Ettore Messina: 'This season we'll be more physical and we'll have more depth' / News - Basketnews.com

Credit: Reuters – Scanpix Credit Reuters – Scanpix

Olimpia Milan head coach and president of basketball operations Ettore Messina held a press conference on Monday and talked about the start of the preseason for the Italian team.

Nicolo Melli

Team:AX Armani Exchange MilanPosition:PFAge:30Height:205 cmWeight:100 kgBirth place:Reggio Emilia, ItalyProfileNewsStatistics

Messina answered several questions, starting with the roster composition, which will be quite different from the previous season. Last year Milan's team reached the Final Four and finished 3rd.

"I think we'll have more depth and more physicality next season. We have more ballhandlers, and our ball movement will benefit from that, I believe. We'll miss other things. For example, Kevin Punter's ability to attack the big man in switch situations. The quality minutes that Micov and Roll provided last season will need to be replaced by other guys. The energy that Zach LeDay brought to us is something that Ricci and Mitoglou would need to provide to us. But there'll be a different kind of depth, I'm sure," Messina said.

The coach also focused on the finals of the Italian league, which his team lost to Virtus Bologna: "I think that the team gave everything they got, in the final part of the season, to arrive in the best possible condition at the Euroleague Final Four. Especially from the mental side, it took away a lot of energy. We went just one shot shy of the final. When we played the final against Virtus, we didn't play well at the beginning, and that made the situation even more complicated. Virtus was coming from a complicated season, they were able to regroup, and they beat us. We played a fantastic season, often dominating even in Italy, but we lacked energy during the finals. But the disappointment from that final series cannot take away the fantastic job that we did in the months before."

Messina also talked about the arrival of Nicolo Melli, one of the main additions of Olimpia during the summer. "Melli will have the same role that he had with Fenerbahce, Bamberg, and with the Italian national team. A player who improved constantly can play both 4 and 5 spots, being a key element of the game, speaking to his teammates, and leading by example. For sure, we're not gonna use him as a guy waiting for the ball in the corner," explained Milan's head coach.

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