Versatile United ready to win regardless of lineup

Melbourne United’s ability to continue winning, regardless of what lineup takes to the floor, has been unmatched across NBL24.

Across the first five Rounds on the new season, Dean Vickerman has played 17 different five-man lineups at least 10 possessions together, the most of any team in the league as per Spacialjam’s Player Combo Data.

Despite this lack of consistency when it comes to who’s taking the floor each night, MU have rolled through their competition, picking up eight wins from their first nine games.

Round 6 could see United have their full lineup at their disposal with the return of Matthew Dellavedova and potential return of Ian Clark. Speaking to media on Thursday, Dean Vickerman said he can’t wait to showcase what his side can do at full strength.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">In the middle of a seven day break, and whilst preparing for our matchup against the Perth Wildcats during Indigenous Round on Monday night, Dean &amp; Delly spoke to the media. Watch their interviews here:<br>Dean: <a href="https://t.co/eac6eRdHIp">https://t.co/eac6eRdHIp</a>?| Delly: <a href="https://t.co/etPPHMMQ6e">https://t.co/etPPHMMQ6e</a> <a href="https://t.co/oEX0AIBPfn">pic.twitter.com/oEX0AIBPfn</a></p>&mdash; Melbourne United (@MelbUnited) <a href="https://twitter.com/MelbUnited/status/1719965060326732159?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 2, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

“We haven’t played our full team yet, we haven’t had our full roster on the floor,” he said.

“That’s certainly the hope over the next three games before the FIBA break, to put that out there. 

“There’s some lineups that we haven’t tried yet, we’ve talked about the bigs playing together, last time we finished in Perth we finished with Delly (Matthew Dellavedova), Ian Clark, Shea (Ili), Chris (Goulding) and LT (Luke Travers) and had a small-ball group so there’s a lot more things to explore with this group.

“We surveyed the guys about this quarter and who we wanted to be was a real strong defensive team and a well connected team with the ability to share the basketball and we’re ticking those things off at the moment.”

Dellavedova echoed his coach, adding that this group’s sheer want for success has made NBL24 a fun season to be a part of.

“It’s really fun. There’s a good vibe around the group obviously after having a few good weeks in a row,” he explained.

“I think that’s a big strength of this group. We haven’t had everyone on the floor in a game together yet but we’ve continued finding ways to win, playing different styles.

“I think we’ve got a lot of guys with high IQ’s that can adjust, play different styles and we’ve got such a deep team, everyone just wants to win so I think that’s what makes it the most fun.”

United fans will get their next opportunity to see the team’s stars hit the court on Monday night when they face the Perth Wildcats as part of Indigenous Round.

Taking place the night before the Melbourne Cup, it’s the perfect opportunity to get the family together for a blockbuster evening of hoops.

To lock in your spot, secure your seat today via ticketek, or grab a three or five game membership to ensure you’re there for Melbourne’s remaining home games.