Patty Mills Bold Prediction

Patty Mills and the Australian National Team will be pitted in the same Group A as Team USA when the Olympics kick off in Rio. Mills believes his team can knock off USA.

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The significance is that this is the first time ever, the two teams have been placed in the same group, and is also the Australian National team’s first real shot against them in the 2016 Olympic Games basketball tournament.

Although they are not as strong as they have been in recent years, the expectation is that Team USA will finish the tournament donning the gold medal.

San Antonio Spurs guard Patty Mills feels differently this year, and has more than a little confidence in the Australian National team.

Because they are also NBA players, Mills, along with Matthew Dellavedova, Joe Ingles, Aron Baynes and Andrew Bogut, makes the Australian National team just as dangerous as any other. There will be more NBA players representing their home countries in the Olympic tournament than there has ever been in the history of the games.

Apr 24, 2016; Memphis, TN, USA; San Antonio Spurs guard Patty Mills (8) reacts during the first half against the Memphis Grizzlies in game four of the first round of the NBA Playoffs at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Justin Ford-USA TODAY Sports

Coupled with the fact that the US does not have its most lethal team in Rio this year, they have even more to prove now than ever.

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Mills, speaking with reporters is convinced regardless, that his team can can take down Team USA despite any handicaps or disadvantages.

This time we’re in the same pool, which is better … and they can be beaten. With the group that we have, we believe that we can beat them.

To be able to achieve greatness we need to be able to beat greatness, and that’s what we see with the USA team, with France and the other powerhouses.

This of course has opened up bulletin board material for Team USA to use, and they may not feel the Australian National Team is as big of a threat as Mills, but they still have to prove it.

While the US team is a bit vulnerable, they aren’t anything to scoff at, with stars like Kevin Durant, Carmelo Anthony and sharpshooter Klay Thompson.

There is no way for a team to enter this tournament and with, while having the mentality that they are going to lose. In a way it’s sort of a train of thought Mills has seen and learned in the NBA.

Someone’s going to need to beat them at some point to able to get over the line.

They are still a very strong side with the players they have … but we’re going to give it a red-hot crack that’s for sure. The goal that we’ve established, so let’s us aim for that

This is why the games are played. The best representation from each country come to compete with each other for bragging rights, for four years.

Team USA might be favored, but it won’t be easy.

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