Belinelli and Gallinari: "A tough draw won't stop Italy"

ROME (EuroBasket 2015) - Time is running out on the current generation of stars in the Italian national team to play at an Olympics.

The 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games could represent the last chance to do so.

For Italy, who captured the silver medal in 2004, to make it to Brazil, they will have to make it to the EuroBasket 2015 Final or clinch one of three places on offer at the 2016 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT).

To reach the EuroBasket Final, or gain a place at the OQT by finishing third, fourth, fifth or sixth, will be anything but easy.

Italy will compete in a tough Group B at the EuroBasket in Berlin against Spain, Serbia, then Turkey, Germany and Iceland.

The expectation is that NBA players Marco Belinelli, Andrea Bargnani, Danilo Gallinari and Luigi Da Tome will be available.

Daniel Hackett is also likely to be on hand after his controversial summer of 2014, when he walked out of training camp and was slapped with a six-month ban by the Lega A. That suspension was later reduced to three months for the EA7 Emporio Armani Milan player.

So what are Italy's chances? They very nearly reached the EuroBasket 2013 Semi-Finals but fell to Lithuania, 81-77. The Azzurri ended up in eighth place and missed out on the FIBA Basketball World Cup.

Italy have cause for hope. Belinelli is certainly not short of confidence these days.

He won won the three-point shooting contest at the NBA All Star Game last season and more importantly helped San Antonio win the NBA Finals. 

The most powerful man in the world, United States President Barack Obama, saluted Belinelli on Monday when the Spurs visited the White House to be recognized for their title success.

A Chicago Bulls fan, Obama told him: "Dear Marco, we appreciated you two years ago in Chicago: Our Bulls miss you!"

Belinelli couldn't help but laugh.

"If the Italian team is complete, we will be ambitious," said the 28-year old said.

Now that he has realized his NBA dream of winning the title, Belinelli wants to experience the same emotions with the Azzurri.

"I will never forget my year of 2014," he said.

"But I'm not going to sit back. I want a second NBA ring, and it's time to make some noise with our national team, too."

Belinelli does think Italy can have some success at the EuroBasket.

"We are going to face tough teams, like Spain, Serbia, Turkey and the home side, Germany," he said. "But as an ambitious team, we cannot be afraid of opponents. If we want to be competitive, we will need to defeat big opponents, too.

"I say, 'let's get to Berlin healthy and with all of our players. 

"Then, I think no one will count us out."

Gallinari, who is recovering from surgery on a torn meniscus surgery, is expected to be back in the national squad after missing two consecutive summer campaigns because of three operations on his left knee.

"When I saw the draw results, I was kind of angry, because we were going to take on big opponents," the 26-year old Denver Nuggets forward said.

"But I told myself we are a good side, too. And a tough draw could be helpful, because the teams able to go through a difficult first stage, they get some good flow and confidence. And those teams will be well-prepared to face any opponent."

For now, Gallinari just wants to return to the court with Denver.

"I will be back in a few weeks," he said. "I need to shrug off some rust. 

"I want to be important for my Nuggets, and then I look forward to playing in a big competition like EuroBasket 2015."

FIBA