Matthew Dellavedova Ignites Cavs
By Luke Sicari
The Cleveland Cavaliers extended their winning streak to eight straight games, after defeating the Toronto Raptors 105-101 on Tuesday Night. The winning streak is the teams longest since March 2010, which was during LeBron James’ final season with the Cavaliers. After the game, here is what some of the players and Coach David Blatt had to say (per cavs.com and Chris Fedor of cleveland.com)
Blatt: “He’s a big part of what we do because he gives us a steady hand off the bench. He gives us great energy and activity on the defensive end. He plays simple and smart on the offensive end. I think he really helps the guys around him to play properly.”
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James: “He’s just scrappy, man. He is a guy that’s always been counted out. Saying he can’t make it, he can’t do this, he can’t shoot enough, not fast enough, not tall enough. One thing about it: Heart and effort will take a way a lot of the things that you cannot do. I’ll take a guy like that any day on my team.”
Kyrie Irving: “He’s incredible. He’s awesome. I don’t know what else to say. We’ve developed such a great relationship. It’s just having my brother back out there and knowing that what you’re going to get from him every night is 150%. He’s an incredible professional, an incredible teammate to have. I know everybody in this locker room appreciates him.”
Kevin Love: “He’s non-stop. We love him. He’s great. He takes charges, will guard anyone one through five and do anything he can.”
Now, when reading those quotes, the obvious question becomes, who was the player all those guys were talking about? Who is this guy that has a 4-time MVP, FIBA World Cup MVP, 3-time All-Star and one of the greatest European coaches of all time were all raving about post-game?
Second-year guard Matthew Dellavedova of course.
What, you were expected someone else?
On a team filled with exceptional talent from top to bottom, you can be excused for Dellavedova not being the first player to come to your mind when thinking about the Cavs. The undrafted Australian, out of St Mary’s returned for only his fifth game of the season against the Raptors and despite James’ spectacular 35-point performance, the man they call Delly was the true MVP against Toronto.
When taking a glance at the box score though, Dellavedova’s stat line doesn’t stand out- 6 points, 5 assists and 3 rebounds (Editor’s Note: Plus taking two charges). It isn’t about the numbers for Delly though. In fact, Dellavedova is the player who makes all the plays that don’t necessary show up on the stat sheet and as evident by the comments I previously referred to, he is the type of player his coach and teammates alike love.
He’s incredible. He’s awesome. I don’t know what else to say. We’ve developed such a great relationship. It’s just having my brother back out there and knowing that what you’re going to get from him every night is 150%. – Kyrie Irving
Dellavedova does all the little things and he showed that against the Raptors. With the Cavs playing without a sense of urgency on both ends of the floor, Delly came in and changed that. He took charges (2), played great defense, moved the ball, played with a great deal of energy and like he always does, played with a ton of heart. Whenever Dellavedova is on the floor, it seems like the intensity is just taken to another level. Dellavedova’s toughness and vigor isn’t anything new, it’s just the way he has been taught to play the game, as he explained to Fedor,
"“Growing up you always hear the story of Michael Jordan getting cut from his high school team. I still remember getting cut at my Under-12 team and never wanting to have that feeling again. It’s going to happen again and again and it’s about how you deal with bad and a lot of success. Just working. In the end it’s going to pay off. If not in the specific thing you are doing, it’s going to pay off in something else down the road.”"
Dellavedova has had a chip on his shoulder since day one and has brought that mentality to Cleveland. This has helped him become a fan favorite in Northeast Ohio, as the Clevelanders can relate to the hard-working attitude of the second-year guard. Dellavedova also does a great job of representing Australian sportsman- no matter the size or talent level, Australians will always do one thing and that’s play their absolute hearts out. That is exactly what Dellavedova does.
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As previously mentioned, Dellavedova’s impact level cannot be measured by just looking at a box score. Although, when taking a look at some of the Cavaliers team stats (per NBA.com/stats) with Delly on and off the court, we have some interesting results. With Delly on the court, Cleveland has an offensive rating (points per 100 possessions) of 109.8 and a defensive rating (points allowed per 100 possessions) of 95.5. This results in a net rating (difference in offensive and defensive rating) of 14.3. With Dellavedova off the court though, Cleveland’s offensive rating is 107.9, which is still extremely good but the defensive rating rises to 104.6, which isn’t a number expected out of a team contending for a championship. This of course, creates a net rating of only 3.3. Now, we need to remember that these stats are taken from an incredibly small sample size but the numbers are definitely something to take note of and keep an eye on.
On a team full of immense and world-class talent, Dellavedova is the one player that could make it all click. He plays with a chip on his shoulder at all times and gives 100% effort, no matter the score or situation. He is a pest (in a good way) on the defensive end and can even hit a three-point shot when called upon.
Every championship contending team needs a player that does all the dirty work.
That player for the Cavaliers is Matthew Dellavedova.