By Antonis Stroggylakis/ info@eurohoops.net
Andrea Trinchieri has been in talks with the Toronto Raptors to join the team as an assistant coach according to Basketball Sphere.
The Raptors have been searching for a European coach to join the staff and Trinchieri is among those considered for the assistant role. Zalgiris Kaunas head coach Sarunas Jasikevicius, who had also been interviewed for the head coach vacancy before Nick Nurse was hired, had an offer for the same spot but preferred to stay with the Lithuanian team and continue coaching in EuroLeague.
Trinchieri, 49, is more experienced than Jasikevicius since he has coached practically on every level of European basketball. He has been a EuroLeague head coach for five years with Cantu and Brose Bamberg while in 2014 he was named the EuroCup Coach of the Year after leading Unics Kazan to the Finals. In the EuroBasket 2013, he was the head coach of the Greek national team.
From 2015 to 2017, Trinchieri led Bamberg to three straight German League titles plus the 2015 Supercup and the 2017 Cup. His trophy case also includes two Italian SuperCup titles plus the 2014 Russian Cup.
Trinchieri is considered one highly crafty coach who is able to recognize talent and take the maximum from every person in his squad. A case for the latter is also the fact that throughout the years, the Italian coach helped multiple players take their careers to another level.
Some notable examples of the latter are forward Darius Miller who returned to the NBA following a two-year stint under Trinchieri in Bamberg, forward/center Daniel Theis who struck a deal with the Boston Celtics after playing under the Italian coach, forward Nicolo Melli, guard Janis Strelnieks and three-time EuroLeague champion center Kyle Hines.
Brad Wanamaker, the Celtics‘ latest acquisition also played under Trinchieri during 2014-2016.