‘What makes us great is our depth’ - JLA praises bench

When being assembled, much was made about the sheer depth of talent on Melbourne United’s roster for NBL24.

Now fully healthy, that hype has proven to be well warranted.

Across United’s 28-point demolition of the South East Melbourne Phoenix in Throwdown XXIII, Melbourne’s bench came up huge time and time again, combining for 47 points and playing lockdown defence.

Speaking after the game, star big-man Jo Lual-Acuil Jr, who tallied 17 points, seven blocks and seven rebounds, heaped praise on the depth of his side.

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“(Playing well) feels good but it’s a team thing,” he explained.

“You have guys like Tanner (Krebs), people probably aren’t going to talk about him but he played 12 minutes, was +22. KB (Kyle Bowen), A (Ariel Hukporti), Ian (Clark), even Flynn (Cameron), we have so much depth… What makes us great is our depth, I feel like the attention needs to go to those guys more so than anything. 

“It’s not the first time this has happened, the last Throwdown we played we had great step-ups from those guys as well. They might not get the attention that they warrant but they’re doing a great job for us so shout out to those guys.”

Fans will get the chance to see United’s bench hit the floor again on Saturday evening when they face off against the Adelaide 36ers.

Tickets are selling fast, so get in quick to secure your seat today!