Defence, excitement on United’s recruitment wishlist

Written by Melbourne United Media

Coming into the NBL23 season, no organisation within the league had established as strong a defensive identity as Melbourne United.

Led by Dean Vickerman, United had put together a top-two defensive rating in each of his five previous seasons, three of which they ranked first in defensive rating, leading to a pair of Championships and five straight playoff appearances.

Unfortunately for MU, this streak came to an end across NBL23, as injuries handicapped Vickerman’s group before Round 1 had even begun.

Not one for excuses, United’s coach says he and the club have already begun their review as to what needs to be improved for the upcoming season in order to return to their defensive dominance.

“The offseason provides the opportunity to really assess everything that you do and how you do it,” he told MU Media.

“We’re looking at how we can find better processes for every decision that we make as a club, and having time to be able to do that is important.

“I think we’ve done a good job in how we’ve reviewed players and staff…  We’re looking at areas of improvement, especially in recruitment and how we go about trying to build a roster that can get back to being a top-two defensive team in the league and can be super exciting for our fans.”

Putting together an exciting product for their fans was one thing United thrived across the NBL23 season, with highlight plays aplenty thanks to Melbourne’s collection of stars.