Trinchieri on coaching Wade Baldwin: 'Whatever it cost, it was worth it' / News - Basketnews.com

Andrea Trinchieri thinks Wade Baldwin's skillset and body is the closest thing to the NBA in the EuroLeague. The coach remembers his years with Baldwin in Bayern as tough but absolutely worth it in the end.

Credit: Eitvydas Kinaitis via Getty Images, Partizan Mozzart Bet/Dragana Stjepanovic Credit Eitvydas Kinaitis via Getty Images, Partizan Mozzart Bet/Dragana Stjepanovic

Zalgiris Kaunas will travel to Belgrade for the third time in two months to face off against Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv in the famous Aleksandar Nikolic Hall.

Ahead of the game, Zalgiris' head coach Andrea Trinchieri had big praise for both the Israeli club and its star guard Wade Baldwin IV.

"No, never, I love it," Trinchieri answered when asked whether the frequent visits to Belgrade recently are tiring in any way.

"Hot head? I disagree," he responded when the journalist mentioned that Baldwin is often labeled as the hothead player.

"Wade, first of all, is one of the best players in the EuroLeague. The skillset in his body is the closest thing to the NBA in the EuroLeague. I believe it's way too easy to say he's a hothead. Maybe he was, but I see a very mature person with a lot of personality," Trinchieri continued. "He's not light, but I don't know people with such talent to be light. I had one amazing year, I was dead tired after that year with him, but whatever it cost from emotional side, it was worth it."

"Being able to see a personality bloom like this, to understand strengths and weaknesses, has no price to me," the coach remembered. "You can put a label, hothead, ok. I have many labels on my picture, too. I'm not occupied with that. When you look at the player, you can always see flaws, and you will find flaws. Or the other side - all the good things, all the talent. Wade is a player that gave me a lot. I said not easy, but a great, great, great experience."

Despite the war situation in Israel that has forced Maccabi to relocate and play their home games in Belgrade, Serbia, Baldwin has been registering the best numbers in his five-year EuroLeague career.

Baldwin is averaging 17.3 points (4th in the EuroLeague), 2.4 rebounds, 5.1 assists, and 1.1 steals per game for 19 PIR (5th).

"Every person needs to find balance. Balance between talent, expectation, personal needs, personal goals, motivation. And all of this is more complicated when you put this in a team. I said many things that are individual, but before being on a team, you're an individual," Trinchieri said. "It's human to think about yourself. When you become more mature, you understand that sometimes you have to give up a little bit on yourself, check your ego to help the team, to help yourself on the team. I see a lot of good things he's doing. He's for sure an All-EuroLeague Team [member]."

Despite having no home games with a local crowd, Maccabi are in the Top 10 in the EuroLeague standings and have a high chance of competing in the playoffs. Looking at the Israeli club's chances going forward, Trinchieri was certain it was a team nobody would want to face.

"I see them [as] very, very, very dangerous. They're not natural candidates for the title, but when they won in Milan, nobody thought that they would win. Maccabi is the worst underdog team to face because they have talent, athleticism, two of the best guards in Europe - Wade Baldwin and Lorenzo Brown. They would be starters on every team in Europe," the coach said.

"They put together an amazing team this season. A lot of athleticism in the big. Role players that are doing their job. Bonzie Colson is a big-time top scorer. He's smart to find his niche closer to the guards who can handle the ball a lot. I won't be surprised to see them playing in May in the EuroLeague," Trinchieri concluded.

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