Sport
10 August, 2023
Delly’s Australian dreams come to an end at second-last hurdle
Matthew Dellavedova’s dream of representing Australia in another FIBA World Cup has come to an end, having been a victim of the second round of cuts for the Boomers World Cup squad. The 18-man squad was cut to 15 on Sunday, with Sam Froling, Thon...
Matthew Dellavedova’s dream of representing Australia in another FIBA World Cup has come to an end, having been a victim of the second round of cuts for the Boomers World Cup squad.
The 18-man squad was cut to 15 on Sunday, with Sam Froling, Thon Maker and Keanu Pinder cut from the squad, and was further cut to 13 late on Wednesday, with Dellavedova and Will McDowell-White cut.
The Boomers are currently on camp in Cairns at the moment, and were slated to play in a warm-up series against Venezuela, Brazil and South Sudan, which will see the Boomers compete next Monday, Wednesday and Thursday at John Cain Arena in Melbourne.
Selection in the final squad would have meant Dellavedova would be selected for the third time, after previous selections in 2014 and 2019, but with the Boomers featuring many exciting young talents, the tough decision has been made to cut him from the final squad.
The squad features the likes of up-and-coming National Basketball Association (NBA) players, such as Oklahoma City Thunder’s Josh Giddey, Washington Wizards’ Xavier Cooks and the Houston Rockets’ Jock Landale, as well as experienced heads such as the Orlando Magic’s Joe Ingles and the Atlanta Hawks’ Patty Mills.
Melbournians will get Dellavedova back on his home floor for the 2023-24 National Basketball League season, where he is set to return to Melbourne United following a one-season stint with the Sacramento Kings in the NBA.
Although Dellavedova played limited minutes, his experience and guidance still helped Sacramento’s younger brigade, in particular, guards De’Aaron Fox, All-NBA Rookie First Team selection Keegan Murray and sharpshooter Kevin Huerter guide the Kings into their first playoff appearance in 17 years, where they ultimately fell to the Golden State Warriors in seven games.