Olimpia’s head coach Peppe Poeta was introduced to the media by the club’s general manager Christos Stavropoulos yesterday. Here some of his remarks, edited for clarity.
On his appointment as Head Coach: “For many reasons, it didn’t happen the way I hoped, stepping in at mid-season My intention, my goal, was to help Coach Messina finish his time on the bench in Milan in the best possible way. He deserved it. He’s an asset to Olimpia. Whenever I will need advice or help, I know the door will always be open. I’m aware of that. It is what it is, but now I want to give it everything I got: I’m happy because I feel the unconditional trust of the owners and the support of the people who work here with me. I feel their confidence, and I’m putting my enthusiasm into it. The team responded well so far, but this is a marathon, and there will be ups and downs.”.
On his coaching skills: “I’ll coach like Peppe Poeta, in the sense that there’s no ideal or best system to be implemented. Ancelotti wins one way, Allegri or Conte win another way to talk about football. I have my own approach, which is probably more kind. I don’t have all that much experience, so taking on the team on the fly is even more challenging. I’m fascinated by the play calling. I was like that as a player too, I was always trying to steal something from someone. Now I enjoy drawing a play after a timeout, but I never forget that the players win the games. The game is their game.”
About the schedule: “I’ve already experienced it as an assistant. Now I’ll have to adapt and learn very fast. The good thing is that I enjoy it. I enjoy coaching games, I like it, and I do it with the same open mind I had as a player. There will be pressure, but I’m trying not to feel it too much.”
On his intentions for the team: “I don’t think I have a specific system. I think the coach should build the system around the players he has, highlighting the individual strengths and hiding the weaknesses. I’m not a fan of the low-post game, but I used it a lot in Brescia because, with Miro Bilan and Jason Burnell, it was the most functional thing to do for the team. We’ll try to play a little more in the open court: this could help players like Ellis, Brooks, and Bolmaro. With the big bodies we have today, the defensive switches, and the clogged middle, attacking in the halfcourt is very complicated; it’s difficult to take advantages. That’s why I’d like for us to run the floor more, like I enjoyed doing as a player, using the transition pick-and-roll, for example. What I’d like is for them to have fun, but having fun means doing things well and seriously. This increases your chances of winning, and if you win, you have fun. It shouldn’t be the other way around.”
The first three games he coached: “I enjoyed it. We basically never trailed. It was all too good to be true, beyond any expectation. The reality is different, the upcoming schedule is extremely hard and we’re eighth in the Italian league. So, we have to approach this situation rationally. So far, I’ve felt extraordinary support from the Forum and a commitment from the team that couldn’t have been better.”
On his tighter rotations: “I believe in it because I think a player, to perform at his best, needs to be on the court longer, being allowed to make mistakes, and gain confidence in what he’s doing. But that doesn’t mean rotations can’t change from game to game. I believe in chemistry, so I don’t like to make frequent changes, all the time; it goes against the chemistry that players need to build on the court. But we’ll give certain players rests so as not to overload them.”
About the point guard situation: “We’re enjoying Quinn Ellis and his growth as a player. He’s a guy who, even when he scored one point like he did in Belgrade, never showing off himself, ignited the other guards, putting them in a position to score nearly 50 points combined. Not many point guards can do that. Lorenzo Brown just returned from two muscle injuries, so we’ll gradually reintroduce him.”
About the power forwards rotation after Sestina’s injury: “I don’t see no shortcomings. We have Zach LeDay and Pippo Ricci at the 4 spot. If needed, as we did against Olympiacos. I can use Shields or Bolmaro in that position and play some small ball. Ricci is having a stellar season, and I intend to ride the momentum he has. He’s kind of the soul of the team.”
About Shavon Shields: “I don’t need to reinvent the wheel talking about Shields. He defends, he can score, he can shoot, and can create for his teammates. Shields is one of the pillars of the team; he feels a strong sense of belonging to Olimpia. If he’s physically fit, he’s an exceptional player.”
About Marko Guduric: “He won’t play the next two games because we’ve started a recovery program right after the Belgrade game that needs to be completed, but we don’t see him as a problem at all. He’s an incredibly coachable player. His teammates enjoy playing with him. He will be great for us.”
On when he realized he could coach: “Actually, I’ve had coaches who saw coaching skills in me that I didn’t see myself. When I retired as a player, Ettore Messina called me right away, and then Gianmarco Pozzecco proposed me to help him with the national team. They saw skills clearly yhat I didn’t recognize. Then, after my first year here as an assistant, I understood how much I liked the job, and now here I am.”
