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FC Barcelona is being called the home team at the Final Four, even though it will not play on its own court. But if there is a home coach at Palau Sant Jordi, it might be Ettore Messina of Benetton Treviso. Of his two Euroleague titles with Virtus Bologna, in 1998 and 2001, Messina's first came at the 1998 Final Four in Barcelona at the very same Palau Sant Jordi. Less than a year earlier, in the same building, he had led the Italian national team to a silver medal in the European Championships. After two decades with Virtus Bologna, Messina last summer took over the high-powered offense of Benetton. They have already won the Italian SuperCup and Italian Cup, have led the Italian League since the beginning and were the Euroleague's only undefeated Top 16 team. In a recent interview with Euroleague.net, however, Messina made it clear that the team's main goal is the Euroleague title.
You're going back to Palau Sant Jordi, what does that mean to you?
"It's full of refreshing, good memories, both the Palau and Barcelona itself. When I was coach of the national team, we had the opportunity to take the silver medal at the European championships in 1997. And then I was back less than a year later with Virtus winning our first Euroleague title in 1998. I have a lot of good memories of the old town in Barcelona, of enjoying the atmosphere there both times. I just hope to be involved again in such a good atmosphere. So I am very happy to be going back."
Did it ever feel odd taking over at Benetton, a team that had beat you in the Italian League playoffs last year?
"No, that wasn't the case. We had also beat them in the Euroleague semifinals, so it was not a matter of winning or losing. It was just a question of the opportunity to be in an organization that knew my work and wanted me. After so many years of playing against Benetton, of being a public enemy, I was waiting to see how people would react to me, but the people here were fantastic from the start."
What was your approach upon arriving at Benetton, just try to improve on a good thing?
"My main goal was to be accepted by the organization and the team. I was not so much concerned about X's and O's, but more focused on trying to be accepted. I wanted to let the team try to understand that I was not here to force major changes, but just to help them keep doing their job well and to give them help going back to the Final Four, which was our main goal this year. Also, the team had changed some players - guys like Bostjan Nachbar, Sergei Chikalkin and Charlie Bell left - and each had their characteristics and different abilities. So there were some little adjustments to make. I think the team kept its beautiful offensive instincts, but we made a defensive step forward and were consistent throughout the season."
Where did you see the specific chances for that improvement?
"I thought that we had to keep the same offensive aggressiveness as before. At the same time I thought we could have had a different balance - not necessarily better, but different - between the inside and outside games. And I thought we could make a step forward defensively. The team accepted the idea that, even after a winning season, they could improve. They made a great effort to step forward in that sense, and I think it paid off, because surely we have been consistent despite playing many games without key players. We won five games in December without Tyus, some others without Garbajosa. With the exception of Pittis, every veteran has missed a few games this season."
What about personnel decisions? You had fewer to make than most new coaches, but there were key ones like Langdon. What were you looking for?
"After the departures of Nachbar and Tskitishvilito the NBA, we also let Sergei Chikalkin go while Charlie Bell decided to wait. Maurizio Gherardini had the opportunity to sign Trajan Langdon, who is not only an excellent player, but also an excellent person and a team-oriented player, having come out of Duke University. He had a lot of knowledge about team basketball, and that I think was important coming to a team like Benetton. He and the remaining veterans who were here share a common belief in basketball as a team sport in which the best things happen working together."
You also seemed to rely a little more on Denis Marconato. Did you want to establish more of an inside game through him?
"Denis was very important player for me when I was coach of the Italian national team. I recruited him there when he was very young and he always played well for me. He has excellent touch on his shots, he defends well, and I thought it was very important for us to let him have the ball more on offense in order to have him focused at the other end, on defense. He's our most important player on defense, holding down the middle, rotating, helping, blocking shots and rebounding. I knew from having other strong centers - Rasho Nesterovic and Rashard Griffith - that the more big men are involved in the offense, the better they play defensively, too."
Your teams have always played especially good perimeter defense. Are you proud of Benetton leading the Euroleague in steals all year? Did you set defensive goals?
"Sure. For me, it has been quite a big adjustment. I was always used to a big perimeter lineup. Here we must rely more on quickness. All our rotations and defensive ideas are adjusted to our size. It's not the same as when I had Rigaudeau, Ginobili and Jaric on the perimeter. Trajan, Tyus and Bulleri...these players are so smart, that their being smaller matters less. I think we did good job so far on the perimeter, even if we can still improve."
Your team also scored more than any Euroleague tea , but on a point-per-minute basis, more than any NBA, as well. Did you ever expect to oversee the top scoring machine in pro basketball?
"This team was already and excellent offensive team. But again, because of some changes in the roster, we didn't have it sure that we could keep going like that. But I think we found a good balance. I think one of the biggest things about this team as compared to other teams is we don't create one-on-one with dribble penetration. We create a lot with passing. That's not common. Lots of teams run a play and then rely on the creativity of one player to make something happen off the dribble. We are more of a passing team. Because of that fact, moving the ball in the air, we look quicker at certain times than we really are. But, of course, we do have quickness."
Does a coach approach a veteran team with guys like Edney, Nicola and Pittis any differently? Some people would say you got a coach or two on the floor there.
"That's a big help, yes. It's like when I had Brunamonti, Rigaudeau and Danilovic in Bologna. It's such a tremendous help not only in terms of scoring or defense, but because players like that can keep a team together. When we had Danilovic, Savic and Rigaudeau in Virtus, they were like three assistant coaches on the court. Here, all the veterans really understand the game. It's not uncommon for them to come up with some interesting suggestions that we use."
Talk about the other Final Four participants: CSKA, Montepaschi and Barcelona. What is your take on each one?
"I think all three are excellent teams. All have great players and coaches, but that goes without saying. Surely, Barcelona is the favorite, playing at home with a lot of people supporting them. Their players and coaches and staff are going to face tremendous pressure play at home in a Final Four. But their advantage will make it very difficult for the other three remaining teams to upset them, but we will all be there trying to do that."
You have Montepaschi first. What kind of a team do you consider them?
"Unfortunately, I have already played in semifinal games with Italian teams twice before. I say unfortunately even though each time I had that experience, in 1999 and last year, my team won. But then, in both cases, it was so difficult and exhausting that we were not able to finish the job two days later in the final game."
Is it fair to say you and your team fully expected to be at the Final Four?
"We were dreaming, but not expecting. There's a big difference."
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