Ettore Messina is not totally happy

Ettore Messina identifies critical issues

Olimpia Milano overcame Scafati 75-66 in the second round of the basketball championship but Ettore Messina, speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the match at PalaBarbuto, was not 100 percent happy with the performance of the Red Shoes.

“We had a bad start like other times it happened to us at this early stage of the season,” he said, emphasizing the particular criticality. We still haven’t found a starting quintet that gives us peace of mind. But then we had a beautiful reaction, Kevin Pangos held the team well and we stretched.”

“In the second half,” Messina further explained, “I think some fatigue came out, we also missed a lot of open shots, but if the lead decreased it was also because of their merits, of coach Alessandro Rossi and his players. But I am happy because we won on the road.”

On the performance of individuals: “Pangos and Hall paid for fatigue in the long run, the fact that we are without Mitrou-Long and Baldasso, which is important for us because it allows us to always have three playmakers available. Shields shot poorly and not so well but he grabbed six rebounds and gave away six assists. I would say he did well considering the premise. It was important that he could get minutes, physically he looks good to me,” Messina concluded.