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Last season, for the first time in his career, E. Messina had the opportunity to test his strength with Šarūnas Jasikevičius, who has become a superstar among European coaches.
This year, an Italian “Žalgiris” expected a little different in Kaunas, led not by local god Shar, but by 38-year-old Austrian Martin Schiller, who has worked in the NBA milieu for the past few years.
“They are expanding the field to perfection and they are trying to be a higher intensity team than in Shar. I think it is good for players who can experience a slightly different philosophy of the game. Where this coach worked (author – Martin Schiller), I work very good.
I am sure that the young players will improve and “Žalgiris” will be very strong again. The story is always the same: you start the season with a new team and after 3-4 months, you win them all. I have no doubt that this year it will be the same again ”, E. Messina evaluated the changed Žalgiris.
Photo by Rokas Lukoševičius / 15min / Ettore Messina
The Italians’ lead on Sunday night did not question any of the nearly 3,000 fans gathered at the Žalgiris Arena.
Impressively, the guests led 46:23 after two halves, and the final result of the match announced the victory of Olimpia 88:70.
Italian long-range guns flew up to 16 of 29 (55.2%) fired triples into Žalgiris’s basket from a distance.
“It just came to our notice then. Most of the time we played well both in offense and defense. We gained the lead in the first two halves. The only thing we can’t be satisfied with is the third quarter. We have to learn to not relax and continue with our game because the game lasts 40 minutes. It was a great tournament that gave us confidence. A long and difficult season awaits you. We know we have tools and good people, I hope we also have a good team “, said E Messina at the press conference.
Although yesterday’s match was marked by all the people from Žalgiris who stepped on the floor, except for rookie Steve Vasturi, Žalgiris’ total number of points was the lowest during the entire preparation stage.
After 94.3 points in the first four games, M. Schiller’s students scored just 70 points for the Milan guests.
“Efforts”, E. Messina revealed the secret of a great defense. – I think we have tried a lot in defense. My players are fast, they have a good understanding of defense and they can play well in it, and most importantly, they want to do it. Today has been a good day. “
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It was the defense and athletics strategist who missed out last season, when the COVID-19 pandemic brought the Olympics to a standstill with 12 wins and 16 losses in just 12 places in the tournament.
The changes in the fashion capital were significant: Seven newcomers arrived, including Kyle Hines, who was twice defended as the best player of the tournament in the past, Kevin Punter, who scored 26 points for Kaunas on Sunday night, experienced Malcolm Delaney, Luigi Datome and Shavon Shieldir, or season impressed Zach LeDay.
“As you know, it’s not easy for any team to make lineup changes. We got it back at the end of last season because I signed a contract at the end of June. When changing from 6 to 7 players, sometimes good decisions are not made. Nobody is to blame for that, it just happened. Last year, the players worked really hard, but for whatever reason we failed. It is worth mentioning that we also had many injuries. We lacked athleticism at the highest level. It was our top priority this summer to win more athletics. We also wanted to have more experience, so we couldn’t miss the opportunity to invite Kyle Hines or Malcolm Delaney. Experience, toughness … it helps us a lot. But above all, we wanted to improve the level of athleticism and defense, because these were the problematic places for our team last season, ”said the Olimpia head coach of the main tasks of the preseason.
Olimpia began the cycle of control matches on August 20, when they defeated Sasaris Dinamo, represented by Eimantas Bendžius, by 86:82.
The remaining eight friendlies, including the match against Žalgiris, ended with a double-digit victory for Milan’s basketball players.
The Italians, who are serious about the fight for the Euroleague title, are gaining an average of a fantastic 20.8 points in the preparation phase.
“I’m scared. I’m very scared – E.Messina smiled thanked the team’s sports uniform. – What is very important is that we started from the first day with a very good mood. We played well in the Italian Super Cup, and even went up a level. in the friendly tournament of the Euroleague. The season will be determined by how we react to the difficult moments that all teams go through. It seems that we not only have good players, but also good people who work very well together. This is always the key of success.
You know that better than I do, because “Žalgiris” usually has a good atmosphere in the dressing room and the team grows throughout the season. “Žalgiris” has good seasons due to the team’s microclimate. Now we are trying to implement that also in Milan, to have a good atmosphere and hard-working players. I believe and hope that we are on the right track. “
When a team plays this way, is there still room for improvement?
“Of course! The defense in the third half was not as good as before the long break or in the fourth half. We need to maintain a good rhythm and clear player rotations. We need to find a balance. Today we miss Kalebo Tarczewski, that keeps the goal perfectly. I think the quality of the passes against each team is very important. If we share the ball well, we will have a good chance of attacking the basket. The more we play at that level in 40 minutes, the more chances we will have of winning the There is still a lot of room for improvement, “said Ettore Messina.
Photo by Rokas Lukoševičius / 15min / Ettore Messina
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