It was a rough thing to see a young player in Dante Exum tear his ACL in a non-competitive match against New Zealand while playing for the Australian team. It was a non-contact injury which is the worst part of it. Now, Spurs Guard Patty Mills will be taking his spot on the roster. The Australian team has to play a series against New Zealand which will determine if they will be closer to the 2016 Rio Olympics. According to Basketball Australia, Mills confirmed it:
“I’m looking forward to joining my Boomers teammates for this very important qualification series against New Zealand,” he said. “Playing for my country has always been an honour for me.
“Obviously my shoulder injury last year meant that I had to continue intensive rehab and quality training over the past few months. I’ve done that and will be ready for the Oceania Championships. My focus now is helping my Boomers teammates qualify for Rio 2016.”
Mills and Dellavedova and Andrew Bogut are the three best talents on the team without Exum. They have a serious chance to qualify for 2016 Rio, but the absence of Exum won’t be as felt with the help of Mills and Delly.
