Vickerman Expects "Better" Delly in NBL24

Melbourne United head coach Dean Vickerman has put the NBL on notice, and believes his side is getting a “better” version of Matthew Dellavedova than the one that graced NBL22.

Dellavedova’s return to Melbourne was confirmed following Sacramento’s elimination from the NBA post-season, with the Australian basketball legend citing the potential for a larger role and more playing time as key in his decision to return.

In the season prior to initially signing with the club, Dellavedova experienced a variety of injury and health issues that prevented him from taking to the floor. Head and neck problems restricted him to just 13 games in his final campaign with Cleveland – as did an emergency appendectomy.

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Although Dellavedova is still recovering from the finger injury, that removed him from Sacramento’s recent playoff campaign, Vickerman believes the star signing has stronger momentum coming into NBL24.

“My first though is ‘he’s going to be better’,” Vickerman said on The Extra Pass. “We’re just going to get a better version of Delly this time around.

“Even talking to him saying ‘I’m guarding (De’Aaron) Fox in practice, I feel like I’m locking up and defending well against one of the best scorers in the league’.

“I think he’s just going to join us at a much different level than he joined us last time.

“He didn’t start that great last time, but we saw when he got going what he was capable of and that sent him back to the NBA.

“This time we get a guy that’s still got that super hunger, is still going to scrap and dive on the floor and do those things defensively, but I think we probably get an even more rounded offensive player this time around.”

Dellavedova is one of a raft of incoming new players for Melbourne ahead of the new season, and Vickerman believes the ability to recruit players so early in the off-season, is a silver-lining of the side missing the playoffs in NBL23.

Melbourne missed out on the top six on percentage alone last season, and brought in a number of stars ahead of the new campaign.

“Having that extra time through finals – which we’re uncomfortable with – when you’re actually recruiting it’s pretty nice to be able to put a team together and have that much time,” he said.

“Krebs and Travers were pretty big signings in free agency and sought after guys, and with Delly we had to wait until the season finished to see what happened there in Sacramento.

“Now there’s just these other pieces we’ve still got to close out the roster with.

“A backup centre in a development space or a nominated replacement (player), and import guard, and we’re pretty much full.”

Melbourne will play in the very first game of the new season when they take on local rivals South East Melbourne on Thursday, September 28.