OK, so maybe there is a sprinter on the Australian track and field team that is faster than Patrick Mills.
Maybe.
The speedster who spent two seasons with the Portland Trail Blazers and the earlier part of this season in China and Australia was signed Tuesday by the San Antonio Spurs, the fourth addition they have made to their roster this month (Boris Diaw, Stephen Jackson, Justin Dentmon).
Mills, a 6-0, 185-pound point guard out of St. Mary’s (CA), was drafted by Portland with the 55th overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft. In two seasons with the Blazers, Mills appeared in 74 games, averaging 5.1 points and 1.5 assists in 11.1 minutes. He has a career-mark of .358 (47-133) from three-point range.
A native of Australia, Mills has spent the 2011-12 season playing overseas in his home country and China. Most recently, Mills played for the Xinjian Flying Tigers of the Chinese Basketball Association. In 12 games, he averaged 26.5 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.8 assists. Prior to making the move to China, Mills played in nine games with the Melbourne Tigers, averaging 18.6 points, 5.0 assists and 2.3 rebounds.
Mills is a member of the Australian National Team which has already qualified for the 2012 Olympics.
Mills will wear No. 8 for the Spurs and is expected to be in uniform tonight when the Spurs play the Suns in Phoenix.
San Antonio now has a full roster of 15 players.