Boone Baskets Brings NZ Delaney – Basketball – Sports

Telekom Baskets Bonn is making further progress with its squad planning and has found another piece of the puzzle for the 2022/23 season in New Zealand’s Finn Delany. The 26-year-old powerful striker is moving from the four-time Australian champions New Zealand Breakers to Rhine, where he has signed a contract until the summer of 2023. The club announced this on Tuesday. However, Saulius Kulvietis does not return to the baskets.

“The Finn is a skilful and aggressive attacking player, while also allowing us defensive flexibility. His usual position is power forward, but he can switch into both an attacking position and a small position, which is very important to us. He is a tireless worker and a competitive player,” said the coach. Baskets Thomas Isalo on his new signing.

Isalo: “He’s been at the top of the list for the past few years”

The New Zealand Breakers are currently the only New Zealand team to compete in the Australian Premier League (NBL), where tough, physical and athletic basketball is the order of the day. Delaney averaged 10.1 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.1 assists for the pro club from the million-population city of Oakland last season. He hits about 50 percent on his try and about 30 percent on his three attempts.

“He’s been very high on our list over the past few years, so I’m very happy that we signed him this summer and that we can finally work together,” Isalo added. Although the upcoming season with the Baskets is his first full season in Europe, “he has managed to gain years of experience in the Australian NBL and the New Zealand national team,” says the Baskets coach.

Delany auditioned for the NBA Summer League

He was in New Zealand’s squad for the 2019 World Cup in China. That same year, Vin Delaney made his European debut, spending the A-League summer break away from his regular hometown club Nelson Giants in New Zealand, and playing 15 matches for Serbian club KK FMP Belgrade. He also auditioned for the Dallas Mavericks in the National Basketball Association Summer League.

“After my talks with coach Isalo, I felt that the Baskets and I got along very well. I’m already looking forward to Germany and can’t wait to start pre-season with my new team, to train at a high level and play,” says the New Zealander.

Kulvietis is not coming back

With Finn Delany committed, it’s also clear that Saulius Kulvietis won’t be returning to the Baskets. The Baskets signed with the Lithuanian in September 2021, initially in response to Michael Casens’ early-season injury. However, the two parties quickly agreed to further joint cooperation and left the agreed opt-out option for both parties unused after two months.

In the summer they parted. The 31-year-old has donned the Baskets jersey a total of 30 times and been in the starting lineup 19 times. He averaged 10.7 points, hit 36.6 percent on his three-point attempts and grabbed 3.4 rebounds.