Thursday, June 28, 2007

Italy's Marco Belinelli Drafted by San Francisco Warriors at 18th

The ANNOTICO Report

 

If you want to know how good Marco Belinelli is, all you  need do is ask  LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony and Dwyane Wade for their impressions of the Italian guard from last year's FIBA world championships.


They probably haven't forgotten the scare Belinelli and his countrymen gave them. Belinelli scored 25 points and drilled four three-pointers, but the Americans rallied behind Anthony and overcame a nightmare first half to win.


Belinelli grew up outside of Bologna, where he played during his Italian career.Belinelli weighs just 192 pounds despite being 6-foot-5. He admitted that he would have to get stronger to match up at two-guard against the likes of James and Kobe Bryant, his favorite player. ( Kobe's dad "Jelly Bean" Bryant played basketball in Italy, where Kobe grew up, and speaks Italian fluently)

 

 Italy is represented in the NBA by Mario Ginobli, (considered by some as Argentinean) starring for the San Antonio Spurs,  Andrea Bargnani, last year's No. 1 overall pick, by the Toronto Rapters, and now  Marco Belinelli with the San Francisco Warriors.

The first Italian player in the N.B.A. was also the league's first foreigner  Henry Biasatti, who played for the Toronto Huskies in the first N.B.A. game in 1946, but  played just six games in the league. The last Italian in the N.B.A. was Vincenzo Esposito, who played sparingly for the Raptors in the 1995-96 season, the same season when Stefano Rusconi had a short stint with the Phoenix Suns.

Warriors grab Italy's Belinelli with 18th pick

Associated Press

June 28, 2007

OAKLAND, Calif. -- The Golden State Warriors selected Italian guard Marco Belinelli with the 18th pick in Thursday's NBA draft, adding another athletic scorer they expect to thrive in their uptempo game.

The 21-year-old Belinelli had been playing professionally in Bologna since 2002, and he starred for the Italian national team in last year's world championships -- including a standout game against the U.S. team.

His pedigree and performances tantalized Chris Mullin. The Warriors' top executive traveled to Italy recently and apparently loved what he saw from the skinny scorer.

"He's a young shooter, slasher, scorer, athletic guy who I've watched for a few years," Mullin said. "I think he's going to fit our system perfect. He can handle the ball well ... and play a little point forward. He's another guy that can go out there and put the ball in the basket."

This draft was a relatively novel experience for the Warriors, who stayed out of the lottery by ending their 12-year playoff drought. Their solid, exciting core reached the second round of the postseason, and most of those players will return if Mullin keeps his club together.

Golden State ran many opponents ragged as the NBA's second highest-scoring club last season, and Belinelli should fit into coach Don Nelson's game plans -- particularly if Mickael Pietrus or Matt Barnes leave as free agents.

"He is the type of guy that both defensively and offensively has a good feel for the game," Mullin said. "He shoots the ball so well, you've really got to go out and get him. He'll open up driving lanes for other people on the floor."

Belinelli has three seasons remaining on his contract with Fortitudo Bologna, but has an escape clause to join the Warriors.

Belinelli's outside shooting and ball-handling will make his valuable to Nelson -- a whole lot more valuable than Mullin's last two first-round picks, chosen before the coach returned.

Forward Ike Diogu and center Patrick O'Bryant have been NBA disappointments so far, with Diogu already traded to Indiana and O'Bryant shuttling between Oakland the Bakersfield of the D-League last season.

But Mullin has past draft successes as well. He unearthed Monta Ellis in the second round in 2005, and the prep-to-pro guard won the NBA's Most Improved Player award last season.

This story is from ESPN.com's automated news wire. Wire index

 

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