TJ Leaf is optimistic: "The progress is good, I missed playing basketball"

Maccabi Tel Aviv players continue to arrive in Israel, with Will Rayman and TJ Leaf returning on Monday. Leaf, who is recovering from a long-term injury, will need more time to fully heal, and at this stage, it remains unclear when he will return to full activity.

"I haven't played basketball for a long time, so I missed it. I look forward to returning to the court, practicing 5-on-0 or 5-on-5; the main thing is to return to playing basketball," Leaf said upon his arrival.

"I feel good and I'm training a lot," Leaf added. "You have to be careful, but I think I'll be ready. The progress is good. I saw a lot of games from the sidelines and it was a different experience. I watched Jalen and Roman a lot, and the rest of the guys who have been in the system for a long time. It wasn't optimal to get injured like that, but I learned from it and I will be more excited to return to play."

When asked about the roster taking shape, the forward said: "The roster looks pretty good to me; it remains to be seen how everything will connect. It seems to me that they are all people who are easy to get along with. There is a lot of talent on the team and I think it will lead us to success."

Will Rayman also shared his thoughts: "I missed my teammates, the fans, and winning basketball games. I'm excited to return and see what we can do this season. We brought in some very good additions and kept a quality core. Two years ago we weren't good, last season we improved, and now it's time to make some noise."

Commenting on his cooperation with Yam Madar, Rayman added: "We have players who have already played in the Euroleague and I heard that the guys we added are really good people. Yam is a very special player and it's exciting to play with him. He has improved a lot and I'm excited to see what he will do for us."