Banter, and plenty of it, looms as Australia's weapon to finally win an Olympic medal in Rio de Janeiro. Aron Baynes and former San Antonio Spurs teammate Patty Mills, Andrew Bogut, Matthew Dellavedova and Cameron Bairstow are making an impact on the NBA and are now planning to do so on the international stage. 
While each is focused on their own team's fortunes, there is no doubting they are starting to dream of Olympic gold. So much so, the entire Boomers squad is in constant contact, talking up their Olympic aspirations.
"It's something that every Aussie guy over here keeps in close contact," Baynes told Fairfax Media in the Detroit Pistons' dressing rooms at Madison Square Garden shortly after the loss to the New York Knicks earlier this week. "We have our sights set on coming together as a team for Rio ... Everything we are doing out here is trying to get ready for that. It's something we have been building on for eight years. We are all invested in it."
Australia's coach Andrej Lemanis also keeps tabs on his stars. "The [coaching staff] always send an email," Baynes said. "It's up to us to read it but they always stay in contact with us. Andrej is the head of that. He pushes it. It's good to know that we've got that support."
Rio will be Baynes' second Olympics, having been part of the Australian side which lost to the United States before the medal stages in London four years ago. He said the Boomers were placed to re-enter the semi-finals for the first time since Sydney.
"I'm happy I have some experience there," Baynes said. "I saw we can compete with the guys but we really have to come ready for that first game. Australia has lost the first game in the last couple of Olympics and that's come back to bite us in the cross-over games. We have our sights focused on getting to the medal round. We have the talent level, it's just about coming together as a team and fostering that."
Since featuring at London 2012, Baynes has entrenched himself in the NBA. He is in his first season at the Pistons having been part of San Antonio's championship victory in 2014.