American-Israeli player admits: "Maybe we didn't handle those things in the best way at the moment. Since then, we've been able to get to know each other better, learn how to handle adversity, and realize what's best for us."With all that stuff going on, how does a team captain react, keeping the team together? DiBartolomeo thinks it's a challenge for everybody.

"This team has a lot of professionals and veterans. Everyone had to look within themselves to see what they can do and what they can bring to the team to improve our situation. Especially the foreigners, who were having a difficult time, stepped up," he acknowledges.

Winning is the best medicine, and the advent of Avi Even was accompanied by positive results that brought optimism back to Tel Aviv.

"We were able to communicate and work past any discrepancies that we had. One thing led to another. Our relationships improved, we started having more fun, and then things kind of fell into place. We started winning, getting more confidence. We know we still got a long way to go, but we're happy with the improvements of late." DiBartolomeo thinks it's hard to say what Maccabi were lacking at the beginning of the season.

"Sometimes things work, and sometimes they don't. You're always trying new ways to get yourself out of certain situations. It's a lot of trial and error, and we're fortunate to have some very tough individuals who don't shy away from a challenge."

In any case, that loss to Hapoel Tel Aviv and what followed could have been Maccabi's turning point in the season. "A loss to Hapoel Tel Aviv is never acceptable in our eyes. That's a rival team for us, and obviously, it doesn't sit well with us that they have our number this season. But at the end of the day, it happened, and we needed to find the best way to respond to it," DiBartolomeo holds.

Maccabi have indeed responded by reaching the EuroLeague playoffs stage for the first time since 2015, excluding the 2019-20 season, which was cut short due to COVID.

Apart from the coaching change and the team's inner demons, there was something that no one could have foreseen - the exclusion of Russian teams that upgraded Maccabi's record from 11-13 to 10-10, crossing out their track against CSKA Moscow, Zenit St Petersburg, and UNICS Kazan.

DiBartolomeo identifies the reasons behind his team's late successful playoff push."If you look into our season, we've had a lot of ups and downs. Obviously, with the Russian teams being excluded, the second half of the year kind of reset us. We got a second chance. Since then, we finished strong, 7-1. We regrouped, made a coaching change and some shifts. The team responded well. That has brought us to play better at home court as well."

In this vein, it seems that fate or luck has repaid to Maccabi what it took away from them in 2020 when they had already qualified for the playoffs, aiming to finish in 4th place. "Absolutely," DiBartolomeo firmly replies. "It's really unfortunate what happened with Covid in 2020 and this year. These are things out of our control, and you can say that we made the best of the situation we were in."

With the three Russian teams being left out, some teams, like Maccabi and Bayern Munich, made the best of the situation, while others (ALBA Berlin, Crvena Zvezda) found something to fight for. At the same time, clubs like AS Monaco and Fenerbahce were justifiably unhappy with the decision.

"We took it in the best way, something that was reflected well on our record. Since then, we've done enough to prove that we deserve to be in the playoffs and have our shot," DiBartolomeo confirms.

Up next is the EuroLeague playoffs and Real Madrid, a team going through a diametrically different momentum than Maccabi.

In the regular season, wins were split between the two sides, after two tremendously competitive games and with the home court playing an important part.

"This will be my first EuroLeague playoffs, and I hope it will be one of my better experiences with Maccabi and my career," DiBartolomeo says.

But Real Madrid have been struggling in both the ACB and the EuroLeague over the past two months. They're still more or less the same team in terms of the roster, but they've changed a lot too.

DiBartolomeo admits that Maccabi players and staff have heard what's going on in Madrid but adds that none of those negative headlines can affect their preparation.

"Real Madrid still have 18 wins in the EuroLeague, the home-court advantage, and the same veteran, talented players who've been in these situations before and know how to handle them. Momentum is a funny thing. It can propel them forward, or it can continue to pull them down.

We have to go there extremely focused and determined to put our stamp on the game. There's no way you can underestimate Real Madrid. They are one of the best teams in Europe, and we expect a very tough series, especially without home-court advantage," he contends.

Looking at Madrid's recent form, one gets the impression that of all playoff teams with home-court advantage, they're the most vulnerable at the time."Not necessarily," DiBartolmeo objects. "Barcelona and Armani Milan lost in their leagues. Every team has ups and downs. Barca have been preparing for the playoffs for a while.

I haven't watched all the games, but you can't say any team is more vulnerable. The playoffs start, everyone's on a clean slate, and the home-court advantage is a big deal. It doesn't feel right to say that Real Madrid are super vulnerable because they will come ready to play."

Credit Laurent Lairys/LPS via ZUMA Press

DiBartolomeo wasn't playing at Maccabi back in 2014, but fans and press in Tel Aviv have started talking about a repetition of that year's accomplishment. Eight years ago, the club won its sixth EuroLeague trophy after barely making the playoffs.

When the club announced the sale of tickets to the first home game of the playoffs, all seats sold out in an hour even though the fans didn't know the opponent yet."From my experience, I can tell you the energy around Maccabi, and the fans' support is fantastic, especially now that we have a playoff game coming in Tel Aviv," DiBartolomeo notes.

"It doesn't surprise me that tickets sold out so fast. The enthusiasm around the team is palpable and contagious. We're really excited to have a game here. But we have to do some tough work in Madrid first."

Of course, the same goes for the other three pairs and the six teams that will fight for a Final Four spot. DiBartolomeo admits he doesn't know the records between the teams and that he can't speak on the Maccabi series because he's emotionally and personally invested in it.

Still, the Israeli international guard doesn't shy away from predicting the outcome of the other series.

"I think Barcelona are very strong, but Bayern are always dangerous and a really solid, well-coached team.

Olympiacos are having a very good year, and they're tough in their gym. At the same time, Monaco is also a dangerous team with a lot of offensive firepower. Mike James and Dwayne Bacon can keep them in the game at any point in every gym.

Efes and Milan is another intriguing match-up. Milan has the home-court advantage and was in the Final Four last year. They have a lot of experience. It's hard to say Kyle Hines won't go to another Final Four when he's been to so many. At the same time, Efes are the reigning champions and have so much fire on the offensive end. I expect a lot of good series. If I had to pick who I think is going to come out on top, I think it will be Barca, Olympiacos, and Efes."

There you have it. Picking three teams to make the Final Four seems much simpler than how Maccabi's season has been.

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