Spurs’ Mills says Australia has surprises for Brazil

One thing I love about the upcoming 2012 Olympic basketball tournament is seeing NBA teammates having to play against each other. Such as San Antonio Spurs’ Tony Parker, Boris Diaw and Nando De Colo of the French National Team having to face Manu Ginobili and the Argentine National Team. Even Los Angeles Lakers’ Kobe Bryant of Team U.S.A. will more than likely have to play against Pau Gasol of Spain. The same goes for Spurs’ Patty Mills and Team Australia and Brazil with Tiago Splitter. 

Brazil and Australia played an exhibition game where Splitter and Team Brazil won 87-71. However, these two team will play their first game at the Olympic games against one another and Mills says Australia will be ready for Brazil along with a few surprises.

“It was a tricky situation because the exhibition game was scheduled before our actual London schedule had come out,” Mills told reporters on Wednesday.

“On purpose we didn’t play the way that we want to play, we are kind of saving it for the real deal.

“There are still a lot of things we can learn from that game and definitely we learned a lot about what they can and can’t do.”

Got to love this smack talk but Australia will have a mountain to climb if they want to beat a stacked Brazilian squad with Splitter, Nene, Leandro Barbosa, Alex Garcia, and Anderson Varejao. However, Australia is coached by Spurs assistant coach Brett Brown and with his championship know-how, Brown could have his sqaud ready to topple Brazil.

Mills will be looked upon to carry the load for Australia (considering they will be without big man Andrew Bogut) but with Brazil having the stronger roster, all Mills can hope for is that some of those surprises will be enough to get the opening game win in London.