Patty Mills say Boomers ready to ‘create history’; drawing USA boost team’s chances
Being in the same pool as the US helps
The Australian Boomers’ star guard Patty Mills believes that his team is capable of doing what no other Australian team has done before and drawing Team USA in the same pool helps their chances.
Foxsports reports that the San Antonio Spurs guard says his Boomers team is in the “best ever” category and believes they can bring home a medal. In about two weeks, the Boomers will be facing off France in their opening game at the Rio Olympics.
“We’re trying to create history,” Mills said. “No other Australian men’s [basketball] team has won a medal and that’s our goal. But it’s the belief everyone has in each other to be able to get this job done that makes us so excited.”
Mills said the addition of the Dallas Mavericks new centre Andrew Bogut helps the team, despite the uncertainty of the centre playing in the games due to injury. He said that Bogut’s presence and having his name amongst the team is already a “big boost.”
The Boomers are drawn in the same pool with the US and will be able to test themselves early in Rio and see if they are capable of winning gold. But Mills believes playing in the same pool as the US increases their chances.
The Courier Mail reports that Mills said playing the US early is “going to be good” for the team. He said that getting team USA early means they won’t see them in the crossover, sudden-death games.
“This time we’re in the same pool, which is better … and they can be beaten,” he said. “With the group that we have, we believe that we can beat them.”
The seven-year NBA guard said that team USA is still a very strong team despite missing some key players in the Olympics. But they are going to give it a “red-hot crack that’s for sure.”
