Italian Belinelli fits naturally with Spurs international cast

Marco Belinelli was not among the prominent NBA free agents last summer. When he signed a two-year contract with the San Antonio Spurs in July, it attracted little attention. Tom Thibodeau knew better.

That Marco Belinelli is having success with the San Antonio Spurs comes as no surprise to his previous coach, Tom Thibodeau of the Chicago Bulls.'The team is first all the time with him,' Thibodeau says. Layne Murdoch Jr / AFPShow less

Marco Belinelli was not among the prominent NBA free agents last summer. Four teams had employed him in six seasons, and he was always something of a peripheral figure. When he signed a two-year contract with the San Antonio Spurs in July, it attracted little attention.

Tom Thibodeau knew better.

The Bulls coach saw first-hand what Belinelli could contribute during his one season in Chicago and knew that San Antonio was the perfect place for him.

“We hated to lose him,” Thibodeau said.

Belinelli is averaging career highs in shooting percentage, three-point percentage, rebounds and assists. His 11.3 scoring average is a tick below his best season (11.8) for New Orleans in 2011/12.

Belinelli has added his name to a seemingly endless list of role players who have flourished while playing with veteran campaigners Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili.

“He’s been more than we expected, because it usually takes someone a while to figure out the system and feel comfortable and he’s done it very quickly,” said Gregg Popovich, the Spurs coach.

The Spurs always have had an affinity for international players, subscribing to the theory that the universal language of basketball can transcend cultural or communication issues that may arise.

Having someone on the team, Ginobili, who speaks Belinelli’s native Italian, helped.

“Everything for me, after about two months, was easy,” he said. “The system on offence is not difficult. We just try to move the ball all the time ... We really love to move the ball. And on defence, just play hard, play hard.”

Belinelli, who first played with Ginobili as a teenager in Italy 13 years ago, gives the Spurs’ second unit another versatile, instinctive player. But this is a team with such a depth of talent that even without a superstar they have the NBA’s best record at 62-18.

From a basketball education standpoint, it has been quite a two-year span for Belinelli, a 28-year-old native of Bologna. He has played for Popovich and Thibodeau, regarded as two of the league’s best coaches, and seen his game take off.

Belinelli is much more than a standstill shooter now.

He has been an occasional point guard when Parker has rested, feasted on hard cuts to the basket and figured out how to minimise his deficiencies as an individual defender by committing to the team concept.

“I think the biggest thing for him is his winning characteristics,” Thibodeau said. “He plays for the team. The team is first all the time with him.

“I was not surprised that San Antonio picked him up because I know how much Pop values those things. He’s had a terrific season for them.”

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