After taking it to the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four in 2021 and reaching the playoffs in 2022, EA7 Emporio Armani Milan had an underwhelming 2022-23 season, in which a rollercoaster of injuries never allowed the team to find its rhythm, ranking 12th overall with a 15-19 record. Coach Ettore Messina made sure his team landed the right players to bounce back, including a former EuroLeague MVP.
Mirotic arrives to lead
Power forward Nikola Mirotic was chosen as the 2021-22 EuroLeague MVP and is set to lead a deep, versatile Milan frontcourt. Mirotic and Coach Messina work together in Real Madrid over a decade ago. Milan has plenty of physicality and versatility under the baskets with three-time EuroLeague champion Kyle Hines, Nicolo Melli, Johannes Voigtmann and two more newcomers, athletic big man Alex Poythress and up-and-coming center Ismael Kamagate.
Given Milan's frontcourt depth, Mirotic may see some playing time at small forward. He shoots the ball with great percentages from all angles, is one of the best defensive rebounders in the competition and has the experience and talent to step up in crunch time. With so many different options, Coach Messina can choose different lineups depending on the opponent, making Milan a hard matchup in general.
Pangos, Shields are healthy
The biggest different-maker is that two former All-EuroLeague players like playmaker Kevin Pangos and small forward Shavon Shields are injury-free and ready to show their best version. Pangos is Milan's undisputed floor general, with recently signed Maodo Lo as his backup. Devon Hall and Billy Baron are set to provide the fireworks from beyond the arc, with Stefano Tonut and Diego Flaccadori helping them off the bench.
Shields is a terrific one-on-one players able to create his own shot or attack the rim against weaker opponents. His ability to play alongside Melli and Mirotic should be a big key this season. In other words, Milan has a very interesting team in the hands of a dean of the coaching profession like Messina. Fans should be looking forward to a great season.