Originally Published: 2008-11-16

“The situation in which Marco finds himself is not acceptable. If they continue not to play him, we’ll be forced to look around and maybe find a team willing to rely on him.” There is very little doubt in the words of Enrico, brother of Marco Belinelli, the Golden State Warriors guard, after another disappointment in the last game against New Jersey. On the other hand, the numbers speak for themselves: In this early season so far, minutes played by the guard from Bologna are zero, matching the amount of faith being placed in him to this point by coach Don Nelson.
So much so that Marco Belinelli himself, after watching the entire game against the Toronto Raptors at Air Canada Centre from the sidelines said, “I’m not happy with this situation. I’m here to play. It’s my second year in the NBA.” The situation he finds himself in borders on the paradoxical: appreciated by colleagues, the coach and organization, but in reality, continually ignored during games. Golden State is currently utilizing barely seven players without throwing their available youth into the mix. And the mumblings continue. In fact, there are several players on Don Nelson’s team who are complaining: Brandon Wright, selected eighth last year, has until now played very sparingly, while Anthony Randolph - considered by many experts as a potential rookie of the year this season – has hardly set foot on the floor. Belinelli, after a brilliant pre-season, is no exception.
Belinelli’s brother Enrico, shocked by the team’s disregard for talent, is scheduled to travel to the U.S. to verify the team’s willingness to use Belinelli, as well as to evaluate other opportunities.
“We are very unhappy with the playing time, needless to say,” confirms Enrico Belinelli. “And faced with such a situation, we cannot but be open to any option, which may be of interest to Belinelli, including exploring the market.” This would mean finding an NBA team willing to evaluate one of Italian basketball’s youngest and most promising talents. According to the comments, there is no shortage of offers for Marco, beginning with Toronto, where fellow Italian superstar Andrea Bargnani plays.

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