Local Hoops: The basketball dream team of the year

'Post's' pick for the 2007-8 season.

By ALLON SINAI
maccabi tel aviv 298.88 (photo credit: AP [file])
maccabi tel aviv 298.88
(photo credit: AP [file])
Point Guard: Meir Tapiro (13.6 ppg, 5.5 apg, 5.3 rpg, 34 mpg) - The Bnei Hasharon playmaker was the key to the team's excellent season, which ended with a tight defeat to Maccabi Tel Aviv in the Final Four semifinals. Bnei Hasharon was top of the league for a significant part of the season, but so important is Taprio to the side that his injury at the start of May didn't allow him to enter the Final Four on top form and all but ended his team's hopes even before the Maccabi game began. Shooting Guard: Chester Simmons (15 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 2.6 apg) - The Hapoel Holon swingman was supposed to be in a Hapoel Galil Elyon jersey this season, but Holon coach and owner Miki Dorsman pinched him away from Kfar Blum in what proved to be one of the most crucial moves of the season. Simmons gave Holon a shooting threat from almost any point on court and, despite not being at his very best in the Final Four, was a key part in Hapoel's historic BSL championship win. Small Forward: P.J. Tucker (14.6 ppg, 7 rgp) - The star of Holon's title winning side, Tucker was unstoppable throughout the campaign. Unknown before this season, the 23-year-old dominated the paint against whoever he faced and was outstanding in the Final Four, averaging 20.5 points and 10.5 rebounds over the three days which changed Israeli basketball. Power Forward: Terence Morris (11.3 ppg, 8.2 rpg, 1.8 bpg) - Maccabi Tel Aviv may have dropped its first league title in 15 years, but if it wasn't for Morris the team wouldn't have even come as close as it did to winning the championship. Morris kept Maccabi afloat during its many crises and his superb 20 points and seven rebound performance in the final almost won his side a title it didn't deserve. Center: Jamie Arnold (16.8 ppg, 7 rpg) - Arnold was one of the only rays of light in what was one of Hapoel Jerusalem's worst seasons in recent memory. Just another bench player at Maccabi, Arnold proved in Jerusalem this year that he can carry a team and is one of the club's key assets ahead of next season.