Matthew Dellavedova believes new Melbourne United teammate Luke Travers is only just scratching the surface of his potential as he chases his NBA dream.
Travers joined Melbourne from Perth over the off-season with the intention of using the move as a stepping stone onto the world stage.
The 22-year-old put his best foot forward in his first outing for United, scoring a game-high 20 points in their 82-67 win over city rivals South East Melbourne Phoenix in the NBL season opener on Thursday night.
Travers also had eight rebounds - five offensive - two assists, a steal and a block, and earned post-game praise from NBA champion Dellavedova.
"He's already awesome but you can see there's a lot more potential there," the veteran guard said.
"He was super important for us tonight; scoring the ball, offensive rebounds, he's always getting a block or a steal or a deflection and playing good defence.
"But he's just so versatile and we just want him to continue to be aggressive ... we're really excited to have him."
Travers was drafted with pick No.56 by the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2022 but was loaned back to Perth.
He isn't the only player on Melbourne's roster with NBA dreams, as Dellavedova and Next Star Ariel Hukporti also chase lofty goals.
Hukporti hauled in 14 rebounds and scored five points against South East Melbourne - an impressive return after he sat out last season with a ruptured Achilles tendon.
But Dellavedova was the main spark, scoring 17 first-half points as he showcased his new aggressive offensive approach.
The mindset is part of 33-year-old's attempt to reinvent himself with a possible NBA return and the Paris Olympics on the agenda, after he missed Boomers selection for the recent World Cup.
"It's been something I've been working on for a couple of years," Dellavedova said.
"I think the game's changed. Everyone needs to be able to be aggressive and score, and that opens up the passing lanes.
"I've worked on my game a lot and I've had a good run of being healthy, so my body and game are feeling good."
Melbourne beat South East Melbourne without import Ian Clark (hamstring), who faces a fitness test ahead of Sunday's clash with the Adelaide 36ers.
United coach Dean Vickerman concedes the guard is "a little bit more unlikely" to be given the green light this week.
