Olympian Glen Saville reckons Hawks club MVP Todd Blanchfield can take his game to a new level by rubbing shoulders with Australia's NBA stars later this year.
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Blanchfield was named as part of a 17-man Boomers squad to take on the USA and Canada in August.
It includes Philadelphia talent Ben Simmons and Jonah Bolden, NBA championships winners Matthew Dellavedova, Patty Mills and Andrew Bogut, as well as Aron Baynes and Joe Ingles.
Saville said while it's opened the door to a potential World Cup selection, the games and training camps offer Blanchfield a special opportunity.
"It's huge," he said.
"Just being around these guys and the professional environment they bring from the NBA, it's a chance to learn and grow as a player.
"I was 28 when I first got picked for a major tournament, so the opportunity is there to be part of this squad at a time when Australian basketball is as good as it's ever been.
"And whether he's at a World Cup or the next Olympics or not, he can bring of lot of the experience with NBA talent back to what he does with the Hawks."
Blanchfield is a key member of the new-look Illawarra roster for next season, under new coach Matt Flinn, who this week announced former NBA player and NBL championship-winner Josh Boone as their marquee import.
The Aussies have drawn Canada, Senegal and world No.6 Lithuania in their preliminary group for the World Cup to be played in China.
Saville met the US at the 2004 and 2008 Olympics, resulting in a 10-point loss in a preliminary game in Athens and 116-85 quarter-final loss in Beijing.
He believes the influx of NBA quality in the Boomers squad means they'll be less fearful of the US if they make it through to a quarter final or medal play-off game.
"The Aussie NBL players are seeing these American guys in action all the time, they're in the same system," he said. "When I was playing we had a couple playing Europe and then Andrew Bogut came through with all the expectation of being an NBA player. But now, all these NBA guys can carry the load together and work with the NBL players to have a really good cohesion."
However, Saville also warned of the pitfalls of playing at a major tournament, especially when an international power like Lithuania laying in wait in the group stage.
"That the thing, we can push the US probably more than we ever have, but we've still got to get there," he said.
"And there's some outstanding European squads there, just the mention of Lithuania and you know you're in for a big contest.
"But hopefully having those NBA players there means we can go a long way."
GREEN AND BOLD
FIBA WORLD UP WARM-UP GAMES
AUSTRALIA v CANADA in Perth, August 16-17
AUSTRALIA v USA in Melbourne, August 22 and 24
Australian squad: Deng Adel, Aron Baynes, Todd Blanchfield, Andrew Bogut, Jonah Bolden, Mitch Creek, Matthew Dellavedova, Cameron Gliddon, Chris Goulding, Joe Ingles, Nick Kay, Jock Landale, Mitch McCarron, Patty Mills, Brock Motum, Ben Simmons, Nathan Sobey.
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