Announced the Brazilian National Team pre-selection

[planaria]

SELEÇÃO MASCULINA

Anderson Varejão – Pivô – 2,11m – 24 anos – Cleveland Cavaliers (NBA)
Caio Torres – Pivô – 2,11m – 19 anos – MMT Estudiantes (Espanha)
Maybyner Hilário (Nenê) – Pivô – 2,11m – 24 anos – Denver Nuggets (NBA)
Murilo Becker da Rosa – Pivô – 2,11m – 24 anos – Unimed/Franca (SP)
Rafael “Baby” Araújo – Pivô – 2,11m – 26 anos – Utah Jazz (NBA)
Tiago Splitter – Pivô – 2,11m – 22 anos – Tau Cerâmica (Espanha)
Paulo Sérgio Prestes – Pivô – 2,08m – 19 anos – Clínicas Rincon Axarquia (Espanha)
Marcus Vinicius Vieira (Marquinhos) – Ala – 22 anos – New Orleans Hornets (NBA)
João Paulo Batista – Pivô – 25 anos – 2,06m – Lietuvos Rytas (Lituânia)
Rafael Hettsheimeir – Pivô – 2,05m – 20 anos – Akkasvayu (Espanha)
Guilherme Teichmann – Ala/Pivô – 2,04m – 23 anos – Winner/Limeira (SP)
Guilherme Giovannoni – Ala – 2,04m – 26 anos – Bologna (Itália)
Marcus Toledo – Ala – 2,03m – 20 anos – CB Tarragona 2016 (Espanha)
Marcelinho Machado – Ala/Armador – 32 anos – 2,00m – Zalgiris Kauras (Lituânia)
Jhonatan dos Santos – Ala – 1,97m – 20 anos – Paulistano/Dix Amico (SP)
Leandro Barbosa – Ala/Armador – 1,92m – 24 anos – Phoenix Suns (NBA)
Alex Garcia – Ala/Armador – 1,91m – 27 anos – Universo/BRB (DF)
Marcelo Huertas – Armador – 1,91m – 23 anos – Joventud de Badalona (Espanha)
Welington dos Santos (Nezinho) – Armador – 1,86m – 26 anos – Universo/BRB (DF)

Média de idade: 23,4 anos
Média de altura: 2,03m

COMISSÃO TÉCNICA
Coordenador: Maurício Fregonesi
Técnico: Aluísio Ferreira (Lula)
Assistentes Técnicos: Flávio Davis Furtado e Jorge Guerra (Guerrinha)
Preparador Físico: Clóvis Alberto Franciscon
Médicos: Dr. Carlos Vicente Andreoli
Fisioterapeuta: Felipe Tadiello
Mordomo: Marco Antonio de Andrade

Nene has already told he wont attend. Im not sure about the others NBA players.

[11player]

No Vitor Faverani?

This team is basically the same that disappointed at Japan.

Again very thin at the wings, Again very thin at PG.

I doubt any NBA player or even top european player will waiste his time on this.

This coach is proving he is not learning from his mistakes, he should resign.

[Genjuro]

No Vitor Faverani?

This team is basically the same that disappointed at Japan.

Again very thin at the wings, Again very thin at PG.

I doubt any NBA player or even top european player will waiste his time on this.

This coach is proving he is not learning from his mistakes, he should resign.
The problem is, do you guys have other options?

I don't like Brazil's backcourt. It's like every single guy there is an off-the-bench-spark type of player. But I don't know any other choices. Perhaps you don't have them.

Why Faverani? You have plenty of talented bigs. He's still very young and he will play in the U-19 World Championships.

[11player]

The problem is, do you guys have other options?

I don't like Brazil's backcourt. It's like every single guy there is an off-the-bench-spark type of player. But I don't know any other choices. Perhaps you don't have them.

Why Faverani? You have plenty of talented bigs. He's still very young and he will play in the U-19 World Championships.

I believe we have some interesting options, although not many.Thing is, if he doesn't try new players, we will keep this underwhelming situation that stands.

Brazilian basketball is going for a poor, hard, hopeless moment as the Confederation President is trying to perpetuate himself in the front office just like Teixeira has donne at soccer, at CBF, for the last decades. Both are trully incompetent.

So you see the current situation, Brazil's NT doesn't even have a gym to train.

Nene has already said he is not coming, which I agree. Araujo, Varejao, Barbosa, Marquinhos, should not come either. IMO Splitter will only come if Tau assures him they won't let him go to the NBA. Joao Paulo Batista is another one that might not show up.

That's why Faverani should have been called, not only is he better than the other young kids in the list, but we might end up short of bigmen.

Players that could fit in the NT are:
Daniel Caçamba, PG, 6'3, Saldanha da Gama
Fulvio, PG, 6'1, Assis
Arnaldo Moreira Filho, PG, 6'2, Limeira
Luiz Felipe, PG, 6'4, Paulistano
Guilherme da Luz, PG, 6'3, Paulistano
Matheus Costa, PG, 5'11, Franca
Helio, PG/SG, 6'2, Unitri
Di Galvão, SG/PG, 6'4, Assis
Andre Rodrigues(Manteiguinha), SG/PG, 6'4, Unitri
Arthur Belchior Silva, SG, 6'6, Universo
Eduardo Mariano, SG/SF, 6'5, Limeira
André Martins, SG, 6'5, Uniara
Feliz Baeta, SG/SF, 6'6, São João
Diego Pinheiro, SG, 6'5, Joinville
Alexandre, SF, 6'8, Flamengo
Renato, SF, 6'8, Paulistano
Charles, SF, 6'8, Unitri
Fernando Alvim, SF, 6'7, Limeira
Jeferson Sobral, SF, 6'8
Jeferson William, SF/PF, 6'10, Assis

All os these guys have talent and I seriously can't believe at least three of them are not good enough to play for the National Team

[Aton]

Argentina will be without Oberto, Herrman, Ginobili and Nocioni, so this would be a great occasion to step up and grab a spot at the Olympics.

We have to wait and see who will actually play. Despite some weaknesses, we could just fine if we had a decent coach. If we had all our players, we would have a great 4/5 rotation, with Nenê, Varejão, Splitter and Batista, Giovannoni and Marcelinho Machado sharing the 3, Barbosa as the off-guard and Huertas at the point. With the bench players, we could go with a lineup of:
1: Barbosa / 2: Alex / 3: Machado (to rest Huertas)
1: Huertas / 2: Machado / 3: Giovannoni (to rest Barbosa)

This way, you have a decent rotation at the backcourt. The 3 would still be the weak link, but Giovannoni is OK as a role player and you could try to keep Machado under control.

Another issue would be defense on positions 1 and 2. Huertas and Barbosa have a tough time defending big/strong guards, but you don't find those kinds of guys very often in the Americas (except against USA, off course).

It looks good on the paper, but it will look terrible with our coach.

[planaria]

^I agree with a bit with both.

I agree with Genjuro when he said maybe we dont have much options in the backcourt.

I love Barbosa, he isnt and shouldnt be a go-to guy (neither as our starter PG). He´ll destroy weak defenses, but he´ll also be a TO machine against teams like Greece. I´d love we could play him as Suns do (coming from the bench), but unfourtunally it isnt a option.

Huertas is decent PG with a lot of high and lows.

Marcelinho Machado should play no more than 15 mpg as our role player (just staying behind the line to shot wide open treys...). Unfourtunally our coach thinks he should be our 30+ mpg go-to guy and able to shot how many balls (open or not) he wants.

Nezinho is a very poor version of Barbosa.

Alex Garcia also shouldnt be more than a role player bringing energy from the bench and playing defense.

After that:

At this point Arnaldinho is Alex Garcia with no defense. Helinho is shorter and younger version of Marcelinho Machado. etc etc...

In the other hand, I agre with 11player when he said our coach should selects young PG´s.

I really cant understand why we always calls TONS of young big men (Torres, Paulão, Hettsheimeir, Teichmann) while we never try to bring new young PGs (zero).

Centers and PF´s are the positions we should not be worried about the future. We have tons of talented players under 25 (Nenê, Varejão, Splitter, JP, Paulão, Caio Torres, Hátila Passos, Faverani, Hettsheimeir, Teichmann...).

In the other hand, our future in the PG/SG positionsis black and it doesnt look like we´re making something to change that.

Serious, it´s time to bring some 18 years old PGs to get some experience. Why not use the Pan to give some experience for these guys?

[planaria]

^BTW, JP Batista told me in an interview he´s attending the NT. He´s very happy to do that and it´ll be the second time he´s in Brazil since he went to USA to play junior college basketball.

[11player]

^BTW, JP Batista told me in an interview he´s attending the NT. He´s very happy to do that and it´ll be the second time he´s in Brazil since he went to USA to play junior college basketball.

Good to hear.

I agree with you on the bigmen situation, we are Ok there.

The wings and playmaker is where my major concearn is. I feel we are insisting in a situation with no upside and that already failed.

The players I listed above was just brainstorming although there about 9 young players there I would like to see in a pre-selection camp, along with Jonathan, Marcos Toledo, Teichmann, Hetscheimer and Paulão.

Just to make an example, take Berni Rodriguez and Jimenez from WC champions Spain. They are important rotation players in that team. I can't see why Arthur and Alexandre, who are similar players in level of talent, with better training and better conciousness, can't play a similar role for Brazil's NT. It's totally possible, IMO.
Like them, there are others.

[planaria]

Nene is back
:eek: :eek: :eek: :eek:

19/06/2007 - 15h23
Nenê anuncia retorno à seleção no Pré-Olímpico
Giancarlo Giampietro
Enviado especial do UOL
Em São Carlos (SP)


O pivô Nenê deixou as divergências com a administração da CBB (Confederação Brasileira de Basquete) de lado e anunciou nesta terça-feira que vai defender a seleção no Pré-Olímpico, em agosto, em Las Vegas.

Quatro anos distante de competições oficiais pela equipe - seu último torneio com a camisa amarela foi justamente a última edição do qualificatório, em Porto Rico, em 2003 -, o paulista de São Carlos se coloca à disposição da comissão técnica de Lula Ferreira.

Nenê afirmou que pensou muito a respeito da seleção e que encara o Pré-Olímpico como um momento decisivo para a modalidade no país. "Estive falando com a família e amigos. Refleti e decidi jogar o Pré-Olímpico. Espero uma nova vida. O que passou, passou, agora quero ajudar o basquete e defender a seleção", disse.

Entre esses amigos, pesaram as opiniões de Leandrinho, armador do Phoenix Suns, e Anderson Varejão, ala-pivô do Cleveland Cavaliers, que trabalharam durante toda a temporada para fazer o pivô repensar seu boicote à CBB.

Os dois apontaram o cenário decadente que a modalidade vive no país - com torneios Nacionais esvaziados, ausência de patrocinadores e racha político - para convencer o atleta de que apenas uma fortalecida seleção poderia restaurar seu prestígio. "Conversamos bastante. A vontade agora é levar o esporte para cima. O nosso basquete está desaparecendo", disse.

Nenê afirmou que não tem problemas pessoais com o presidente da entidade, Gerasime Bozikis, o Grego. E que seu protesto era voltado principalmente contra a falta de condição ideal na estrutura ao redor da equipe.

"Meu atrito não era pessoal com o Grego. O que sempre pedi foi estrutura, é a qualidade de treinamento, transporte, alimento, segurança, essas coisas. A gente tem que cortar esse tipo de problema", disse.

"O basquete brasileiro precisa de socorro. E esse é o momento certo para tentarmos resgatá-lo", disse.

O "momento certo" ao qual o brasileiro se refere é a possibilidade de enfrentar uma Argentina enfraquecida nos Estados Unidos. O time não vai contar com seus principais astros - o ala-armador Manu Ginóbili, o ala Andrés Nocioni e o pivô Fabrício Oberto. Esses desfalques deixariam o Brasil como um dos principais candidatos às duas vagas olímpicas que estarão em jogo, ao lado do time da casa.

"Vamos aproveitar que os hermanos não estão muito bem. Aproveitar que nós brasileiros tivemos ainda mais destaque na última temporada", disse. "Não dá para ficar de braços cruzados", completou.


http://esporte.uol.com.br/basquete/ultimas/2007/06/19/ult4356u602.jhtm

[Aton]

Wow!!!

That's great news!!!!

For those of you who can't read Portuguese, here's a brief, poorly written, summary:

Nenê announced that he's willing to compete in the Olympics Qualifying tournament, that takes place in Las Vegas, in August.

Four years removed from the national team, he says that it's a critical time for the sport in Brazil, and that it's the right moment time to put an effort at rescuing it. Rumor has it that the influence from Leandrinho (Phoenix) and Varejão (Cleveland) was very important for his decision.

The report also mentions that a weakened Argentinian squad (without Ginobili, Noicioni and Oberto) raises Brazilian's chances to fight for one of the two spots on the Olympics.

[ecuhus]

armador, ala and pivo are such cool names for basketball positions!

[Aton]

August has only brought bad news for the Brazilian National Team. The presence of Varejão and Baby in the tournament is almost ruled out. As they haven't secured new contracts with their NBA teams, the Brazilian confederation is unable to take care of their insurance. Nenê has had many issues himself, with the Nuggets reluctance to provide a couple of documents required to sign his insurance. He also lost a full week of practice in a trip to the USA to solve a legal dispute with his former agent. He has returned only yesterday, and said only today that the Nuggets finally released him and that his presence in the tournament is assured.

Alex Garcia (that played briefly for the Spurs and the Hornets) is also doubtful, as he broke finger in a friendly against the USA, before the Pan Am. If healthy and in good shape, he should be very valuable, as he is the only decent perimeter defender and also provides offense oof the bench.

Those issues should have an effect in the squad trainning, that had already begun those activities late, when compared to other teams, including the USA. Puerto Rico, for example, started practicing together much sooner, and the memory of upset they pulled against USA in the last Olympics is giving me nightmares.

The good news is that Marquinhos (New Orleans Hornets) found some very nice rythm in the Pan American Games. He still has many flaws to correct in his game, specially the lack of defense and a slashing game, but at least he is in good form. It should be enough, to fill some minutes as a wing player, the weakest position in Brazilian's roster.

[Jonathan]

what about point guard? seems like that is always a weak spot for Brazil, in addition to the coaching staff.

[Aton]

what about point guard? seems like that is always a weak spot for Brazil, in addition to the coaching staff.

The starting point guard this year is "Valtinho". The last time he played for the NT was 4 years ago, also in an olympic qualifying tournament. He does not have a world-class talent, but is an experienced player, that keeps the ball under control and is a good distributor. I'm really glad to have him back. In the bench we have Marcelo Huertas and Nezinho. Nezinho is terrible and, unfortunately, Huertas played poorly in the Pan Am this year. I hope he shows up in better form in Las Vegas.

Even with Valtinho, point guard is a tough position for us, but I think we're better served than in the wing, that features Guilherme Giovannoni, Marquinhos and Marcus Vinicius.

[11player]

With the presence of Valtinho, Marquinhos and Nene, this team is the closest to the best team Brazil can assemble and should give us a good idea of where they can go at the international level.

Only Varejão, who is a lock for the team, is not present, but will be back as soon as he signs a new contract.

Rafael Araujo apears to have fallen behind Murilo Becker and Joao Paulo Batista on the coach's preference, but never reported for the team because he too is out of a contract.

Alex Garcia is back from a hand fracture but should not be at full speed, also Nene and Splitter have trained very little with the team and may not be at their best at Vegas.

Anyway, I see Brazil as the favourite to grab that second place, behind the US, for 2008 Beijing Olympics.

[Aton]

I agree to you in terms. That's pretty close to the best roster, talent-wise, that we can assemble, but the training camp was laughable and Splitter, Nenê, Barbosa and Alex (really important guy, as he is the only perimeter defender) barely played or practiced with the team.