Belinelli keen to shift focus to Italy's OQT challenge

SACRAMENTO (2016 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournaments) - Italy will be at home in Turin and coached by their great tactician and motivator, Ettore Messina, at the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT). The Azzurri will have a very talented roster with players from European leagues and the NBA.

The Italians will be favorites, expected by their legion of fans to win the OQT and clinch a place in the Rio de Janeiro Games. But for Marco Belinelli, their 29-year-old marksman and long-time national team star, nothing can be taken for granted. Italy, Croatia and Tunisia are in Group B of the OQT while Greece, Mexico and Iran are in Group A. Only the winner of the six-team event will progress to the Olympics.

It's going to be a tough battle. Everybody plays well in Europe now and I am sure that teams like Iran, Mexico and Tunisia also play well. Greece is very good with my Kings teammate, Kostas Koufos, their super talented kid Giannis Antetokounmpo and some other talented guys. We need to respect every team and play hard every game to reach our goal and go to Rio. - Belinelli

The supporters of Italian basketball had hoped their team would reach the Final of EuroBasket 2015 to clinch a spot in Rio but Lithuania edged them in a thrilling Quarter-Final. It's a game that people still talk about because Italy had the last possession of regulation yet did not get a good shot. The Baltic side then won in overtime.

Italy did a good job of bouncing back in a Classification Round game against the Czech Republic, though, and finished sixth. That sealed a spot in an OQT.

As time has passed and Italy's players have been able to reflect on EuroBasket 2015, they have realized there is a need for improvement. Yet they have also been encouraged by their overall performance.

Spirits have also been lifted by the appointment of Messina, who led Italy many years ago, as coach. Belinelli thinks the great tactician's presence is only going to help Italy play better. Messina is currently an assistant coach with the San Antonio Spurs.

"I already had the chance to work with him, when I was in San Antonio, and also earlier in my career when I was younger," Belinelli said.

Messina is a great guy, a great coach and a great competitor; he just wants to win every time. He has so much experience; he has won almost every title in basketball, in Italy, in Europe, in the NBA, and we are happy to know that he is with us now. We are going to try to do our best and do a great job with him. - Belinelli

The last time that Italy played at an Olympics was in 2004. The team reached the Final before losing to Argentina. Belinelli knows the players that were on that team and has heard stories of that fantastic run. One of those silver medal winners was Gianluca Basile.

 

Basile (ITA) led Italy past Lithuania in their 2004 Olympic Semi-Final 

Basile averaged 14.6 points per contest at the Athens Games. He poured in 31 in the Semi-Final triumph over Lithuania.

I talked about it with Gianluca Basile and other older Italian players that made it to the Olympics and they told me it was an unbelievable experience. If we qualify for Rio, I am going to try the experience at its best. First, we need to win games to qualify, then I will think more about Brazil. - Belinelli

All that Italy can do is their best. Playing at home can be a huge boost for the team, but it can also bring pressure. Belinelli, an NBA veteran who is wrapping up his first season with the Sacramento Kings, can hardly wait to turn his full attention to the OQT.

"Now we have a couple of more games to play with the Kings but after that, I will be entirely focused on doing a good job with the national team," he said. "It's not going to be easy for us, but at the same time I think we have got to try to achieve something big as we are going to play in front of our fans. We are going to do our best, that's for sure."

FIBA