Hawks Consider Ettore Messina For Coach

MaceCase · Post #1 » by **MaceCase** » Fri May 17, 2013 5:38 am

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/nba--sourc ... 15284.html

Ettore Messina, the Italian-born coach of CSKA Moscow, is among the top candidates to replace coach Larry Drew. Ferry and Messina have had contact about the possibility, and Messina is intrigued with the chance to be a global trail blazer in the NBA, sources told Y! Sports.

Post #2 » by **Jamaaliver** » Fri May 17, 2013 5:49 am

I like that Ferry is being proactive and thinking outside the box. Definitely worth a look.

But this feels like a reach.

Especially with us trying to attract top free agents.

Different rules, different culture, different caliber of talent.

MaceCase · Post #3 » by **MaceCase** » Fri May 17, 2013 6:01 am

Messina giving a bit of his philosophies while with the Lakers last year and his history with Ferry/Brown/Spurs/Manu/etc.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KcCuXT1q0Vw&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dgfyfzvtfYQ&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DV3TTlZdPaY&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6Ri62zoBVg&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]

Ferry is on record saying he's not going all in on free agency and will consider trades and the draft equally so we can't look at his moves as throwing all his eggs in one basket.

Post #4 » by **Jamaaliver** » Fri May 17, 2013 6:05 am

MaceCase wrote:Ferry is on record saying he's not going all in on free agency and will consider trades and the draft equally so we can't look at his moves as throwing all his eggs in one basket.

Nice pulls on the vids.

I understand on Free Agency and agree on the approach. But with that rule requiring us to spend 90%(?) of the cap each season..we'll HAVE to attract a fair amount of free agents.

MaceCase · Post #5 » by **MaceCase** » Fri May 17, 2013 6:21 am

Not hard to attract guys with the pitch of "hey you would normally get a vet min or perhaps luck out with a partial MLE deal of 3 mil for 3 years or you can sign with us for 1 year at 6-8 mil". We did this in a sense with Deshawn where he's making above the vet min on a 3 year deal but the last two years are unguaranteed.

That and the Hawks could seriously consider using their cap space as a tax shelter for capped out teams. Take on a few deals on 1 year players or perhaps longer deals with draft picks as incentive. This is exactly how we got Korver last season from the tax allergic Bulls for nothing but a TPE generated from the Joe trade.

Also, I don't see Messina as having a negative reputation with players. He would be fundamentally neutral with American free agents while being a major plus to European ones.

Post #6 » by **Jamaaliver** » Fri May 17, 2013 7:57 am

MaceCase wrote:He would be fundamentally neutral with American free agents while being a major plus to European ones.

Perhaps. And I bet he'd help with recruiting Pek.

If he were to come here, we'd almost certainly be drafting Karasev or Saric in the first round.

Years80HAWKS · Post #7 » by **Years80HAWKS** » Fri May 17, 2013 12:29 pm

I do not believe Messina can do anything to atract Pekovic. They have not had any kind of professional relation in the past.

Messina was unable to direct his ZSKA Moscow to the EuroLeague Final 4 Final for a second straight year. To tell the truth, both years against the final champ. To tell also the truth, both years Olympiakos Pireus was the underdog of the F4 and still won.

Messina has been unable to build a team that can win against much weaker opponents. May be the lack of real competition ZSKA has to face in its domestic league and ex-USSR countries league (yes, they play three leagues during the season, along with the Russian cup) makes the team not-used to big things when the real time comes.

I do not think Messina is ready for an NBA head-coach position now. Maybe some years ago. Now he is terrible. Last year he was unable to win the EL again against Olympiakos with a team that had Kirilienko, Krstic, Shevd, Teodosic, Kaun, Jamont Gordon... possibly the best roster that any team ever had in Europe...

MaceCase · Post #8 » by **MaceCase** » Fri May 17, 2013 1:12 pm

Hey, don't blame him for coming up short against Olypiacos, they were sporting such Hawks greats as Acie Law and Josh Powell!!!!

Post #9 » by **ATL Boy** » Fri May 17, 2013 6:55 pm

Honestly, like Years80 said he has underachieved with amazing rosters in Russia, I don't want him as a coach. I'd much rather go after Budenholzer or Van Gundy.

Post #10 » by **Jamaaliver** » Fri May 17, 2013 7:19 pm

Adnin, are you graduating this year? Month? Week?

Mass Rig · Post #11 » by **Mass Rig** » Fri May 17, 2013 8:26 pm

In the Euroleague Final 4 games are knock-out. It's always a coin toss. Great coaching gets you there, winning it's a different thing.

I've met him a couple of times and he's not just an amazing basketball mind, but also an amazing social psychologist. The guy knows how to manage a group of people. I'd love to see him in the NBA.

deepthighbruise · Post #12 » by **deepthighbruise** » Sat May 18, 2013 7:57 am

Years80HAWKS wrote:
I do not think Messina is ready for an NBA head-coach position now. Maybe some years ago. Now he is terrible. Last year he was unable to win the EL again against Olympiakos with a team that had Kirilienko, Krstic, Shevd, Teodosic, Kaun, Jamont Gordon... possibly the best roster that any team ever had in Europe...

Jonas Kazlauskas was the coach of Moscow that year. Messina was still a consultant with the Lakers at this time.

Post #13 » by **ATL Boy** » Sat May 18, 2013 11:02 pm

Jamaaliver wrote:Adnin, are you graduating this year? Month? Week?

Next year

Geaux_Hawks · Post #14 » by **Geaux_Hawks** » Sun May 19, 2013 10:59 pm

It would be interesting. I honestly like it. Messina is a very cerebral coach. The fact that he didn't even run a fast paced offense like most Euro teams do, and still won on different levels in Europe is a good sign of a coach who knows what he is doing. I haven't watched an of his teams, but just from reading different articles and looking at his success, it would be nice just to see what he can do for us. think he can be an elite coach, and Ferry must think so since he asked Mike Brown to go study Messina when they were with the Cavs together. Hope Ferry pulls the trigger on him.

Years80HAWKS · Post #15 » by **Years80HAWKS** » Mon May 20, 2013 10:31 pm

deepthighbruise wrote:
Years80HAWKS wrote:
I do not think Messina is ready for an NBA head-coach position now. Maybe some years ago. Now he is terrible. Last year he was unable to win the EL again against Olympiakos with a team that had Kirilienko, Krstic, Shevd, Teodosic, Kaun, Jamont Gordon... possibly the best roster that any team ever had in Europe...

Jonas Kazlauskas was the coach of Moscow that year. Messina was still a consultant with the Lakers at this time.

You are right. My fault.
But the previous year he underachieved greatly with Real Madrid against an almost depleted FC Barcelona in the Spanish League Finals.

tcorbin · Post #16 » by **tcorbin** » Thu May 23, 2013 7:15 pm

How about also looking into a coach from the Philippines, or a coach from Lithuania....