'New' Delly having a Boomer time
TweetTHE Boomers don’t intentionally mean to be hammering the point but yes, they are going to Spain in pursuit of a World Cup medal.
Fifth place is Australia’s best return from a World Championship and starting point guard Matthew Dellavedova – a London Olympian in 2012 – is excited about what lies in store for coach Andrej Lemanis’ first major international campaign.
“It’s a pretty balanced team,” said the impressive young man who last season joined Andrew Bogut, Patty Mills and Aron Baynes in the NBA.
That’s even without Bogut (rehabbing) and Mills (recovering from shoulder surgery).
“Defensively we’ll get after it and offensively, well, without Patty we will have to find the points in other ways,” Dellavedova said.
“Obviously it’s really disappointing for Patty he can’t play.
“You know how much it means to him playing for the Boomers, especially after the season he’s had.
“No one person will replace his scoring. There will be a lot of ball movement.”
An NBA season with Cleveland Cavaliers alongside Melbourne-born point guard Kyrie Irving has changed Dellavedova’s life and it will evolve even further next season with LeBron James as a teammate.
In the meantime though, it is great to be home among his Australian contemporaries.
“I think I forgot how much fun it is to train and play with the (Boomers) boys,” he said.
“It’s been even better than I remember – how focused everyone is on doing what’s best for the group.”
The stated goal of a podium finish has kept the team’s aspirations very keenly focused, which only makes for positive, tough and highly-competitive sessions.
Everyone is pushing each other to be the best they can be.
“Overall we’re a pretty young team but there’s some very experienced players too, (such as) David Andersen, Joe Ingles, Brad Newley,” Delly said.
“It’s a good mix with some great inside targets for us.”
Yes, London Olympic fans, expect to see more of that undeniably spectacular Dellavedova-Baynes “pick-and-roll for the dunk” action.
“It’s fun combining with Baynesy,” Dellavedova said.
“He sets such good screens you have to reward him on the roll.”
At the London Games after Australia thrillingly upset Russia on Mills’ siren-beating 3-pointer, David Blatt, coach of the Russian Federation, had some kind words for Delly.
“He came up after and said: ‘Good game’ – he remembered Baynesy and I running the pick-and-roll.”
Funny how Life deals its cards.
Blatt, who then coached Maccabi Tel Aviv to the Euroleague Championship with dual-Olympian Joe Ingles in his lineup, now is the new head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers.
“He coached us at Summer League,” Dellavedova said, the Maryborough junior excited by the prospect of playing and training with LeBron James, the world’s best basketball player.
James is pushing for the Cavs to assemble a title contender with names such as Kevin Love and Ray Allen among many being bandied.
“In the NBA, anything can happen,” Dellavedova said.
“I’ve already had five-six teammates traded.
“(My goal is) to keep getting better every day and do whatever the team needs to help us win.
“That’s what I did last year and it worked well. This season is about trying to consolidate.”
Clearly he wants to stay in Cleveland and Australian NBA fans would love nothing more than to see the Cavs and Spurs go head-to-head for a Championship, meaning Delly and Patty going head-to-head as well.
“That would be great,” Delly agreed.
The only thing better than watching trail-blazing Aussie Luc Longley winning an NBA Championship was watching two Aussies (Mills and Baynes) winning one.
Then again, Utah Jazz also could boast a pair of Aussies, with Dante Exum taken at #5 in the Draft and Brock Motum forcing his way into camp with his performances at Summer League in Las Vegas.
“I think Brock has a very good opportunity,” Dellavedova said.
“He can really score from the 4-spot and he is very athletic.
“Utah just traded some back-up 4-men so hopefully he can do well at the Worlds and then at (Jazz preseason) training.”
Exum is the one all eyes will be on and, so far, the youngster mostly has handled the additional pressure with genuine aplomb.
“Dante will contribute (in Spain) and has a really, really bright future,” Dellavedova said.
“He did well at (Boomers) camp and showed why he was taken so high in the Draft.”
Dellavedova believes that after Summer League, Exum’s stepping stone into the NBA via the World Cup will prepare him well, playing against men and “international big bodies”.
“It’s a big step up for him but having I think 10 practice games, then the World Cup leading into the NBA will be a big help,” Delly said.
“It’s an 82-game schedule and the key thing is to take care of your body.
“The number of games, plus the travel, can take its toll.”
That said, it must be difficult to always bring your A-game when, for example, it might be Game #47 or #63 on the schedule.
“In the situation I was in? Every night you’re fighting for your NBA career so it was pretty easy to get up for every game,” he said.
“There’s a lot of people who’d kill to have your job so motivation wasn’t an issue for me.”
Seeing his family in the stands at a Cavs game, knowing how much his parents and sisters have contributed to get him where he is, Dellavedova will never take it for granted.
But being based in the USA does have its downside.
“Apart from family and friends, I think I miss the footy and the banter that goes with it,” the dyed-in-the-wool Collingwood fan said.
He lost a bet to Boomers teammate and Hawks fan Ingles when his beloved Magpies went down recently to Hawthorn and also heard it from Crows ambassador Mills when Adelaide lowered Collingwood’s colors.
It comes with the territory.
Mills’ absence also means more responsibility for Delly in Spain.
“I will have to take on more of a leadership role,” he said.
It’s clear he already is.
For more on Matthew Dellavedova, my News Corp interview with him is at: http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/sport/basketball/aussie-country-boy-matthew-dellavedova-living-nba-dream-as-lebron-james-new-teammate/story-fnii09gt-1227010756460