ITA - Bargnani puts disappointing season behind him, focuses on national team

TORONTO (NBA/EuroBasket 2011) - Andrea Bargnani is looking forward to playing for Italy at the Eurobasket following a tough club season with the Toronto Raptors.

Bargnani, the No 1 overall pick in the 2006 NBA Draft, came under sharp criticism from Raptors officials after the team finished the 2010-2011 campaign with a 22-60 record.

The 25-year-old, who averaged a career-high 21.5 points per game in his fifth season, did not lose his cool and accepted his share of the blame.

"I know how to deal with critics, no problem," he said. "If they don't criticise me - the franchise player - who should be blamed?"

Bargnani has shifted his attention from club to country and is eager to play in Lithuania.

He expects this summer to mark the beginning of a new chapter in Italian basketball.

"The silver medal at 2004 Olympic Games closed an era for our national team and now we can open a new one," he said.

"We have a good group of players but we need to be humble and take it one step at a time."

The Azzurri will make their return to the biggest European basketball tournament after missing out in Poland two years ago.

They have been drawn in Group B in Siauliai and face some stiff opposition in the form of France, Germany, Israel, Latvia and Serbia.

Italy are encouraged by the fact of having their three NBA players - Bargnani, Denver Nuggets forward Danilo Gallinari and New Orleans Hornets guard Marco Belinelli - all available for the first time.

For his part, Bargnani hopes to put on a better show than at EuroBasket 2007 in Spain.

"That was my first summer with the national team and I wasn't successful," he admitted.

"It took me three years to provide a top performance in Europe."

Indeed, the Rome native did put on a show at last year's EuroBasket Qualifying Round, finishing as the top scorer by averaging 24.1 points per game, including a 34-point effort against Montenegro.

More importantly, he helped Italy book a place for EuroBasket.

With his dynamic skills and the consistency he showed last summer, Bargnani figures to lead Simone Pianigiani's side by example.

FIBA