ITA - Italy youngsters offer thoughts on Bargnani's move to NBA

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ROME (FIBA World Championship) - Andrea Bargnani has made it to the NBA as this summer’s first overall pick in the draft by Toronto but fellow Italian Stefano Mancinelli isn’t too concerned about following in his footsteps.

Mancinelli, a shooting guard with Climamio Bologna who is to play for the Azzurri at the FIBA World Championship in Japan, said in Sport Week magazine: "I’ve got to admit, I haven’t given the NBA that much thought, but I am convinced a lot of Italians are capable of playing there."

"It’s not like it used to be – the level has come down."

Mancinelli admits making it to an NBA team and playing a lot of minutes are two different things entirely.

"It’s better to be a protagonist in Europe than passing the water bottles around to your team-mates (over there)," he said.

Other youngsters in Italy’s national team, however, most notably 23-year-old Angelo Gigli, would like to play in America.

Gigli had been linked with a move to the Utah Jazz last summer but in the end was not offered a contract.

He returned to Lega A and averaged 10.2 points and 6.3 rebounds per game with Bipop Carire Reggio Emilia. This summer, he took advantage of the numerous departures from Benetton Treviso - where Bargnani played - and signed a three-year deal with the Italian champions.

Gigli expects he and 20-year-old Climamio guard Marco Belinelli will both reach the NBA.

"In the end, we will all make it," Gigli said. “I’m playing at Treviso because, as Bargnani has demonstrated, it is the shortest route from here over the Atlantic.

"I’m looking to play in the NBA in 2008, but first I need to gain some more experience and to win."

One way for all of the Italians to impress NBA scouts is to do well in Japan at the FIBA World Championship.

They are in Group D, along with Team USA, and that means they will have a chance to go up leading players in the NBA like Dwyane Wade of the Miami Heat and LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers. No expects Italy to win the gold medal as they are resting many of their veteran players like Massimo Bulleri and Giacomo Galanda.

But the Italian players do have plenty of inspiration after watching the country’s football team win the World Cup.

"Ideally, we need to start off calmly, but if we can claim an excellent result at the end, then we, too, wouldn’t mind a bit of the party which our footballing colleagues had," Belinelli said.

"In any case, for us the World Championship is a very serious occasion. Am I envious (of the football team)? A bit, but it doesn’t matter if we cannot parade around the Circo Massimo (in Rome), we are still the idols of a lot of kids, particularly in the provinces."

One unfortunate consequence of Bargnani’s draft selection is that Italy have decided not to take him to Japan since the seven-footer has plenty on his mind ahead of his rookie campaign with Toronto. Gigli expects he himself will have to do more in Bargnani's absence.

"It’s logical that, in this new-look national team, coach Recalcati is expecting a major contribution from each and every one of us, particularly to make up for the loss of Bargnani," he said.

PA Sport
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