ITA - Road to Lithuania begins for Belinelli and Bargnani

ROME (EuroBasket 2011) - The journey to this summer's EuroBasket officially began on Monday for Italy stars Marco Belinelli and Andrea Bargnani as they underwent medical check-ups and took part in drills in the Italian capital.

The New Orleans sharp shooter and Toronto Raptors forward were both instrumental as Simone Pianigiani's team booked its place for Lithuania in last summer's Qualifying Round.

They now look forward to going up against Europe's best as Italy makes its first EuroBasket appearance since 2007.

The two NBA players are particularly eager to finally team up with Danilo Gallinari, whose competitive senior international debut has been postponed through injuries the last few summers.

The presence and offensive firepower of the Denver Nugget forward will be much welcomed as the Azzurri open play in a very tough Group B which includes France, Germany, Israel, Latvia and Serbia.

Gallinari will be in Italy next week to go through the same physical and tests as his team-mates currently are.

While finally getting the three NBA players on the same team is an important step, Belinelli cautions that it should not detract from the group as a whole.

"(Having) all three NBA players together is an important first step in our road to EuroBasket but we cannot forget that chemistry is even more important," he said.

"We found it out last summer when I didn't score a lot. I had a sort of shooting slump but I helped the team in different ways - with defense, rebounds and assists. It made me a better player."
 
The 25-year-old built on his campaign with Italy last summer to produce his best NBA season, averaging 10.4 points per game for the Hornets.

"The season gave me a lot of confidence," Belinelli added. "I finally played in the post-season, facing the former champions Los Angeles Lakers and players like Kobe Bryant and Ron Artest.

"I held my own, scoring 21 points in Game 5. It was a huge experience."

As for Bargnani, he relishes the opportunity to return to Europe's main stage after a four-year absence.

"Last year, our national team opened a new era and after three years of playing only in qualification rounds, this EuroBasket is going to be a big chance for us."

The first overall draft pick in the 2006 NBA Draft was a big reason for the Azzurri's success last summer, averaging 24.1 points to lead all scorer in the Qualifying Round.

The 24-year-old is coming off his fifth NBA season, one in which he averaged a career-high 21.5 points but did not experience much team success.

That has made him go into this summer preaching caution and methodical approach.

"We need to be humble, our national team is coming off some difficult years," he warned. "We need to take one step at a time.

"I've never been so motivated."

FIBA