Cameron shines in first day of practice

Written by Melbourne United Media 

As he prepares for his first professional season, Melbourne United guard Flynn Cameron has wasted no time in impressing his new coaches and teammates.

Having finished his schooling in America, Cameron arrived for his first day of practice at Melbourne United’s home of Hoop City Cheltenham eager to make his mark.

After a weights session, the Kiwi combo-guard relished the opportunity to take the court alongside the likes of Chris Goulding, Shea Ili and Jo Lual-Acuil Jr in a 3-on-3 scrimmage.

“I just went in with a basketball mindset. At the end of the day it’s a game and I want to win,” Cameron said.

“It’s all part of the game, I wasn’t going to hold back.”

More than holding his own, the soon-to-be 23 year old showcased his strength, playmaking and scoring touch, while providing some major highlights.

Spending the majority of the scrimmage matched up with Shea Ili, a two-time Defensive Player of the Year finalist, Cameron said he revelled in the opportunity to match up against one the league’s best.

“It's special, you want to test yourself against the best and in my opinion, he’s the best defender in the southern hemisphere,” he added.

“He’s built that reputation, so going at him is only going to improve my game. He definitely got the better of me on some plays, but that’s only going to make me better.”

Closely watching the pair go at it was Head Coach Dean Vickerman, who came away thoroughly impressed by Cameron’s ability to compete.

“There’s a competitive spirit in him about wanting to win every possession,” he said.

“What we saw today, with Shea being one of the elite guards in our league and seeing him and Flynn match up and go against each other, we were very impressed with what he was able to do on both ends.

“He’s a physically strong big guard who can defend one-through-three and offensively he was pretty sharp today.”

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