What newly appointed head-coach Meo Sacchetti could bring to the table was his relaxed, funny personality and his joyful, down-to-earth approach to the game. The frustration for a decade of perpetual underachievement was tangible and the next World Cup Qualifying Games loomed over any potential successor. In the aftermath of Ettore Messina’s resignation following the elimination at Eurobasket 2017, Italy’s near future looked hazy and challenging. An undisputed offensive beast, in a team with a lack of other bigs available to Sacchetti, Gallo will also have to focus on rebounding way more than he’s grown accustomed to do in the NBA where he averages 4,9 rebounds per game throughout his career.Īs for Datome, another veteran who has played on both sides of the Atlantic ocean, he will simply need to keep exercising his leadership, on and off the court, where Italy needs its Captain to be the heart and soul of the team. Gallinari’s contribution to the azzurri will be his much needed ability to make plays, a skill no other Italian big man shares, but also his ability to both shoot from distance or drive to the basket and get to the free-throw line.

In Meo Sacchetti’s system, Belinelli will have the green light to shoot in high volumes and his shot selection, at times a little reckless, won’t be over-analyzed.

A 37,5% three-point shooter in his NBA tenure, he has averaged a stunning 44,6% from deep at the 2017 Eurobasket. The Spurs’ guard, arguably the best shooter in the modern history of Italian basketball, has proven to be more than capable of raising the bar when called upon in FIBA competitions. To advance past the quarterfinals, a threshold Italy hasn’t been able to cross since the 2004 Olympics in Athens, the azzurri will need Belinelli’s shooting to be both prolific and efficient. The FIBA basketball World Cup in China, where they will lead Italy along with Captain Datome, provides them with a chance to leave their mark on the azzurri’s legacy, a tough task that could be the highlight of their already impressive careers.

Both long-established NBA veterans, their respective seasons ended with an early playoff elimination and, for Gallo, also in an unexpected, overnight move from California to Oklahoma. When Marco Belinelli and Danilo Gallinari finally joined the team this summer, the additions felt natural and refreshing at the same time.

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