Magnano leans on experience as he plans for Rio Games

RIO DE JANEIRO (2016 Rio Olympic Games) - Brazil head coach Ruben Magnano has named a veteran-laden squad for the team's first training camp ahead of the Rio de Janeiro Games, one that includes the majority of players that featured at the London Olympics four years ago.

Forced to go without long-time center Tiago Splitter as the Atlanta Hawks' big man recovers from hip surgery, Magnano has pivots Nene, Rafael Hettsheimeir, Vitor Faverani and Augusto Lima on his 14-man list, as well as power forward Anderson Varejao.

Brazil 14-player squad for Rio 2016 Olympic Games
Leandro Barbosa	Vitor Benite	Vitor Faverani	Alex Garcia
Guilherme Giovannoni	Rafael Hettsheimeir	Marcelinho Huertas	Augusto Lima
Rafa Luz	Marquinhos	Nene	Raulzinho Neto
Larry Taylor	Anderson Varejao

Bruno Caboclo, Bebe Nogueira and Cristiano Felicio, players on NBA teams, have not been included as each wants to take part in the summer league.

Faverani could be an intriguing addition to the squad. After watching his career take off with Valencia Basket in the Spanish league, Faverani signed with the Boston Celtics but he was slowed by injuries. He played for Greece national team coach Fotis Katsikaris this season at Murcia and looked to be getting back to his best.

"Injuries have played a big part in his not being a part of our program in recent years," Magnano said. "Today he is playing very good basketball and had an excellent season in Murcia. He is very willing to be here with us and has expressed so."

A couple of players that everyone in Brazil is keeping tabs on are Leandro Barbosa and Anderson, members of the Golden State Warriors team that facing the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Finals.

"They will be with us from 24 June," Magnano said. "We'll see if they get to a seventh game in the NBA Finals, but we are doing everything for them to be with us and monitoring their activity in the US in order to treat them correctly."

Magnano had expected to have Felicio, who appeared in 31 games for the Chicago Bulls this season and turns 24 next month, available.

"When I was with him in the States, everything was set for him to be with us," Magnano said. "I told him it would be very good for him to play the South American Championship, just to get back into shape (given he wasn't playing much in the NBA). At that moment he was okay with it. When I started putting together this list, the Brazilian Confederation (CBB) told me he was not going to be available. Of course I am not pleased. We spent a lot of time trying to make it happen.

"He is a player of great potential, our youth program invested a lot of time in him. But these are personal decisions and we have to understand them. It does not mean I agree but it is what it is, we won't have him and that chapter is closed for now."

Brazil will not be short of NBA players because in addition to the Washington Wizards' Nene, Barbosa and Varejao, point guards Raulzinho Neto of the Utah Jazz and Marcelinho Huertas of the Los Angeles Lakers are in the squad.

The team will also have players that have experience in the NBA like Alex Garcia and Marquinhos, who was the country's best player at the FIBA Basketball World Cup two years ago.

FIBA