Raising the bar: Will United’s bold build pay off?

Melbourne United have landed three of the biggest local names this off-season in Joe Ingles, Sam Waardenburg and Luke Travers, giving the team a unique look as the final pieces of its roster come together.

“It’s weird to use a word like funky, but they’re going to have a lot of funky lineups to throw around,” Pete Hooley said on NBL Marketplace, presented by Paywise.

“They’re going to make it work and I think they’ve got the basketball IQ, especially in the veterans to make it work.”

With star guards Chris Goulding and Shea Ili also returning, new head coach Jacob Chance will have experience across the floor.

“It’s funky in that they don’t have a tonne of guards that they’ll be starting, but their starting lineup from what we assume it’s going to be is unbelievably big, smart and skilled,” ESPN’s Olgun Uluc added.

“Joe Ingles could be your two man, he is 6’8. Your three man is 6’9 (Luke Travers). Sam Waardenburg is pushing seven foot and Josh Oduro is 6’9.”

Travers is the latest local talent to rejoin United following a stint in the NBA, and Chance believes his versatility will be crucial to the team’s success.

“He can play, essentially, all five positions. He’s different.”

While United are still searching for their final piece, there’s no denying they have something many other teams do not.

“The way they have built this roster, it feels like the name of the game is positional versatility,” Uluc said.

“We speak a lot about the durability of some of these united players and just that there is some injury history to consider. Positional versatility doesn’t completely nullify that, but it plays a big role in making sure you don’t notice it as much.”

United’s roster may be unconventional, but its potential is undeniable.