The Rise of Matthew Dellavedova, the Playoffs’ Unlikely Star and Biggest Pest

When Dellavedova arrived at the prestigious Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) training institution in 2007 in Canberra—where fellow NBA Aussies Aron Baynes, Andrew Bogut, Dante Exum, Luc Longley and Patty Mills attended—he was locked in on obtaining that “1 percent edge,” his former AIS coach Paul Goriss said.

That included seeking out Debbie Savage, a former Australian standout runner who works at AIS teaching the Pose Method of running, which is a style of falling forward through a gravitational torque while pulling the support foot rapidly from the ground using the hamstring muscles.

Like Savage, Dellavedova had issues with his feet and shins from running too heavily. “It always looked like he was running in mud,” Goriss said. About four days per week at AIS before his basketball practices, he would work with Savage for about 45 minutes on running, moving laterally and changing directions.

“The technique really did help me become lighter on my feet and helped me become quicker,” he said.

In addition, Dellavedova kept a daily diary at AIS, charting things like his shots and training sessions. He would mark down what he needed to improve each day and then his strengths and weaknesses after every practice.

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