Maccabi back on court

Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv practiced on Tuesday for the first time in the 2008/2009 season.

"Of course I'm excited," said chairman, Shimon Mizrahi. "If we weren't excited it would mean that we don't have very much to play for.

Derrick Sharp was amongst the familiar faces in Hadar Yosef alongside Esteban Batista and Tal Burstein, who has been part of Maccabi for the past eight years, was also there although his physical status is still in doubt.

Coach Efi Birnboim decided to take Bnei Hasharon's small forward Jason Williams with him to Tel Aviv, alongside Holon's guard Tre Simmons, Jerusalem's Dror Hagag. New faces in the squad include forward Rodney White, Center D'or Fisher and the highly-accoladed Puerto Rican point guard Carlos Arroyo which is scheduled to join the squad next week.

Last season's Lior Eliyahu and Omri Casspi, alongside Yaniv Green who was brought back from Russia only a year after his departure from Maccabi were not at the practice, due to International duties.

"It always seems easy from the outside." Contested Birnbaum.

"Obviously we will go after all of the trophies we are partaking in, but talking about it is not going to get us anywhere. In order to achieve this we will have to work extremely hard."

Concerning the lack of Euroleague experience in this year's squad Birenbaum replied "No one here comes from outer space. Some have them played in the N.B.A., and others in different high demanding forums thus I have no doubt everyone with their wills and aspirations will do all that is needed in order to achieve victories."

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