I really scratch my head when I see Delly haters on Aussie Hoops pages.
I cannot understand the hate. No one says he is as good as Lebron. No one thinks he is at starting PG level in the NBA. We are celebrating his successes - which come at the surprise of most of the world, and due to his hard work and dedication - what the hell is wrong with these people?
The difference between Delly, and an NBL guard is WORK ETHIC. If Dellavedova were to never play another minute in the NBA, he is already a success story.
When people hate on guys like Delly, Mills, Bogut, it just makes me realise how little they know about the game of Basketball.
As the US olympic teams have proven, even the highest calibre teams need good role players. Not everybody can be a star. When international basketball became more sophisticated, they couldn't throw out 12 stars of any particular skill set and walk to a gold medal. They had to fill different niches in their team with different skill sets and abilities.
Same holds true for the NBA. You cannot have a team of 12 stars yet only one basketball. You need a guy who "Hustles like Delly" - and Australia should be glad we produced that. A guard heavy team needs a rim protector, rebounder and shot blocker - we produced that in Bogut. An aging team needs a spark off the bench, with speed and scoring ability - Mills. Hating on any of these guys - who are VERY GOOD ROLE PLAYERS simply belies a lack of knowledge of the game.