Olimpia Milano's current roster is a well-rounded group of players that includes experienced veterans and young talent. The backcourt is led by Spanish point guard Sergio Rodriguez, who has been with the club for several seasons and is known for his playmaking abilities. Joining him in the backcourt is American swingman Shavon Shields, who provides a scoring punch and athleticism to the team.
The front-court features Cameroonian center Paul Biligha, who is a dominant presence in the paint and on the glass. He provides a strong presence in the paint and is a force on both ends of the floor. Additionally, forwards Andrea Cinciarini and Vladimir Micov bring versatility and experience to the frontcourt. The bench is also stocked with key contributors, including guard Michael Roll and forward Awudu Abass. Roll is a sharpshooter who can stretch the floor and provide a spark off the bench, while Abass is a versatile forward who can impact the game on both ends of the floor.
This season, Olimpia Milano has set their sights high and is aiming for a deep run in the domestic league and in European competition. They will be looking to build on their success from last season, where they reached the semifinals of the EuroLeague, and to continue to improve as the season progresses.
The club has also made several key acquisitions in the offseason, including the signing of guard Shabazz Napier. Napier, a former NBA point guard and University of Connecticut legend, is averaging 7.5 points and 4 assists across his two played games for Milano in the Euroleague. They have additionally received Kendrick Ray, a quick and athletic guard who can score and distribute the ball, and Luis Scola a, veteran forward with a wealth of international experience. Former coach Sandro Gamba was upset with the roster prior to these acquisitions, but now states that he sees "a more compact group, increasingly tougher, with that nastiness that is the hallmark of factory in Milan." Aside from the roster, the coaching staff is also a significant factor in the success of Olimpia Milano. Coach Ettore Messina is a renowned tactician and has bee
n a fixture on the European basketball scene for many years. He brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to the club, and his leadership will be crucial in helping the team reach its
goals this season.
With a talented roster, a strong coaching staff, and a winning mentality, Olimpia Milano is poised for another exciting season. The club has set its sights high and is aiming for a deep run in both the domestic league and in European competition. With a well-rounded roster, experienced veterans, and young talent, Olimpia Milano is a force to be reckoned with and fans can expect exciting basketball from this team in the coming months.
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What specifically makes coach Ettore Messina so special? Are there any sets that he runs in particular that maximizes the talent on the team? What are his defensive philosophies? I'd love to learn more about him because it seems that his hire coincides with the recent winning that the squad has done. Not to take anything away from the talent, but a good coach really helps a team thrive, and this one seems to be a keeper for Milano for years to come.
ReplyDeleteCoach Ettore Messina is well known for his defensive strategies, Olimpia Milano has one of the lowest points allowed per game in the entire Euro League. I agree that good coaching can be the deciding factor in a team being great. Olimpia Milano is fortunate enough to have a talented roster along with a talented coach.
DeleteIt is really cool to see some familiar names on this team in Shabazz and Luis Scola and enjoy hearing that some of my favorite guys from growing up are still about to play basketball overseas. I also like how you talk about the importance of the coaching staff as well as the players as a great coach is what is needed to take a team to the next level in many cases. How are they currently doing in the Series A and EuroLeague standings?
ReplyDeleteOlimpia Milano is currently dominating the Italian league Serie A by leading the league with Virtus Bologna not far behind. However, when compared with the rest of Europe, they fall all the way down to 14th place out of 18 teams. This just goes to show how weak the Serie A league is. In a way, it reminds me of how PSG dominates Ligue 1 in France but competes similarly with the rest of Europe in the Champions League.
DeleteIt is interesting to see how vital coaches are in European basketball compared to the NBA. Obviously a coach is a core part of a team's success in the NBA however we have seen over the years that players have taken over a core role in coaching the team in the NBA. However in Europe it seems with a lot of the really successful teams in the EuroLeague they all have renowned and experienced coaches leading the way. What do you think the reason for this discrepancy is?
ReplyDeleteI think that players having a larger role in the teams strategies in the NBA has a lot to do with a increasing level of talent. Compared to the NBA 10 years ago, games today are much higher scoring, with players putting up 30 points like it's nothing. In the Euro League, games tend to be lower scoring, which is why I believe that coaching plays a much bigger role.
DeleteVery curious if the coach is the main driving force behind this teams success. In the NBA coaching is more viewed as a friendship manager than game changer. However, in college coaching is very important. From what is seems coaching in the EURO league is the median between these two, however, I am still curious how much of an impact he truly has.
ReplyDeleteI think this is a good example of how important the coaching staff can be to the team and their success. It also seems like they made a lot of strategic changes to their roster and got some good players that will produce for the team. I am curious to know how much of the coaching has to do with the teams in the Euro League specifically.
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ReplyDeleteAlthough I wasn't familiar with this team before reading, it was interesting to read about their highlights and plans for the upcoming season. I am curious to see if these predictions are accurate, and how the coaching staff plays a role.
ReplyDeleteOlimpia Milano's roster is filled with a mix of experienced veterans and young talent, led by Spanish point guard Sergio Rodriguez and American swingman Shavon Shields in the backcourt. These are all great players that make for a great backcourt. I think the team will build on its success from last season and make a deep run in both the domestic league and European competition. Under the leadership of renowned tactician and head coach Ettore Messina, I think Olimpia Milano is a force to be reckoned with in the coming months.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the great comment, Sam. However, it seems as if you just copied and pasted sentences from my blog and put them in a comment.
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