Why are Galatasaray not giving Maljkovic a chance?
NEWCASTLE (Paul Nilsen’s Women’s Basketball Worldwide) – If I was Marina Maljkovic, the frustration would be pumping through my veins because she is having to work with one hand tied behind her back at Galatasaray.
Last year, with the club's budget decimated, she posted a very respectable first season in Istanbul with a mediocre roster [compared to some previous years] who worked hard for her. There were ups and downs which was to be expected, but Galatasaray punched above the weight of the squad they had.
During this past summer, there was a lot of positive noises coming out of the club. They made some very impressive signings such as Olivia Epoupa of France national team fame, Lithuania's kingpin Gintare Petronyte and of course the return of Montenegro leader, Jelena Dubljevic.
Their marquee signing was a spectacular one. Taking Allie Quigley from fierce rivals Fenerbahce felt like a win-win.
You wanted a game-winner didn't you? Here you go. Who else? It's Quigs yet again 👀👀as @GSBasketbol beat Bourges at Le Prado #EuroLeagueWomen pic.twitter.com/Dqw4yLuH6r
— Paul Nilsen (@basketmedia365) October 25, 2017
But right from day one, I constantly made reference to the fact that Galatasaray had a main core rotation that was far too short in terms of quality and experience.
Let's get this right, they have a brilliant starting five and on any given night, with all of their players healthy, can beat pretty much anyone. However, any combination of foul trouble or injuries in a game always looked likely to harm them.
So it has proven.
Coach Maljkovic has had a lot of bad luck with injuries, but seriously, Galatasaray have contributed to this situation by taking a risk with a painfully short roster - it is causing them problems in both EuroLeague Women and the Turkish League.
I imagine much of their resources will have been put into the pocket of Quigley, that is what top players both demand and deserve. To see her missing in past weeks has seen the risky recruitment strategy of Galatasaray backfire in a big way. They had a depressing record-breaking loss at Dynamo Kursk recently and have now fallen to 4 defeats in 9 games in the Turkish League.
A proud Galatasaray sit as the fourth team in Istanbul – trailing behind Yakin Dogu Universitesi, Fenerbahce and Besiktas. This is an alarm call if ever they needed one.
The players are fighting hard for the Galatasaray jersey, that is for sure as it was shown last week when they beat ESBVA-LM. They also have a playcaller who I think very highly of and is one of the most talented female coaches in Europe.
But the club has to give her a chance. They need to reach further into their pockets. Whether it is short or medium term.
It is not sustainable to play in the most competitive domestic league in Europe on a weekend and then in EuroLeague Women each week with such a fragile roster.
Combined with the travel demands, this is likely to be taking an absolutely brutal toll on the players – both physically and mentally.
I had concerns from the get-go about the main 5 players for Galatasaray and that was without injuries. Now Dubljevic, Petronyte and Epoupa have had to play so much with Alben and Quigley having been injured, I worry even more for what impact this will have on them later in the campaign.
It is a long, long season. This main trio have had to get through so much work and it is only early December. We are only at the halfway turn in EuroLeague Women.
It is just not feasible that the current situation continues. Galatasaray might not have the finances, so in this case, I suppose nothing can be done.
I am a neutral and yet even I am frustrated. There is such potential waiting to erupt. Or, has the fact that Galatasaray already won EuroLeague Women mean complacency in recruitment is acceptable?
In my opinion, Coach Maljkovic has performed a miracle to be 4-3 right now in EuroLeague Women. But, she deserves so much more – and so do the excellent fans who always create a great atmosphere.
If Galatasaray want to be a second-rate team in the women's game and are willing to accept a new status as the fourth-best team in their own city, then they can keep sitting on their hands.
But, I hope they can back Coach Maljkovic with a few more options, because women's basketball needs great clubs like Galatasaray firing on all cylinders.
Paul Nilsen
FIBA
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