By Cesare Milanti / info@eurohoops.net
MILAN, Italy – Tiago Splitter probably wasn’t expecting this to be his first head coaching season in the EuroLeague, especially not with Paris Basketball. However, the French side chose him after Tuomas Iisalo made his way to the Memphis Grizzlies‘ coaching staff.
After two games coached in the competition, Paris Basketball is still winless at 0-2 but fought hard both at home against Crvena Zvezda and on the road at Milan’s place, in Italy.
Following the second straight defeat for this team, the Brazilian rookie head coach spoke in the post-game press conference at Unipol Forum.
As he was coached by Ettore Messina in the San Antonio Spurs in the 2o14-15, tonight must have been a pretty emotional night for him. “Huge respect for him. I’ve known him for a long time. He coached me in San Antonio, and now I’m facing him”, he first said about the Italian head coach.
“I had the pleasure of having a coffee with him before the game. We are friends, he’s a genius of the game. A guy I respect a lot, whenever I need to ask something, he will be there for me”, Tiago Splitter added about Milano‘s head coach after facing him.
He was also asked about TJ Shorts’ transition to the EuroLeague. “TJ [Shorts II] is a beast, this guy is one of the most talented point guards I’ve ever seen. He knows the game, he reads the game, can score, can pass, can lead. He has been doing this at all levels. I don’t think there is any difference for him with the level he’s playing against”, Paris Basketball’s head coach said on his point guard.
“Second game for us, we lost at the end. The guys played hard, with good pressure. At the end of the day, something you make shots, something you don’t. We had a poor shooting percentage today. We need to do better stuff, like rebounding”, he previously said in the opening statement.
PHOTO CREDIT: Turkish Airlines EuroLeague