NANJING (Olympics) - Brian Goorjian is leading Australia at the Olympics for the second time in his career.

This time, the Boomers coach’s expectations are higher, even though he’s in a race against time to have the team ready for Group A games against Argentina, Russia, Iran, Lithuania and Croatia.

European-based stars David Andersen and Matt Nielsen were late arrivals while Andrew Bogut only recently joined the national team after putting pen to paper on a new contract with the Milwaukee Bucks.

After this week’s Diamond Ball for Men in Nanjing, the Aussies will get the ultimate test with a game against the United States in Asia.

Here is part of an interview that Goorjian gave this week to FIBA.Com in China.

FIBA: Is this Australia team ready to play in the Olympics?

Brian Goorjian: Not today as we speak. It’s the most talented team that I’ve had in six years with the Boomers, but at this point in time, we just haven’t had the guys together for any period of time. We’ve yet to have Andrew Bogut, Dave Andersen and Matt Nielsen on the floor together or playing a game together. That’s the challenge of taking advantage of this (Diamond Ball) tournament and playing Team USA.

FIBA: You had some great results early this summer against Iran and New Zealand and your team was employing a lot of full-court pressure and you once remarked that this was going to be your team’s identity. But then you had some problems against Croatia, and at the Acropolis Tournament once you added big guys Andersen and Nielsen. Do you have to play a different style with them?

Brian Goorjian: Definitely. You have to say that Croatia are a step up from Iran and New Zealand, so we’re playing a better basketball team, and also Brazil and Greece were a different level and we weren’t playing at home. I’m hoping that there is a carry-over to the importance of the defensive importance to the floor. I thought as time went on in Australia, we had a better understanding of the ball, we weren’t turning it over as much or taking bad shots. We’re not able to play as fast with those three guys on the floor but maybe we can use the pressing line-up for periods of time over the course of the (Olympic) tournament.

FIBA: It’s interesting to hear you say that you’ve got the most talented team that you have ever had. In saying this, aren’t you raising expectations?

Brian Goorjian: I’m just stating the truth. We’re underprepared and a bit disorganized, but the country hasn’t had David Andersen, Matt Nielsen and Andrew Bogut (all together) before. And we’ve added a lot of length on the perimeter since I’ve been here in Dave Barlow, (Brad) Newley, Joe Ingles. You’ve got 6ft 7in, 6ft 8in in those perimeter spots. We’ve been 6ft 2in, 6ft 3in and most of the guys in those spots were one dimensional where these guys can shoot it and put it on the floor. I know this - it’s a brighter future ahead than four years ago when we brought a lot of guys who were 29, 30 years old that had never played in Olympic Games, never played in the World Games, never played in the Commonwealth Games, due to the fact that that group to seven to eight guys had represented Australia in Three straight Olympics.

FIBA