Profile picture: Yovel Zoosman
One of the top Israeli players joins Hapoel: meet the new acquisition, Yovel zoosman
10/07/2023
| News
By: Omer Arian
Yovel Zoosman is one of the top players that Israeli basketball has to offer. The swingman, who spent several seasons at the top of the Premier League, showed very impressive defensive abilities and stood out in the Israeli league - two seasons ago, he left for the Euroleague team Alba Berlin. Also there, in the German league, Zoosman averages impressively with 8.8 points per game (6.8 in the Euroleague) plus
?an extraordinary three-point percentage of 45.5%.
Zoosman is Hapoel's second Israeli acquisition after Gabriel Chachashvili and is the second column in the "Profile Picture" series that will attempt to make an orderly and comprehensive introduction to the new acquisitions that will make up Aleksandar Dzikic's team this coming season. So who are you, Yovel Zoosman?
First and foremost, Zoosman is a shooter. Absolute. His three-point percentages (about 45% in the German league and 33% in the Euroleague) tell only part of the story. The movement without the ball, the position, reading the situations - all these, along with the ability to shoot, of course, constitute the set of skills necessary for a shooter, that Zoosman possesses. And when there is a shooter, everything is easier. The defense has to choose whether to leave the rest of its members to deal with a penetration, a post-up move, or a pick-and-roll. And if you still choose to help, Yovel will know how to punish you. Please, example:
And if we were talking about movement without a ball, then Yovel is an expert in that. At the end, one player holds the ball. The defense is only interested in him. In the end, I didn't get to see a player without a ball score a basket. And precisely because of the excessive focus of the defense on the player with the ball, the four players surrounding him become the weak points of the defense. The ability of those players to cut at the right time and in the right places, to position themselves at the appropriate points, to be a bridge for clearing passing lines, and, in general, to move without the ball, is critical to the success of the attack. And Yovel? He's great at it. Here, see for yourself:
Despite the importance, the critical stage, of movement without the ball - Zoosman is also a good pick-and-roll player. Of those who can take the ball, run a block along with the occasional high, read appropriate situations - and act. Take a shot, give a pass or just take the ball and his athletic body and put it in the basket. how? Here:
On the other side of the court, which is just as important - Yovel is a master. The athletic and wide body, the long arms, the wisdom of the game, and the spatial orientation - all these constitute an impressive and wide set of abilities with which Yovel goes into his defensive battles. With uncompromising fighting, Zoosman fits great in Aleksandar Dzikic's team fabric. On a professional level, all these help Zoosman to be able to maintain several positions, low and high, and make life difficult for them. very difficult:
It is easy to see and understand that Zoosman specializes in defense, not only in light of his physical structure but also due to the wisdom of his game because of the great work he does in areas where the ball is not found. After all, as we said, the focus on the ball by all the defensive players on the field exposes it to many weak points. And if there is a player who is able to work at such a high performance level even if he does not guard the player with the ball - that is a piece of property. Below is a piece of property:
In the end, Zoosman justified more than once the reason why he came to the Euroleague and is considered one of the top quality Israeli legionnaires on the market. After two years in Germany, Yovel returns to take a step forward. And if we examine the history of players of his type who trained under Aleksandar Dzikic, there is no doubt that Yovel can contribute and be a significant part of Hapoel's puzzle in the 23/24 season.
.png)
