High-powered rotation has Vickerman excited

Following an off-season with multiple roster changes, Melbourne United Head Coach Dean Vickerman says his new fast-paced rotation has him excited ahead of the start of the 2021 Hungry Jack’s NBL Pre-Season Blitz.

Following today’s announcement of his two-year contract extension, Vickerman said the development of his star-studded back-court has been great to watch.

“There’s a lot of really exciting things with this group,” Vickerman said.

“(We’ve got) two elite point guards from two different countries in Delly (Matthew Dellavedova) and Shea (Ili).

“They’ve been great opponents for each other, making each other better on the practice floor. We haven’t played them together too much, so we look forward to the opportunity to see those guys together.”

Dellavedova’s influence has been significant since he arrived in Melbourne according to Vickerman.

“He’s been amazing, he offers so many different levels,” he continued.

“One being work ethic, but the basketball IQ is something that everyone at our club is going to benefit from.

“There’s a warrior in him… he’s never going to quit, which fits with the culture of this club. Offensively, I think he’s really growing. He’s developing that area and enjoying the opportunities that we’re going to give him.”

While his point guards have been battling, Vickerman is confident in his scorers’ ability to catch fire from all over the court, particularly following a competitive inter-team scrimmage over the weekend.

“Chris (Goulding) was dominant in the game on the weekend, and Caleb (Agada) is a high scorer, so there’s some real talent in that area.”

United’s strength extends to the interior, with Vickerman praising the potential of a super-sized frontcourt.

“Ariel (Hukporti) is a 19-year-old Next Star that we’re asking a lot of. It’s going to be interesting to see how good he can be in this league. We’ve seen him dominate at times in practice… him and Jo Lual-Acuil form a pretty formidable front line.”

With the team chemistry building and the John Cain Arena seats filling up fast, now is the time to UNITE behind your team and become a Melbourne United Member.