BRA - The great Marcelinho ready to lead again

BARCELONA (FIBA Basketball World Cup) - No player has been more important in the resurgence of Brazil's men's team than Marcelinho Huertas.

The point guard has not missed a summer with the senior side since making his debut in 2005.

Huertas has been important in terms of continuity, talent and leadership.

While some players need to compete for a place in squads that take part in international tournaments, others, as the saying goes, pick themselves.

Huertas, a point guard with European giants Barcelona, is the latter.

"Marcelo is a player that we always have in our plans for the team," Brazil coach Ruben Magnano said after a recent meeting with the veteran.

"It's 100% guaranteed that he's in our selection. He's a great example for other athletes."

Huertas, who celebrated his 31st birthday a couple of days ago, began to make sizable impact for Brazil at the 2006 FIBA World Championship in Japan.

The team didn't survive a group of death that summer, Group C, in Hamamatsu with Greece, Turkey, Lithuania and Australia taking four of the six spots available for the next round.

Yet Huertas was a bright spot, bringing energy from the bench and helping Brazil with their pressure defense as they attempted to speed up games.

In the tournaments since, Huertas has had a more prominent role.

On offense, the 1.90m Sao Paulo native has been the conductor of the orchestra.

He sets up teammates for baskets and scores when necessary with his penetration or jump shots.

At the 2009 FIBA Americas Championship in Puerto Rico, he averaged 7.8 points, 4.5 rebounds and 4.9 assists as Brazil finished top of the podium.

The following year, Huertas pulled many of the strings that nearly led to an upset of the USA at the FIBA World Championship in Turkey.

Despite his 32 points in the Brazilians' last 16 game against Argentina, their South American rivals won, 93-89.

Huertas returned to the court the following year at the 2011 FIBA Americas Championship in Mar del Plata and led the men to their first Olympic qualification since 1996.

The Brazilians made it to the Final to reach the 2012 Olympics and then, in London, advanced to the Quarter-Finals before settling for a fifth-place finish.

Last year was a tremendous disappointment for Huertas and Brazil because the national team, without several frontline players, crashed to four defeats in as many games at the FIBA Americas Championship in Caracas, Venezuela.

The team received a wild card to play at the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup and should be at full strength.

Magnano's recent visit to Huertas was important.

It served as a reminder that the player is held in high regard by the coach and Brazil's Bsketball Confederation (CBB), and that his leadership is going to be needed if the national side is going to have success at the World Cup and relegate the 2013 disappointment to the dustbin of history.

"I saw him very excited," Huertas said, "and of course, I am also ready to do more great work together."

At the World Cup, Brazil will play in Group B against hosts Spain, Serbia, France, Iran and Egypt.

FIBA