Team USA will face its next test against the Australian national team, the first of two exhibition tilts against the Boomers at Marvel Stadium in Melbourne. Point guard Kemba Walker and head coach Gregg Popovich know why this friendly preparation game was scheduled, aware of the toughness and ultra-competitive nature of international basketball.

The Aussies boast players like Patty Mills, Joe Ingles, Aron Baynes, and Matthew Dellavedova among others that will test the Americans' toughness and their resilience over 40 minutes.

“We know how good these guys are, how tough they are,” said Walker without hesitation, according to ESPN's Kane Pitman. “They still have great players, they have Patty [Mills] and Dellavedova, [Aron] Baynes, great players. These guys have been playing with each other for years, so we expect a great game, a great challenge.”

Popovich, who's plenty familiar with the international circuit, went one step further, knowing just what to expect from this Australian squad on Thursday night, who's coming off a a sizable loss against Canada last week.

“Exactly what I see every time they play. Coach [Andrej] Lemanis, has them relentlessly physically tough,” said Popovich. “They run their offense and execute it really well. That's a team that loves each other, been playing together, experienced, and I would think that's going to continue, that's what they do. That's a hell of a group.”

These two exhibition games in foreign waters should prove a good test for a young American team that is trying to build chemistry and cohesion over a four-week span before taking on the real test in China at the end of August.