By Rigas Dardalis/ dardalis@eurohoops.net
As a player he was an outstanding shooter and won titles with Virtus Bologna and also a silver medal with the Italian national team in 1997. As a coach he had done an excellent job with Pistoia leading the team to legabasket from the first time in 13 years. And now as a coach Paolo Moretti is proud to see his son Davide following his footsteps.
“I don’t know if my son is gonna become a better shooter than me, but for sure he is better physically than I was (laughs). Because I was terrible! And he is better in defense. I wish that he can be better shooter than me, but is not easy”, the 40 year old coach said to Eurohoops in Ukraine and continued. “Davide has a good feeling for the game. He is under control and he knows the time to wait or push the ball. It’s now easy to have this kind of understanding of the game, when you’re 15 years old. He was a good way in front of him, but is a long way”
-Italian team reached the semifinals, you feel overall that after some years, Italy is again “producing” good talents;
“It’s too early to say for this level that we watch here. It needs time to become good players in a high level. But we have some 1993, 1994 born players that have good possibilities to make a step ahead”.
-OK let’s talk about you. What memories you have from Greece, from your time with Peristeri;
“I was young, first of all. But it was a good time, we had a very good time with Peristeri-Korasidis and for me it was a very good experience. I have very good memories from that season.
-Back then you had Pedoulakis as a rookie coach. Now he is an experienced coach who guided Panathinaikos in both Greek league and Greek cup titles. What do you think of him;
“You know I remember about him that he had and I suppose that he still does, a very good and strong character. He was a good person and had a very strong character. I remember that he didn’t have a good feeling with English language, but you know it doesn’t matter”.