Brazil guard Benite: ''We have the talent and the experience to go to the next round''

RIO DE JANEIRO (Brazil) - Vitor Benite knows all about the tough games that await his Brazil team at the FIBA Basketball World Cup in China because he experienced something similar three summers ago at the 2016 Olympics.

Brazil were very good, yet so was the competition. Despite wins over Spain and Nigeria, narrow defeats to Lithuania, Croatia and Argentina prevented the hosts from advancing to the Quarter-Finals. After a tough campaign in the Americas Qualifiers, with Brazil only punching their World Cup ticket at the end, the country was drawn against Greece, Montenegro and New Zealand in First Round Group F.

"It's one of the toughest groups of the FIBA Basketball World Cup," Benite said to FIBA.basketball. "It's going to be a very tough battle during every game, but we have the talent and the experience to go to the next round if we play at our best level.

"Greece is a very good team, Montenegro has some great players, including Nikola Vucevic, who is an NBA All-Star, and New Zealand plays with a lot of passion on both ends of the floor.

"GIANNIS (ANTETOKOUNMPO) IS ONE OF THE BEST PLAYERS IN THE WORLD, BUT THINKING THAT HE'S THE ONLY GUY TO BE FOCUSED ON WHEN PLAYING GREECE IS A BIG MISTAKE. THEY HAVE VERY GOOD PLAYERS AT EVERY POSITION."- Benite

"Every game is going to be very important, and we have to start the tournament the best way. We're all very excited to play on the world stage, and we're going to compete and fight for every possession to go far into the tournament."

Greece's fortunes should be helped by the presence of Giannis Antetokounmpo, the MVP of the NBA this past season with the Milwaukee Bucks.

"It's a very good team that has a lot of experience and talented players," Benite said. "Giannis is one of the best players in the world, but thinking that he's the only guy to be focused on when playing Greece is a big mistake.

"They have very good players at every position, guys that can make a difference such as Kostas Papanikolaou and Nick Calathes, for example, and we'll need to play defense very well and try to make it hard for them to score."

One plus for Brazil when it comes to taking on the Greeks, it would appear, is that Aco Petrovic, the coach of the South American side, has had recent success against Greece. He steered Croatia past Antetokounmpo and Co. in the Semi-Finals of the 2016 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Turin.

Brazil will need to finish in the top two of Group F to advance to the Second Round and play in Group K against the top two sides that come out of Group E, which consists of the United States, Japan, Turkey and the Czech Republic. The teams that finish first and second in the four Second Round groups will advance to the Quarter-Finals.

"We want, first and foremost, to go to the next round," Benite said. "The group we got included in for the first round is very tough, and we have to take it one game at a time. We have the talent and the experience to go to the next round, but we have to be in the best shape and mindset from day one.

"WE'VE BEEN THINKING ABOUT THE WORLD CUP SINCE WE CLINCHED OUR SPOT AND NOW IT'S RIGHT HERE, AROUND THE CORNER. IT’S VERY EXCITING."- Benite

"I know we can, I know we will. We are going to play the First Round and try to get out of the group with the best record we can. This competition is very long and intense, and many teams can go far in the tournament, so we're going to focus on the First Round and after the first three games, focus on the next step coming up."

This summer could be crucial in the development of emerging Brazilian stars Bruno Caboclo and Didi Louzada.

"They are great talents and they want to learn and be better players every day, which is very important for young players," Benite said. "Bruno had a great season in the NBA with the (Memphis) Grizzlies and he brings a lot of energy and athleticism to the team, and Didi is improving a lot, and he got drafted by an NBA team, which gives him more and more confidence."

Louzada was taken in the second round by the Atlanta Hawks in the June draft and his rights were then traded to New Orleans.

"They are the future of the national team, and they're eager to help us this summer in order for Brazil to shine at international level," Benite said. "They are hard workers, and they want to show the youth in Brazil that everything is possible."

Benite, 29, has yet to play at a World Cup.

"I've been working a lot to get ready for the training camp and I feel great, both physically and mentally, and I have tons of energy to help my teammates," he said. "I'm excited for the friendly games, for the team to build a great chemistry but also to get prepared for a very intense competition on the other side of the world. We've been thinking about the World Cup since we clinched our spot and now it's right here, around the corner. It's very exciting."

FIBA