Achille Polonara disagrees with Messina's gloomy view, reflects on Banchero's situation / News - Basketnews.com

Achille Polonara talks about why Italian teams are struggling in European competitions this season. The Zalgiris Kaunas forward is hopeful that Paolo Banchero's addition can be a game-changer for the Italian NT.

Credit: AP Photo/Michael Sohn Credit AP Photo/Michael Sohn

Achille Polonara's basketball career could - quite superficially - be viewed as a typical rags-to-riches story. He went all the distance from being a solid EuroCup, BCL, and even FIBA Europe Cup player to being considered a key piece at European powerhouses.

Achille Polonara

MIN:11.98PTS:3.05 (54.55%)REB:2.5As:0.35ST:0.15BL:0.55TO:0.3GM:20ProfileEuroLeague2022/2023

His day-to-day routine, which has recently been enriched by his fatherhood duties, doesn't allow him to invest much time watching as many games as he would want to. However, as Zalgiris Kaunas are pushing for a EuroLeague playoff spot, the Italian forward keeps an eye on what the teams representing his home country are doing.

If one were to describe Italian clubs' balance so far, the conclusion would be nothing short of disappointing.

EA7 Emporio Armani Milan are next-to-bottom in the EuroLeague standings with an 8-15 record that leaves little -if any- room for hope. Virtus Segafredo Bologna are still in contention for a playoff ticket, albeit not from the pole position.

As recently as two weeks ago, following Milan's home loss to LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne, coach Ettore Messina admitted that his team stands no chance.

According to Polonara, the main reason Italian teams are struggling this season can be traced to the number of injuries that have tarnished the Lombardian side since the start of the season. But that's not the only reason.

"They also lost several games by a few points. If that happens, you might get into a negative mood, where losing doesn't help you win. They were a bit unlucky," the 31-year-old told BasketNews in an interview last week.

"As for Bologna, they won some very difficult games, like the ones against Barcelona or Madrid. On the other hand, they lost more feasible games," he notes.

Polonara concurs with the majority that maintains that the current campaign is probably the most competitive in EuroLeague history, with several teams vouching for the TOP 8.

Paolo Banchero

Team:Orlando MagicPosition:PFAge:20Height:208 cmWeight:113 kgBirth place:United States of AmericaProfileNewsStatistics

"Anyone can beat anyone or at least compete. There are no obvious results. Anything can happen, there are so many games left. It's still open," he stresses.

That's something the Italian international didn't expect when the campaign kicked off last October, but he has gradually grown accustomed to the situation.

"Some teams that maybe thought they were going to occupy one of the first places found themselves struggling for a number of reasons. I'm talking about Milan and other teams as well. It has been a pretty surprising EuroLeague season," he points out.

In a recent discussion with BasketNews, Malcolm Delaney said that if he were still playing for Milan, he would challenge Messina for saying publicly that their EuroLeague season is over.

He argued that in times of crisis, certain players need to step up whenever they see that their coaches feel like they've tried everything and nothing's working.

To a certain extent, Polonara found himself in a similar position last year when Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul gave up on their playoff chances almost more than a month before the end of the regular season.

Is it safe to assume that teams like Milan, Panathinaikos, ASVEL, and Bayern are done?

"The distance between teams in the standings is very small," Polonara repeats and expresses his disagreement with Messina.

"In my opinion, Milan still got a chance to get into the playoffs. I don't think it's fair to say the season is over. It's clear that they have a smaller room for error because they have fewer wins, and every game for them is like a final," he says.

"But I still think everything is open, and nothing has been decided. Of course, things for Milan are more difficult than for Bologna. But if they go on the court like they did last year, they can compete with anyone," Polonara thinks.

Milan has started to pick up some home wins in their last games, having beaten playoff contenders Crvena Zvezda and Cazoo Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz. Still, only a huge streak could vault them again into contention.

But Italian club basketball doesn't only revolve around those two big clubs. The season is going south for the overwhelming majority of Italy's representatives in European competitions.

In the BCL, no Italian team made the TOP 16. In the EuroCup, Reyer Venezia are doing well (7-6), being the only team with a positive record. Brescia are next with 6-7, both in the same group.

Polonara doesn't think anything deeper lies behind these results.

"I can't say that. Venezia has a very competitive roster built to win the EuroCup. There are other Italian teams with a roster inferior to theirs.

In the EuroCup, there's a different formula, with two groups of 10 teams. To be able to play in two separate leagues, you need a very deep roster. Otherwise, you're going to struggle playing 2-3 games a week," he argues.

On February 23, Italy will host Ukraine in Livorno for the 2023 World Cup Qualifiers. With a 3-1 balance, the team coached by Gianmarco Pozzecco has already secured a spot in the final stage that will be hosted in Indonesia, Japan, and the Philippines.

Credit FIBA

Being a EuroLeague player almost precludes participating in the FIBA windows. That's a harsh reality Polonara, and other athletes have to deal with, but that doesn't mean he's losing touch with members of the Italian NT.

With Gianmarco Pozzecco, the coach who helped him reach Europe's top level, as he admitted in the first part of his interview with BasketNews, Polonara has a wide range of topics to discuss.

The two had a meeting when Zalgiris Kaunas were playing in Milan (January 13), and the Italian tactician dropped by for a quick visit.

"We talked a lot, but nothing, in particular, was discussed," Polonara says.

"We have maintained a beautiful relationship since our days with Sassari. I'm looking forward to working with him in the summer."

Looking back on what Italy has achieved over the past two years, Polonara is certain that the balance is absolutely positive.

Despite not winning a medal, Azzurri snatched the ticket to the 2021 Olympics from Serbia's hands in Belgrade before upsetting Nikola Jokic in the EuroBasket Round of 16 last September.

"We did something exceptional, despite not having a roster comparable to France or Spain," Polonara underlines with a sense of pride.

"Anyway, our secret has always been the team, and Pozzecco is our guide."

Credit FIBA

One of Pozzecco's main tasks has been to persuadePaolo Bancheroto join the Italian NT. The Duke graduate is a strong candidate for the NBA Rookie of the Year Award, as he's posting great numbers with the Orlando Magic.

A delegation comprising members of the Italian federation, including Pozzecco, traveled to Orlando two months ago to meet with Banchero and present him with a comprehensive strategic marketing and communication plan, as well as the way the country's national teams are set up.

Pozzecco appeared hopeful that the meeting would bear fruit in the near future.

"I am happy with the talks we had in recent days and for the excellent relationship we've built. Paolo is a great kid," he commented.

Achille Polonara has no doubt that the addition of Paolo Banchero can lead Italy to a medal in the upcoming tournaments.

"The fact that he was chosen with the No.1 pick in the NBA Draft means that he's a player of another level," he points out.

"Very few Europeans were chosen first and became stars in the NBA. I don't know him personally, but everyone speaks well of him," he goes on to say.

Polonara is no different than any Italian fan hoping to see an outstanding player raising the bar for Italy. However, he knows that certain obstacles must be overcome for Banchero to be his teammate.

"We just have to wait and see what he decides to do - whether he will play for the United States or for us. It's clear that all of us Italians hope that he'll play for our national team.

From what I know, at the end of the season, he will decide whether he'll play with us. He's a terrific and also very young player. It won't be an easy choice for him either," he concedes.

If everything goes well for Italy, Banchero can be the missing piece for a team deprived of superstars. Even though squads like Poland - and Italy, to a certain extent - have proven that an NBA star is not enough to make the difference in a knockout tournament.

"There are many very important players on the team," Polonara comments.

"[Simone] Fontecchio has been a player who has grown a lot in recent years and is our point of reference. It is clear that Banchero, if he were to join us, would change things in our favor. We all hope he'll come."

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