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Fire Clolangelo
Hire Rasho as a GM !!!!!!
A winning endorsement from Rasho Nesterovic
“Ettore Messina with the Raptors could change everything and they’d become a winning team.” This is according to former Toronto Raptors player Rasho Nesterovic, and it’s the best reference letter a coach can get.
The Slovenian centre – now with the Indiana Pacers – was once under the tutelage of the current CSKA Moscow coach, and is now prepared to bet on Messina’s success with the professionals as well.
“There are only two European coaches able to coach in the NBA,” said Nesterovic. “One is Ettore Messina, and the other is Zemilir Obradovic. The others are all good, but they don’t have the charisma, the character, the determination, and the knowledge of basketball that they do.”
Nesterovic does not seem overly concerned about misgivings over Messina’s possible arrival. Firstly, he is familiar with his former teammates and former coach. Secondly, because working together with president Bryan Colangelo and vice president Maurizio Gherardini, the future would be better planned out and adjustments made to the roster based on team requirements.
“The project could be risky but at the same time could be the right solution for a team like the Raptors,” he continued. “It’s clear that Messina needs to be given the best conditions, maybe making a trade to shore up the team where it’s needed most.”
The Pacers pivot strongly emphasizes that the former Benetton Treviso coach’s most valuable asset is the mentality he brings to the game. Much has been said about the problems a European coach landing in the NBA would face, without ever mentioning what Messina would bring to the world of American professional basketball.
“The European mentality along with a team of strong players from the European leagues could be a winning mix,” he added. “Europe isn’t like America where you play so much that you lose count. There, each game is meaningful, and under the guide of Messina, the Raptors could finally have the right mentality and play each game like it was an NBA final.”
Nesterovic’s experience with Virtus is well remembered by the Slovenian champion. The years spent under the guidance of the CSKA coach and alongside a champion like Sasha Danilovic transformed him, allowing him to take the next step and come to America to play among professionals. This is why when speaking about Messina, he refers to him as his basketball mentor – the man who more than any other has contributed most to his maturity as a person and above all as a player.
“Messina and Sasha Danilovic gave me a lot,” Nesterovic said. “That’s why I say that in Europe and throughout the world, there are really very few people who know basketball like Messina does.”
Finally, Nesterovic expresses a wish that, based on the mutual respect the two have for each other, that he could make a sensational return to his former team, although that is likely just a dream.
“If Messina really did come to Toronto I’d like to come back and be coached by him again,” said Nesterovic. “In reality, I’d like to be coached by him wherever he goes to coach. With Messina, you always play to win, and when the players are able to achieve that mindset, it’s easier to obtain great success.”
http://www.corrieretandem.com/viewst...id=8998&page=2
Fire Clolangelo
Hire Rasho as a GM !!!!!!
So the Raptors are going all Euro. Interesting
Coach Messina has my endorsement as well. His teams have been my favourites to watch for a decade or so. I'm very curious to see how well would he do in the NBA, assuming he ever joins a NBA franchise.
Well o Raptors!
Well wasn't he Manu's coach too for a few years? I would love to hear what Manu also thinks about it. I bet Manu would love that.
just a matter of moments till KBP shows up in here
Messina is under contract with CSKA.
He is free agent when this year ends. It well know that he is in contact with Raptors for some time about this. It was report before that him and Nikos Zisis might go to Raptors this year.
Also Greek basketball federation offered him job to be new coach of national team of Greece this summer. The offer was 1.5 million euros net pay with the taxes and agent fees pay by Greek federation. This is a huge amount even for NBA coaches this is very big contract. It is like $4 million in NBA salary to a coach and you can look at how much NBA coaches make and see just how big this is.
And then you can see that national team coach only works from June to September and see how huge this contract really would be. he told Greek sports president no because "I have a good offer from NBA and the national team would interfere with that".
So there is some definite truth in this possibility.
Last edited by Kill_Bill_Pana; 03-20-2009 at 12:07 PM.
Great coach. But there is one big problem. He has old school style coach disease and he is very, very hard on young players. In NBA coaches that do this can get in trouble.
Last edited by Kill_Bill_Pana; 03-20-2009 at 12:08 PM.
Mike Mussina?
What, no car and house and boat this time? Those cheap greek bas s...
Any rumors of Marc Iavaroni coaching the Raptors? Colangelo's plan was to fire Mitc and hire Iavaroni but Mitc got in the way by winning the COY. Now Iavaroni is free again . . .
Ivaroni? You mean the guy that screwed up the Grizzlies? Why would they want him?
Greek federation pays for all expenses it has nothing to do with any club teams idiot.What, no car and house and boat this time? Those cheap greek bas s...
Anyway, best coach in Europe is Obradovic I think. Messina is very good of course in how he develop players, how he teach players, how he make them better. He is very precise and he is very good at fundamentals for teams and players.
But Obradovic is almost a perfect coach. He is in same class as Brown, Popovich, Jackson, Sloan, Riley for me and really I think he is even better. I think even Popovich feels same way as this is one coach he respect most in the world. Obradovic can out coach anyone during a game.
Well, it's not like he's Ivanovic or even Pitino or Huggins. And some Coaches on that mold are very successful in the NBA. I do reckon it maybe a problem, but that's why I'm very curious to see what happens in case he's hired.
Iavaroni is in Toronto right now, I think. He was hired as an external consultant by the Raptors and will be observing the team, one of those "ideas sharing" things. There are rumours he may become lead-assitant to Triano, Messina or even signed as the head-coach (as you say, he was BC's guy). I think Colangelo would do a mistake signing him; Iavaroni is a coach with too many voices in his head.
can you blame the euro coach though? Why woould he wanna play on courts like these.......
Your "joke" is not funny anymore.can you blame the euro coach though? Why woould he wanna play on courts like these.......
how is it a joke?
sook's joke is very funny. that court is really more fit than NBA games for those neuter players like scola
Last edited by Rogue; 03-20-2009 at 06:18 PM.
http://www.torontosun.com/sports/bas...01681-sun.htmlA few eyebrows were raised yesterday when Marc Iavaroni attended Raptors practice.
Respected throughout the league, Iavaroni will spend the week "observing'' the team, a Raptors official said.
When he ran the Phoenix Suns, general manager Bryan Colangelo brought in Rick Carlisle for a similar purpose.
In theory, the more input an executive receives by trusted eyes, the better he is able to assess his team.
Colangelo has to decide whether to remove the interim tag from coach Jay Triano or go in a different direction...
oh so you are jealous of the handsome Scola that seems to win more games than your little bud Dirk i see...
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