Spurs sign Ettore Messina as assistant coach

[ontheraise]

messina is an amazing steal by the spurs,best move of the summer, this coach is a fckin legendwe already had the smartest coach of the nba now we have the two smartest coach

[team-work]

Some random thoughts without analysis:

1) What a great addition, based on Messina's resume. He is Europe's Pop.
2) Not only the players, but also the coaches, need to overcome their ego. "Get over yourself!'
3) What will happen to Jim Boylen? (Perhaps I am overreacting, thinking he is the top assistant.)
4) Pop controls his destiny, and probably deserves so, especially after a . He said recently he'd be stupid not to walk away to follow Timmy's footsteps in the middle of a game. He is too powerful to be confined by a contract. We don't need to take his words seriously.

[boutons_deux]

just ONE OF AN OFF-SEASON for the Champs!

every rotation player coming back, added KA, and now Messina.

[FromWayDowntown]

It's a testament to Pop (who could easily big-time just about any basketball coach) that he's genuinely humble enough with his peers to welcome a hiring like this one. I really think Pop sees Messina's addition as a chance to learn from another great coach and I expect that Pop will readily incorporate Messina's ideas. The way the great remain great is to continue growing and listening only to yourself does little to stimulate growth. It's also the kind of outside-the-box thinking that the Spurs have mastered in overcoming the limitations of being a franchise in San Antonio, Texas.

It's likely to be a mutually-beneficial relationship, too, since Pop's system can grow and evolve with the influence of an sharp outsider and since Messina will now have both the Pop seal of approval and corporate knowledge that comes with spending time with the Spurs. If he wants to stay with the Spurs and grow with the organization with an eye towards being Pop's successor, it's a great opportunity for him; if he wants to parlay his time with the Spurs (however long or brief) into a higher profile NBA job, it's a great opportunity for him.

[szkorhetz]

I love the signing but I actually want Spoelstra to take over once the Pop era is over. You can say he could not do anything against us, but before this Finals he could and actually encountered every move the opponents did and this team would not have been matched by any teams ever playing in the NBA, even the PJ and MJ led Bulls would have been killed by the 2014 Spurs.

[Floyd Pacquiao]

He's the 3rd highest paid coach in the NBA dumbass. In San Antonio. Factoring cost of living and taxes probably #1. Dumbass.

off spook

[houston spurs fan]

off spook

Nice, a racist too

[ducks]

pop might have signed long term already knowing messina is going to help in and also lessen the load on pop
pop bench was depleted then rebuilt but lacked guys with lots of experience he can get advise from
this also will be a fresh voice on things
they both will learn from each other

[Ocotillo]

Once again, the Spurs are leading the rest of the league with fresh ideas. Not only are they hiring Messina to bring the top international coach to the team. Marks, a Kiwi, is moving to the front office. Of course, there are a majority of international players on the roster. Quietly, the Spurs are positioning themselves as the premier NBA organization for working with international players.

In the 90s and early aughts, the Spurs scouted better the international players than their NBA peers. Now, they are cultivating that to the next level with team management.

[Splits]

Took us to OT last year

[ace3g]

Daniele Labanti™ @DL_corriere

#spurs More from Messina interview: "At 54 I feel I can still learn a lot of things in my career. The Spurs are the best place to do this"


Daniele Labanti™ @DL_corriere

#spurs Messina on the Nba: "The Spurs message is the team-concept is more important than the star-system. That's why they succeed"


Daniele Labanti™ @DL_corriere

#spurs Messina: "When you join the Spurs, you know you have to reset and link with the organization. My link with Pop is very strong"

[HI-FI]

great to see Messina officially hired. agree with others who think this is more of a springboard opportunity since Pop signed an extension. I've seen Messina on those Coach B videos, so I imagine him and Pop are real close, and this is an excuse to drink lots of wine (hopefully not too much) and pick each others' brains for a year at least. good news.

Not nearly as good as Messina, which is why he'll still be around in five years. Supposedly, he has a lot of potential, though. He's pretty much the wings coach on the team, and you can't argue with those results.

Udoka is interesting. I don't know how good he will be as a tactician, with in game adjustments or throughout a series. But I do like him. He seems to be the type that guys naturally respect. Part of that could be from blowing loads in Nia Long, but it's much more than that. There is that crazy but true story of him taking down like 20 algerians, defending his teammates like a Chuck Norris movie. stuff like that engenders instant respect, so I think he won't have a problem of players trusting him, which is at least half the battle imo.

[littlecoyotecoin]

great to see Messina officially hired. agree with others who think this is more of a springboard opportunity since Pop signed an extension. I've seen Messina on those Coach B videos, so I imagine him and Pop are real close, and this is an excuse to drink lots of wine (hopefully not too much) and pick each others' brains for a year at least. good news.

Udoka is interesting. I don't know how good he will be as a tactician, with in game adjustments or throughout a series. But I do like him. He seems to be the type that guys naturally respect. Part of that could be from blowing loads in Nia Long, but it's much more than that. There is that crazy but true story of him taking down like 20 algerians, defending his teammates like a Chuck Norris movie. stuff like that engenders instant respect, so I think he won't have a problem of players trusting him, which is at least half the battle imo.

Ime lives in my gated community. He was involved in a lawsuit with our homeowners association. They have strict guidelines on construction materials, etc and his home is comprised mostly of human heads.

They settled out of court, and he was able to build an addition.

True Story.

[RuffnReadyOzStyle]

Further to ace3g's post above, here's what David Blatt had to say recently regarding Pop:

But what about this? Pop has embraced the 3-pointer, but he has said he actually hates the rule. Do you like it, just as part of the game?

That’s interesting. For a guy that’s won five championships with the 3-point shot to say that — that’s very interesting. And he has the right to say that. He’s a terrific guy. Pop’s a guy that has touched a lot of different people and coaches, and he does it in such a beautiful way, without asking for anything. He gives so much back to the profession.

He doesn’t give much to the media, but I kind of respect that.

And I can respect him for that too!

http://grantland.com/the-triangle/qa...d-the-natural/

It's pretty clear that Pop is a very generous man, and that everyone in the coaching world respects the out of him.

[T Park]

Impossible. Spurstalk posters know more than him. How can he be respected?

[emanueldavidginobili]

Thats pretty awesome that Manu and Messina were together back in Italy. Cant wait to see Messinas tweaks to the offense

[littlecoyotecoin]

Impossible. Spurstalk posters know more than him. How can he be respected?

True. . Thanks for snapping me out of it. I was almost thinking Pop knew WTF he was doing. What a scrub.

[littlecoyotecoin]

The way The Spurs always give praise to corporate knowledge and continuity, though, I could see Messina taking over. Messina acts as an assistant for five years, but in each of the five years, Pop cedes more and more responsibility coupled with increases in pay. At the end of Pop's tenure he is near 70, Messina is 60 with great experience in The Spurs culture, and can repeat the process over the next ten years, ending with a 15 year career as a Spurs coach/assistant. Or, they do something entirely different. One or the other.

Hey, Taylor, if you're going to do radio segments based on our threads and posts, how about at least giving a shoutout, sheesh.

[Mel_13]

Hey, Taylor, if you're going to do radio segments based on our threads and posts, how about at least giving a shoutout, sheesh.

Jeff Taylor? What a tool.

[bigfan]

Pop signed an extension with the Spurs organization and there is nothing to stop him from moving to a strictly management position whenever he and Holt want. I bet he coaches til Tim is gone then turns over the reigns to someone on the bench. I think maybe Messina could be the plan.

[boutons_deux]

I expect Pop to be ejected from 20+ games this season with Ettore taking over.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s11Ff8MktME

[jyra]

There is that crazy but true story of him taking down like 20 algerians, defending his teammates like a Chuck Norris movie. stuff like that engenders instant respect, so I think he won't have a problem of players trusting him, which is at least half the battle imo.

I loved reading that story. Not sure how accurate it is but it certainly makes Ime look like some psychopath. Here it is for those who haven't seen it yet:

http://hoopshype.com/blogs/muoneke/ime-the-great
(scroll down to The Ime Udoka story)

[Splits]

[jyra]

New Spur ready for work, and recovery By Buck Harvey

http://www.expressnews.com/sports/co...ecdf44ebaa2aab


I though this quote was quite interesting:

"I'm not here temporarily,” he said. “I'm not here to use this to pursue something else. I'm here to work and learn, and I'm excited. I keep telling my wife, 'You don't get a chance every day to work with the NBA's coach of the year, executive of the year and defending champs.'"

Maybe I'm reading too much into it but it sounds like Messina has every intention of taking over for Pop once he retires.

[xmas1997]

New Spur ready for work, and recovery By Buck Harvey

http://www.expressnews.com/sports/co...ecdf44ebaa2aab


I though this quote was quite interesting:



Maybe I'm reading too much into it but it sounds like Messina has every intention of taking over for Pop once he retires.

That assessment seems pretty reasonable to most of us IMHO.