David Pick wraps up Maccabi's EL Finale and blends into Madrid locker room

Spanish varsity Real Madrid is the first club to qualify for the Euroleague final four in London, this May, after sweeping Israeli power Maccabi Tel Aviv 3-0 in the best-of-five quarter-finals series.

Despite Maccabi's miraculous six-game winning streak during the second-round of the Top 16 competition, David Blatt's troops failed to match their far-fetched potential throughout the series, scoring a substantial 21 points -- below -- the team's Top 16 average, falling short of 64 points in all three encounters against the Spaniards.

Lokomotiv Kuban's Eurocup-winning power-forward/center Richard Hendrix and playmaker Nick Calathes, accompanied by bullseye shooter Jimmy Baron and small forward Derrick Brown, made a blitz visit to Israel to cheer on their ex-teammates. Hendrix played for two-season with Maccabi while Calathes rooted on former Panathinaikos backcourt pal David Logan.

In attempt to clarify how Madrid managed to crush Maccabi in the paint and collect a series-total 29 boards more, let's flip the calendar back to December 2012 when Maccabi foolishly waived both 7-foot center Giorgi Shermadini and Malcolm Thomas (who is upon competing in the NBA playoffs for the Chicago Bulls). Add that to Richard Hendrix being in attendance but not in uniform, in addition to Maccabi falling short in recruitment race of Madrid's 6-9 Brazilian Rafael Hettsheimeir, who registering a total of four minutes of action during the series, you will learn how Blatt was left with a pretty weak inside presence. Trust I didn't forget the San Antonio Spurs Australian "Hulk" Aron Baynes. Maccabi simply chose to invest its shekels else where.

Tel Aviv's elimination disappointment echoed far beyond the walls of the home team's locker. Inside, however, it was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Players were silently mumbling post-game interviews while Ricky Hickman had his right hand tapped after a failed chasedown block attempt on Jaycee Carroll, resulting in Hickman mildly spraining his wrist.

Maccabi officials now shift focus to rebuilding a stronger Euroleague squad for next season's run. Sportando sources inform that Maccabi has secretly requested to workout a deal with Armani Milan in which the Italians will loan Richard Hendrix. Another big man likely to make the trip from Italy to the Israel is Cantu center Alex Tyus, who according to insiders, will activate his $50,000 buyout clause.

Nevertheless, Maccabi will try to void the remaining two-seasons of interim Croatian center Darko Planinic's contract. Planinic registered just six minutes per over the first pair of games against Madrid, and was inactive during Tel Aviv's eliminator.

Despite stroking over 43% from beyond the arc, backed up by a strong Game 2 showing against Madrid, David Logan is also on the grill and will complete his one-and-done season with Maccabi.

Encouraged by the performances of Euroleague-rook Ricky Hickman, the yellow-and-blue coaching staff are entertaining whether or not to extend their partnership with the combo-guard for the upcoming season. The future of Nik Caner-Medley, who overcame a streak of early-season injuries to resurrect his Maccabi era and win over the crowd via hustle plays, aggressive defense and heart, remains unknown regardless of his 2013-14 guaranteed contract.

Sylven Landesberg, Guy Pnini, Yogev Ohayon and youngsters Itay Segev and Idan Zalmanson are all under contracts and expected to continue. Reserve point guard Moran Roth will seek more refreshing opportunities outside Nokia Arena.

Exclusive Sports Group's Andrew Baker, agent for Devin Smith, arrived in Israel to negotiate Smith's contract extension, rumored to be for two-additional seasons.

Steven Heumann of Creative Artists Agency, representative of Cleveland Cavaliers Israeli forward Omri Casspi, attended yesterday's match to check up on soon to become free agent clients Shawn James and Lior Eliyahu. Heumann also visited former Penn star guard Zack Rosen of Hapoel Holon.

There was also a winning locker room in Tel Aviv, and boy, was it poppin'.

Two names that are always mentioned in the same breath whenever Israelis talk Spanish hoops are Juan Carlos Navarro and Jaycee Carroll.

Navarro's Euroleague stardom speaks for itself. Carroll? His magical night began at the Crown Plaza hotel off the Mediterranean coastline, long before his Most Valuable Player post-game interviews and photographs with exciting reporters took place, hours ahead of when he torched the nets at Nokia.

The Utah State sharp shooting alumnus and his Madrid buddies celebrated Carroll's 30th birthday with a (Kosher) surprise birthday cake, to which he responded, "All I want is to go London. Let's make it happen."

Carroll avenged his 2011 game-deciding turnover against then, Jordan Farmar's Maccabi. Combining his pair of contests against Maccabi in Tel Aviv, Carroll registers 34 points on a perfect 6-6 free throws and a staggering 66 percent from the perimeter.   

In Madrid's locker, Carroll was mobbed with interview requests from both foreign and residential media. Upon exiting the area for the bus, Carroll was met by journalists in request of a snap shot.

Yesterday was also the third time I saw Rudy Fernandez in the flesh. The first, in Barcelona, during the 2011 Euroleague final four as a member of the Denver Nuggets. My initial impression of Fernandez was a distant, arrogant person, who didn't really give me the time of day. The second time I caught Rudy was during the 2011 NBA lockout in the visiting locker in Tel Aviv.

Maccabi overpowered Madrid in a hard-fought battle and Fernandez made sure not to associate with the media. Yet, I have learned there is another side to the Spanish rock star. I'm pretty sure Fernandez's pair of triples late down the stretch to seal Madrid's victory had something to do with his joyful mood.

Even so, I asked if he prefers competing against Barcelona or Panathinaikos in the Euroleague semis: "I don’t care. Either team, it doesn’t matter to me," Fernandez said.

Then, I plopped myself down on a white plastic chair between Tremmell Darden and Dontaye Draper.  Darden, a midseason 6-foot-5 small forward recruit who can't participate in Madrid's Euroleague competition since he played Euroleague ball in Lithuania earlier this year, was knocking down jumpers for over 20 minutes before the Spanish hit the floor for shootaround.

Darden displayed a wide-versatility of high-percentage off the dribble, stutter step kiss off the glass, and spin move jumpers. When asking if that was his normal pregame routine, Darden said his focus is "just trying to stay ready to help Madrid in the ACB challenge," and that "the playoffs are right around the corner."

We also spoke of Darden's hilarious YouTube-trending sons and his frequent Facebook statuses, inspired by quotes of Jesus. Madrid holds a team-option on Darden that will allow them to extended the Las Vegas native's term for another year.

To my left sat Draper. He had just picked up his first career victory in Tel Aviv after getting blown to pieces in last season's Adriatic League finals against Maccabi. On November 2011, Draper registered a season-high 28 points shooting 9-of-13 field goals versus what he suggested being "a much tougher Maccabi team," mentioning "Keith Langford, Richard Hendrix and Sofoklis Schortsanitis in the paint," as Maccabi's fire power.

At the other side of the guests dressing room, rapped in nothing but a slim towel was Hettsheimeir. "Why didn't you come play for Maccabi?" I shouted across the room. The Brazilian smiled, laughed and sarcastically responded through hand-signals that I should expect him in Israel soon enough.

Madrid center Marcus Slaughter and guards Sergio Rodriguez and Sergio Llull (to the best of my knowledge) underwent a doping test and returned for showers after I had left.