Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Who Is Matthew Dellavedova?


Matthew Dellavedova is on the rise.

The most asked question to me coming from Sunday's Australian Boomers, New Zealand Tall Blacks clash was, who is Matthew Dellavedova?

A quick answer would be the
best rated junior player in this country right now, but let's take a closer look at the Maryborough, Victoria junior's game.

The 6'3
combo guard is heading to St Mary's College this season to join the plethora of other Aussies that have decided to make Moraga, Ca their home during their college career.

I first laid eyes on Dellavedova earlier this year at the National u/20 Championships when he was playing for the Victorian team the finished third.

The best attribute of his game is his desire to just get the job done. Whatever is required in the game, he will be there to try and make good of the situation.

Although he is considered a combo guard I believe that he is a work in progress for the point guard position. His feel for the game is well and truly a strong point. Put this together with his decision making and it certainly sounds like we have a point guard in the making.

I would not call him a lights out shooter, but he makes enough from long range that you cannot let him stand their and shoot. (His first touch for the Boomers the other night was a corner three.) If I'm Dellavedova, the minute I walk onto the St Mary's campus, I find a coach who will rebound for me so I can become deadly from town down.

What I believe is his strong suit is defense. I have not seen enough of him to see if he can keep the quick athlete in front, but as those of us that saw the Boomers play the other night, he can be given a job of trying to shut the key perimeter player.

He has good size, 6'3, so he can match up on most wing players while also having the speed. He did a great job on New Zealand's Kirk Penney in Game 1. He wore him like a glove during he second half and eventually that wore Penney down.

Dellavedova will not face many better than Kirk Penney in the WCC.

Where do I see his game going?

If this young man has a good work ethic and continues to develop his game over the next few years at St Mary's, who knows.

The way he already plays the game with a level of intensity that most kids do not have yet, he is already on a winner.

His offensive game needs some refining in the fact he needs to become a consistent shooter from deep and add a mid range game. Whether that is being able to work the pick and roll at the point guard spot or coming of picks and knocking down the open three if playing the two guard spot, he needs to start developing an arsenal of moves.

I see him being a point guard of the future which would be good from an international level. Australia has been forever looking for a bigger, stronger point guard to match up with the great versatile European teams.

Where his career ends up will depend on how he develops his game over the next few years.

St Mary's should be nothing but a positive experience for the kid's game under Head Coach Randy Bennett.

And who knows, could he follow in Pat Mills footsteps as the next Aussie to be drafted into the NBA?

10 comments:

Hoss said...

Watched him train at the kings school with the Boomers and wasn't overly impressed, but did a complete 180 after watching him on Sunday. He was right in Penny's face and played some good offense. You could see he was running om nerves but this kid has a real future. Good on Brown for picking him!

Eric said...

Geez, not many good ballers have come out of Maryborough

ClintDogg said...

Matthew Dellavedova will be the 1st guy cut from the Boomers.

Unknown said...

Played with more tenacity then the rest of the team. Brown has a lot of faith in him, probably grooming him as back up to Patty. Hey, I was real impressed by him on Sunday and he will only get better.

Hoss said...

Brown should be an cricket selector!

Anonymous said...

CLINT DOG
Matthew Dellavedova will be the 1st guy cut from the Boomers.

Oi dick head his playing for the Boomers

Anonymous said...

And he was prob one of the best players in tonights game, at the end when everyone else was panicking, he was calm and collected pulling guys in trying to get them all settled.. and hes only 18.

Clint doesnt know f*&k all

Anonymous said...

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=4420048

ClintDogg said...

LOL @ Annon.

Where the room 4 Bogut?. Anderson? Neilson?. CJ Bruton?. Should I go on?

I know more than you DJ Rod, you don't even know who your own teams 1st GAME WAS AGAINST.

Nice try at getting back at me on that 1 hey.

Anonymous said...

Bogut, Andersen, Nielsen, Worthington, Redhage/Ballinger, Barlow, Mills, Bruton are all yet to comeback.
I agree with you ClintDogg, Matthew Dellavedova, Baynes and Ogilvy will be the 1st 1s gone.
Any1 who thinks otherwise has their Boomers goggles on.