Spurs sign European legend Ettore Messina as an assistant coach

Kawhi, Green, Splitter, Diaw, and Mills won a lot of games last year when Pop would sit all or part of the big three.

 

The Spurs are trying to be the first team to create a corporate system that doesn't rely on a core of uber-talented individuals to make a team successful. That includes continuity from the top to the bottom, from management, coaching and players (with this move, they transferred Sean Marks BACK to the front office where "they have big plans for him" - replace RC, maybe?)

The Spurs are now looking at players and coaches that fit roles, and that fit a specific coachable profile. The system they have in place damn near runs for 48 minutes regardless of who is on the floor. They guy they drafted this year fits the "system" to a T, btw. Teams relying on specific talented players to keep them in a game with that end up spent.

The Spurs, ultimately, will improve year upon year simply by not having turnover; the team, literally, gets a year better, not a year older. This year was proof it can work Tim and Manu TOGETHER barely played 48 minutes a night. Team also won plenty of games with Parker out - how can that "core" be irreplaceable when it isn't carrying that much of the load?

The Spurs sustained excellence was once a product of Tim/Pop; they are now preparing the team to never rebuild - and if other teams don't begin to catch on, and follow the model; build corporate knowledge and consistency, the Spurs may not have a problem sustaining success for the foreseeable future.

Conventional wisdom has said sports teams MUST go through cycles, have success, rebuild, etc....Spurs are attempting to turn that on its ear. The Messina hiring is part of that.

IMO

 

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/spurs?src=hash">#spurs</a> More from Messina interview: &quot;At 54 I feel I can still learn a lot of things in my career. The Spurs are the best place to do this&quot;</p>&mdash; Daniele Labanti™ (@DL_corriere) <a href="https://twitter.com/DL_corriere/statuses/489554728939192320">July 16, 2014</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/spurs?src=hash">#spurs</a> Messina on the Nba: &quot;The Spurs message is the team-concept is more important than the star-system. That's why they succeed&quot;</p>&mdash; Daniele Labanti™ (@DL_corriere) <a href="https://twitter.com/DL_corriere/statuses/489555469913296897">July 16, 2014</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/spurs?src=hash">#spurs</a> Messina: &quot;When you join the Spurs, you know you have to reset and link with the organization. My link with Pop is very strong&quot;</p>&mdash; Daniele Labanti™ (@DL_corriere) <a href="https://twitter.com/DL_corriere/statuses/489557040160075776">July 16, 2014</a></blockquote>
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Beautiful. Just beautiful. Why must the Rocket enemies embody concepts I like?!

I hope their model succeeds. The NBA needs to be shaken-up. Team ball for the win.

 

And the Rockets have Mchale (Bickerstaff, Finch, and Buckner)...sigh...

 

They're grooming him to be Pop's successor--we aren't going to get a chance at this guy. Too bad.