Shabazz Napier is giving Olimpia Milan hope / News - Basketnews.com

Shabazz Napier represents Milan's last hope in the darkest moment of the season. Although he has played only three games in EuroLeague so far since his arrival Milan has yet to lose a game in Europe.

Credit: ZUMAPRESS.com-Scanpix Credit ZUMAPRESS.com-Scanpix

It's not a secret that the EA7 Emporio Armani Milan season, so far, has been heavily affected by injuries. The team coached by Ettore Messina has played without Shavon Shields and Kevin Pangos for the majority of the season, two major blows for the Italian club.

EA7 Emporio Armani Milan / Schedule

EA7 Emporio Armani Milan Panathinaikos Athens78-76 EA7 Emporio Armani Milan Olympiacos PiraeusFri19:30 Valencia Basket EA7 Emporio Armani MilanTue19:30

In between, there have been multiple other injury issues to Billy Baron, Gigi Datome, Tommaso Baldasso, and Naz Mitrou-Long. When Kevin Pangos went down with a knee injury at the end of November in a game against Fenerbahce, Olimpia Milan decided against the possibility of making an immediate addition to the club.

The idea was that the Canadian point guard would have returned in around two months and that, in the meantime, the squad would have used internal solutions to deal with his injury.

In January, though, when Pangos was re-evaluated, the tests didn't return a positive result, and Pangos was sidelined for at least another month.

Only at that time, Messina and Milan's management decided there was the need to add another point guard who could provide much-needed help in that department.

The other main alternative in the backcourt was Naz Mitrou-Long, a rookie at the EuroLeague level, who, after a promising start, was struggling mightily during that period.

The target identified by Milan was Shabazz Napier, formerly of Zenit St. Petersburg. The player, who had also been followed by Panathinaikos and was playing in the G League at the time, was announced by Olimpia on January 28, signing a contract until the end of the season.

Messina commented on his arrival this way: "Our hope is that Napier could provide personality in addition to the talent. Above all, his arrival may give many players a chance to return to their natural position, the one thought at the beginning of the season."

2-pointers this season

51%17,5Points made:17,5Accuracy:51,4%Place in standings:17Record max:25Record min:12Most made 2FGs:Brandon DaviesTeamEuroLeagueStatisticsSchedule

Devon Hall was one of those players who was forced to play in a different position. The former Bamberg guard was turned into a point guard during the Pangos injury and played in that position consistently, sometimes even for 30 minutes per game.

But playing in his natural position had also limited some of Hall's main skills, such as defensive awareness and catch & shooting abilities.

Since Napier's arrival, Olimpia Milano has yet to lose a game in the Italian league and EuroLeague. The only loss came during the Final Eight of the Italian Cup against Germani Brescia.

In three games played so far in EuroLeague, Napier averages 10.3 points, 4.3 assists, 2 rebounds, and 2 turnovers per game. In the Italian league, the point guard averages 12.7 points, 5 rebounds, 4.7 assists, and 1.7 steals per game.

The Italian team has taken advantage of playing at home in the last three EuroLeague games, securing three important wins in their chase for a playoff spot.

They were all very close games but, at the same time, showed a different consistency, something Milan lacked from the beginning of the season.

Although the sample size is still quite small, improvements, especially on the offensive side, have already been seen since Napier's arrival.

In the last three EuroLeague games, Olimpia Milano's point average has risen by nearly 10 points, from 70.7 to 80.3.

In terms of offensive rating, in the last three EuroLeague games, Olimpia Milan improved considerably, moving from last place in the standings with 102.3 points per 100 possessions to ninth place with 118.1 points per 100 possessions.

Before Napier's arrival, Milan was also at the bottom of the EuroLeague in field goal percentage with an average of 42%, now they're seventh with an average of 49%.

Even the true shooting percentage number has increased from 54% (before Napier's arrival) to 59% (since Napier's arrival).

The former Miami Heat point guard is not shooting particularly well, especially from 3-point, with an average of 31%, but his presence has given order and control at different times of the game.

The execution of pick and rolls has improved, and Napier, in general, is able to bring more creativity to an offense that has struggled tremendously since the beginning of the season.

After the last EuroLeague win against Panathinaikos, Napier explained how he's trying to adapt as quickly as he can to help his teammates.

"I'm trying to do whatever I can, helping the team in any way I can, learning the plays and the schemes. We've put together some good games so far, and we hope to continue to do so," Napier told EuroLeague TV.

But the addition of Napier isn't the only element of hope that Olimpia Milan will have in this final part of the regular season.

Shavon Shields, who has been out since October, is getting closer to his return to the court.

The American/Danish forward is already training with his teammates. The expectation is that he might be able to return to the court next week when Milan will have to face a double-round week in EuroLeague.

Shields is a crucial player in coach Messina's system, and his long-term absence has heavily influenced Milan's season.

Meanwhile, Kevin Pangos might return to the court by mid-March. His return could represent another crucial element for the last part of the season.

Paul Biligha suffered a knee injury while playing for the Italian national team and could be sidelined for at least a few weeks.

Biligha, who will be 33 in May, is on an expiring contract, and Olimpia Milan is considering the possibility of adding a younger profile in that role for next season.

A name that the Italian team is considering with interest is Guglielmo Caruso, currently, with Pallacanestro Varese, a source told BasketNews.

The 23-year-old big man shined in the last game of the FIBA World Cup Qualifiers against Spain, in which he had 19 points and 7 rebounds.

A product of Santa Clara University, Caruso is considered one of the top prospects in Italy, and this season is averaging 9 points and 3.4 rebounds per game with Varese.

Gigi Datome, one of the veterans of the team, is also on an expiring contract. Last summer, he signed a one-year extension, although he considered alternative proposals, including an offer from Australia.

Now in his third season with Milan, Datome, who grew up in Sardinia, might entertain the idea of getting closer to home with Champions League side Dinamo Sassari interested in a partnership, a source told BasketNews.

With 10 games left in the EuroLeague regular season, Olimpia Milan needs to push to enter the playoff area.

It won't be easy, but with Napier's arrival and the imminent recovery of Shields and Pangos, they're definitely better equipped to do that than they were a few months ago.

Napier's time in Milan has only been brief, but signs of improvement are already there. If this Napier's effect continues, Milan will still have a chance to fix their situation.

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