ITA - Gallinari concentrates on NT during lockout

MILAN (EuroBasket 2011) - Italy's Danilo Gallinari is putting all of his focus on his national team since his Denver Nuggets career has been put on hold by the NBA lockout.

With no collective bargaining agreement, the NBA owners are at an impasse with the players' union and have shut down league operations.

"I'm not worried but I don't know how it will end," Gallinari said.

"It could be one, two or three months.

"No one knows.

"We will see what happens."

Gallinari trusts all of that will be taken care of so that he can wear the Azzurri shirt and play for the senior team for the first time in a major international tournament.

There are questions about the participation of NBA players at the various Olympic qualifying tournaments, including the EuroBasket, because of the need for federations to get insurance policies for their stars.

Italy will compete in Group B with Serbia, Latvia, Israel, Germany and France when the EuroBasket is staged in Lithuania.

The two sides that reach the Final will qualify for the London Games while those that come in third, fourth, fifth and sixth will be invited to the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament.

"Fortunately, there is a EuroBasket to be played and I'm not thinking much about America and hence, I am calm," Gallinari said.

"I have a one-year contract with Denver and it's not easy to find a solution of what to do in the months of the lockout.

"If I knew the duration, it would be easier."

FIBA