BRA - Monsalve believes Brazil 'have a chance'

RIO DE JANEIRO (Olympics) - Moncho Monsalve coached Brazil to a gold medal at the 2009 FIBA Americas Championship and knows what sort of potential they have going into this summer's London Games.

The Brazilians will be making their first appearance at the Olympics since 1996 and to throw at opponents, national team coach Ruben Magnano has San Antonio Spurs center Tiago Splitter and Barcelona point guard Marcelo Huertas.

The question remains, though, will all of Brazil's experienced players go to London?

"If everyone goes, if Leandro Barbosa and Anderson Varejao (Cleveland Cavaliers) goes - he's hurt - I think they've got a chance to be very close to the fourth place," Monsalve said to FIBA.com.

"That's my opinion."

Barbosa, who was recently traded from Toronto to Indiana in the NBA, didn't make himself available last year and has been under scrutiny for that decision, making some wonder if Magnano will take him to London since he didn't help the national team qualify.

"This is the problem," Monsalve said.

"But this is a decision for Magnano.

"I think if they both go, Brazil have a chance to beat anybody but I think if they did go, the could also lose to any team."

Monsalve was at the FIBA Americas Championship as an observer last summer and saw some excellent basketball games.

He will also be at the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Caracas, Venezuela, that tips off on 2 July.

When asked if Venezuela, who came in fifth last summer, have a chance to claim one of the three spots up for grabs to the London Games, Monsalve said: "They've got a very good coach (Eric Musselman) so we'll see.

"I like the Dominican Republic, though. They could take one of the spots."

How does Monsalve think the European teams will play?

"It's very important," he said, "how they control the games.

"If they run the same (up) tempo as the South American teams, it's not easy."

FIBA