Ettore Messina: We didn’t handle the situation after Delaney and Rodriguez left

Ettore Messina is the great protagonist of “Uomini e Canestri”, the column on Repubblica-Milano hosted by Luca Chiabotti.

The Olimpia Milano coach analysed this season’s problems: “We had big problems until Christmas, then the offence improved but injuries took away the continuity to recover. We made the wrong choice on the point guard and we got bogged down. And I don’t want to hide behind a finger: transplanting a player as good and famous as Mirotic to this team was not easy. We had, let’s say, some difficulties that in many moments were then ironed out. Let’s hope that in the final phase of the season they will not arise again.

So, Mirotic theme, but also point-guard theme: ‘We did not manage the Rodriguez-Delaney post, who left Olimpia for different reasons, not guaranteeing the same level in that position. But I ask myself: if we had had Billy Baron this year? Some seasons you get it right, in others you make mistakes in a market where, except for very few clubs, it is difficult to keep important players for a long time’.