Atlanta Hawks Dennis Schroder and Marco Belinelli bow out at EuroBasket

Despite each putting in world-class performances for their respective countries, Atlanta Hawks Schroder and Belinelli both fall in the quarterfinals of EuroBasket.

Dennis Schroder and company were cast aside on Tuesday by tournament favorites Spain, while Marco Belinelli’s Italy team were outplayed by Serbia on Wednesday. Both put up team highs in terms of contributed point production, 27 and 18 respectively, but neither was enough to push their sides to the semifinals.

Although both teams would have liked to continue their run and compete for medals, they were both simply outplayed by superior teams in a one-and-done game. Luckily for Hawks fans however, are that there were plenty of bright points to hang on to from both Schroder and Belinelli.

Related Story: Atlanta Hawks officially sign Summer League standout Quinn Cook

Finishing with 27 points against Spain, Schroder was consistently the focal point of the German offense throughout the tournament and really embraced a dominant role in both attacking the rim and dishing out to fellow teammates like that of Daniel Theis. Mike Budenholzer and company will hope that he brings that same energy to the start of the NBA season as he seems set to be the Hawks’ franchise player of the near future.

More from Soaring Down South

• Start, Bench, Cut: Sorting through the Hawks’ power forward options
• Hawks’ Bogdan Bogdanovic reacts to earning FIBA World Cup championship bid
• When does training camp start for the Atlanta Hawks?
• Grade the trade: Hawks deal Trae Young to Clippers in shocking proposal
• Dejounte Murray rips NBA 2K after Atlanta Hawks ratings reveal

Belinelli, on the other hand, showed us that he has not lost a step at the age of 31 and does not plan on slowing down soon. His impactful performances with the Italians will definitely alert Budenholzer to what he’s working with and might even garner him a starting role with the Hawks should Kent Bazemore struggle next season.

Although the competition at EuroBasket isn’t quite at the same echelon as that of the NBA, it is still nice to see Hawks players enjoying success. If anything, this year’s EuroBasket competition should be a look into the possibilities of the future of Schroder especially. The 23-year-old still has several areas that need improvement, sure, but overall his quality and quickness will be deadly in the coming years as Atlanta looks to soar again.

In Sports Illustrated’s ranking of the top 100 NBA players, Schroder landed at the 76^th spot, just beating out fellow guards Reggie Jackson and Victor Oladipo. Our cornerstone player is certainly ready to announce himself on the big stage during these next two seasons, as they will be pivotal to Schroder’s and Atlanta’s future successes in the NBA.

Next: Coach Mike Budenholzer’s future with the Atlanta Hawks is uncertain

For now, Schroder and Belinelli will get a couple weeks of well-deserved rest before they are thrust back into action during preseason starting October 1^st against the Miami Heat, all leading up to the NBA season opener at the Dallas Mavericks on October 18^th.