Loss to Croatia caps miserable qualifying window for Israel

Against Croatia, Israel never looked capable of mounting a serious challenge. Just as it had against Germany, the team stumbled out of the gate, falling behind 9-0 before Khadeen Carrington finally got Israel on the scoreboard. Croatia quickly built a double-digit lead and controlled the game from start to finish, taking a 25-12 advantage after the first quarter and extending the margin to 47-31 by halftime.

Adam Ariel tried to spark a comeback after the break, scoring 17 points – a national team career high – while Yam Madar led Israel with 21 points and Netanel Artzi added 10. But Croatia continued to dictate play throughout the second half as Ivica Zubac recorded 18 points and 10 rebounds, Dario Šaric finished with 17 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists, while David Škara and Antonio Jordano scored 13 points apiece in the convincing victory.

“It was a tough loss, no doubt about it. We didn’t play well, and overall the game was completely under their control. Our chances are slim, but we can’t give up. This is the Israeli national team, and I hope that in the next window we’ll have our best players available. Despite all the difficulties, they have to come this time. We need everyone. At the end of the day, this is Israeli basketball, and this is the Israel National Team. This loss is disappointing and unacceptable, and it’s time for the players to take responsibility for this as well.”

The comments reflected a much bigger problem than one poor performance.

This international window was an unmitigated disaster for Israel on a number of fronts. The country’s NBA players, including Portland Trail Blazers All-Star Deni Avdija as well as Brooklyn Nets prospects Ben Saraf and Danny Wolf, were not released by their clubs, while numerous other players were unavailable because of injuries, whether legitimate or otherwise. The result was a significantly weakened roster that was never equipped to compete at the highest level.

There also appeared to be little urgency from either the Israel Basketball Association or many of the players themselves. After opening qualifying with losses to both Germany and Croatia in late 2025, Israel’s chances of reaching the World Cup were already slim. Although the blue-and-white swept Cyprus, so did every other team in the group, meaning the 2-4 record carried into the next phase leaves Israel at the bottom of Group K before it even begins.

Next up are six games against teams from the corresponding group that includes Poland, the Netherlands, Latvia and Austria. With Israel sitting last in the standings before those games even tip off, convincing players to report during the August, November and February international windows could become an even greater challenge. Any player dealing with a minor injury or whose club is reluctant to release him will have little incentive to participate in games that, realistically, have very little impact on Israel’s qualification hopes.

The argument can always be made that the national team’s best players must represent Israel regardless of the circumstances, particularly with future opportunities such as EuroBasket at stake. But the reality is that the IBBA will ultimately select the best available roster whenever the next major tournament arrives.

That, however, should not have been the approach.

The IBBA needed to establish from the very beginning that every qualifying window mattered and that representing the national team was a priority. Instead, the organization allowed the situation to deteriorate. Having Beit Halachmi serve as both head coach and general manager only complicated matters further.

The warning signs extended beyond player availability. The public dispute over Omer Mayer’s participation in the Under-20 European Championships, combined with the paperwork error that prevented Noam Yaacov from playing against Germany, suggested an organization struggling with issues both on and off the court.

The association also needed to fight harder to secure the release of its top players. It should have pushed the Trail Blazers on Avdija and continued to press the Nets in an effort to bring Saraf and Wolf to the national team. The answer may still have been no, but making every possible effort would have sent an important message to the players and, perhaps more importantly, to the fans that wearing the national jersey remains the organization’s highest priority.

The Israel National Team is very valuable to the continued growth of basketball in the country, and it must be treated that way. The IBBA represents the fans, the players, the media, and Israeli basketball as a whole. After a qualifying window that ended with two lopsided defeats and a national team facing an increasingly uncertain future, it is time for the organization to show that it understands exactly what that responsibility means.