NBL
Peter Mitchell, AAP US Correspondent 5y

Team USA plans to dine out on Boomer Mills

NBL

Gregg Popovich has a devious plan to slow down Patty Mills when Team USA takes on the Boomers in next week's pre-World Cup exhibition games in Melbourne.

The master NBA coach is going to fatten the Australian point guard up.

"I'm going to take him out to eat," Popovic, jokingly told reporters on Los Angeles on Tuesday.

"I'm going to fill him up and try to make him fat so he can't move around so quickly."

Popovich, of course, knows Mills' game inside out after coaching the Australian at the San Antonio Spurs since 2012.

He infamously dubbed Mills "Fatty Patty" when he turned up to training camp with extra kilos in 2013.

The US squad and the Boomers will be arch rivals at the World Cup in China that begins at the end of the month.

The two exhibition games against the Boomers at Melbourne's Marvel Stadium on August 22 and 24 will pit NBA mate against mate, with Popovich versus Mills and Joe Ingles jousting with Utah Jazz team-mate Donovan Mitchell.

Andrew Bogut is also competing against good friend and former Golden State Warriors teammate Harrison Barnes while Aron Baynes matches up against the Boston Celtics trio of Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart and Jayson Tatum.

Mitchell has been elevated to one the US squad's team leaders after All-Stars including James Harden, Anthony Davis and Damian Lillard dropped out of the World Cup.

The exodus has been criticised in the US media and also disappointed Australian basketball fans who paid for tickets in the expectation of seeing the NBA's elite play in Melbourne.

Mitchell said Australian fans will not be disappointed, with his US squad not taking the Melbourne games lightly.

"We can't treat any game like an exhibition," said Mitchell.

"We have to come ready to play because these teams have been playing together for many years.

"Look at the Australians. You have Joe Ingles and Patty Mills who have been playing together for, I can't tell you how long."

Popovich said his young US team, which features just one All-Star in Kemba Walker, has qualities that will make it dangerous.

"First of all they sacrificed their time, they are all committed, they want to do this, they're really attentive and their work ethic is absolutely wonderful," he said.

Mitchell is prepared for plenty of Ingles' legendary trash talk and cheeky play.

"He's always grabbing at you, pulling your shorts and stuff," said Mitchell, recounting his experience on the Jazz practice court with Ingles.

"He's a fierce competitor and I'm looking forward to it."

Team USA plays Spain in an exhibition game in Anaheim, California, on Friday and then heads to Melbourne on Saturday.

They will also play Canada in Sydney on August 26 before departing for China.

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