Aussies in the NBA: The curious case of Delly's shooting

We know Delly's trademark on the court has always been his relentless hustle and defensive energy - we remember his efforts against Dirk, and more recently his fourth quarter outburst against the Raptors.

It hasn't been as obvious, but Dellavedova's shooting has definitely taken a huge jump this season. He worked hard to prepare himself for the adjustments new teammates (read: LeBron James) would bring, and the role he knew he had to learn to embrace: that of being a spot up shooter. LeBron is renowned for his passing vision, and being able to knock those open shots down is a big part of playing alongside the King. Delly would also be able to prove himself as a competitive asset, on a team that had qualified shooters like Mike Miller and James Jones.

Head coach David Blatt has seen the extra effort that Delly puts in all the time, especially on shooting, and has been consistently impressed.

"I got into the gym at about a quarter to nine," Blatt recalled. "Practice wasn't till 10 o'clock, and Matty Dellavedova was out shooting, working though. Not just standing. Working, working, working. Come the game, the guy's got big shots to try and make and he makes them.

"One plus one equals two, and I really believe that. Unbelievable kid. Unbelievable work ethic, and every good thing that happens to that guy, he deserves." - source

Delly's certainly adjusted really well. Look at the percentage he's making his three-point shots at, most especially from the right wing - it's a sizzling 48.8% this season.

Last season, that same spot was 34.1%. It's safe to say, having a staggering increase of 14.7% isn't too much of a surprise when you have LeBron James making pinpoint passes.

[gfycat data_id="CautiousOptimisticFawn" data_autoplay=true data_expand=true] The interesting phenomenon however, has been the accuracy of his shots inside the 3-point arc. He was 41.2% on 4.1 attempts last season. This season? It's taken a step backwards, dropping to 36.2% on 4.4 attempts a game.

According to r/nba's quentin-coldwater, Delly could even be on pace to be the first player in NBA history to make more than 40% from the three-point line, and less than 30% from within.

For those who have been watching Delly's performances, it isn't much of a surprise. His job isn't to take pullup mid-range shots (although he did really well on this turnaround jumper). Neither is it to take numerous drives at the basket, although he has done well on situations where he had to drive and lob to a rolling Thompson. He has worked hard to improve his role within the team, and it's shown. That's all that matters.

Not exactly the kind of record we'd like an Aussie to be holding in the NBA, but I guess it's a start of sorts.