Matthew Dellavedova's NBL body of work has revived his Boomers hopes, with Brian Goorjian revealing the cast-aside guard is firmly back in the frame for Paris 2024.
Goorjian left the three-time Olympian out of Australia's World Cup team last year, blooding Dyson Daniels and allowing emerging NBA star Josh Giddey to run the floor.
A 2016 NBA champion with Cleveland, Dellavedova had earned another crack in the United States with Sacramento, but rarely played.
Goorjian made the tough call to leave Dellavedova and centre Aron Baynes - who had been key figures in the side's journey to a breakthrough bronze at the Tokyo Games in 2021 - off the plane for last year's tournament in Asia in an attempt to regenerate the side.
But with the Olympics looming in July, Dellavedova's form with Melbourne United - they're locked 1-1 in the Championship Series ahead of game three against Tasmania on Sunday - has forced Goorjian into a rethink.
The United guard overcame an early season concussion to average almost 30 minutes per game, leading the NBL with 6.2 assists per game and averaging 12.5 points at 43 per cent shooting.
He averaged 20.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 7.6 assists against Illawarra in the Playoffs, notching a 30-point, seven rebound, 10 assist haul in the series opener.
"We're really excited by how Delly's playing," Goorjian told AAP.
"Having this under his belt as opposed to being in the NBA and being that culture guy, helping from the bench.
"He's playing his arse off, playing tough for a championship team.
"He's playing at another level from what I had in camp (before the World Cup) - and what I had in camp was pretty good.
"There's competition there in the guards and he's been very, very impressive."
Goorjian will place importance in defence when selecting his team, and Daniels and Dellavedova pride themselves on that aspect of the game.
New Orleans guard Daniels tore the lateral meniscus in his left knee in December but is expected to be fit before the Boomers' pre-Olympic selection camp and warm-up games.
"The World Cup gave him a sniff preparing him for the Olympics," Goorjian said of Daniels' limited role at last year's tournament.
"We've invested in that and hopefully he's healthy for camp."
