Matthew Dellavedova: The Cavaliers’ Unsung Hero
In a series filled with thrills, injuries, and last second misses, it really has proven to be all in for Cleveland, #ALLinCLE. Of course, LeBron James has been the star of the show during the NBA Finals, but what if he wasn’t the biggest “hero” on the court?
Since All-Star point guard, Kyrie Irving, ended his NBA Finals series with a broken knee cap late in Game 1, back-up, Matthew Dellavedova has stepped up in a big way.
It’s been prevalent that no player has the energy that Dellavedova has. Diving on the floor for lose balls, guarding virtually anyone he’s had to, including MVP, Stephen Curry, and playing almost entire games. The Australian native has done it all. (Editor’s Note: He stonewalled 6’11” 265 pound Festus Ezeli in the post last night, forcing a miss.)
His stats don’t show how well this man has played. Game 3 was the first time he’s scored double digits and he’s hasn’t even accumulated 10 assists throughout the entire series. If there was a stat for how many times a player was first to a loose ball or how many times a player was on the floor scrambling for possession, Dellavedova would be well a top the list.
From Last Month: Delly is Cleveland
His energy is unfathomable. No player in the series gets people more excited than Dellavedova. He’s constantly running and he’s continuously going 110%. Think about it, when have you seen him on the bench since he’s entered the starting lineup? He averages 40.5 minutes per game since Irving’s injury, that’s 7 minutes less than LeBron James. The guy never stops.
What really makes Dellavedova special since his NBA Finals breakout is his defense. He doesn’t finish with large statistics and if you haven’t watch the games then you have no idea how special this young point guard is. But watching him guard the 2015 MVP, Stephen Curry, arguably the best offensive player in the NBA, doesn’t make him look like a back-up. He has shut down Curry better than anyone in the NBA has this entire season. Curry’s scoring hasn’t suffered as much as you’d think watching Dellavedova shut him down, finishing with 19 points in Game 2 and 27 points in Game 3. But his impact on games has dropped dramatically.
During Game 2, Dellavedova made Curry an almost non-factor. Curry finished with 19, but only shot 21.7% from the field and finished with six turnovers. Dellavedova did it again in Game 3, leaving Curry with 27 point, but only 10 points until the fourth quarter. Yes, he did bring the game much closer than it should have, but shutting down Curry for three out of four quarters is a significant accomplishment.
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Delly surely has become one of the biggest players for the Cavaliers this series. No one plays with his energy, which makes it impossible to dislike the guy, and even harder to play against him. With almost nothing going the Cavaliers way in terms of injuries this postseason, they really are relying on underdogs to step up. Dellavedova has done just that, giving the Cavaliers the momentum and scrappy play they need to beat the Golden State Warriors in an already historic series.
Continue to watch as Delly revitalizes the Cavaliers each and every game, truly becoming Cleveland’s “unsung hero.”