Cota comes to Israel's rescue

Ed Cota is set to sign a two-year contract with Jerusalem for less than $1 million. No bargain-basement deal, but then again, not expensive for someone considered to be one of Europe's best pure playmakers. "Pass first, shoot second," is how Cota is described by David Blatt, who coached him at Dynamo St. Petersburg. "Ed is a player with an almost perfect control of the tempo of the game. He has experience at all levels; he is a leader and plays without fear," adds the current Benetton Treviso coach. (Haaretz.com)