Is Matthew Dellavedova a Changed Man?

Matthew Dellavedova became a household name and a casual fan favorite during the NBA Playoffs last season. The Cleveland Cavaliers guard was praised for his constant effort, determination and his physical play. He also had a few offensive outbursts that drew in the Fantasy Basketball type crowd as well.

Basketball analysts and fans who study the game in-depth, saw a very limited player. They saw a player whose defense was good but significantly helped by Tristan Thompson and was a bit overrated. They also saw a player who struggled to bring the ball up the court, made poor decisions passing the ball and whose shot was too erratic to be sustainable long term.

All of those reasons are why Delly wasn’t offered any kind of deal as a Restricted Free Agent. Delly ended up signing for a paltry $1.2 million with the hope of signing for much more next year as an unrestricted free agent. With many teams having cap space, a lack of depth of talent around the league and Delly’s postseason success, most expected him to come away with a deal at least three times as much.

Instead, the Cavs brought back their core with Delly included. Yet, Delly went from starting in the NBA Finals to third string behind Kyrie Irving and Mo Williams. With Irving hurt, Delly being back was seen as huge for the Cavs in the early going. Once he and Iman Shumpert returned, most assumed Delly would be 3rd string behind both guards and a defensive, physical specialist.

Now, three games in, we have to wonder if Delly is a changed man.

Dellavedova came into camp looking much leaner than in years past. While he strength has been a benefit, his girth has also hurt him at times as well. His confidence with the ball has grown dramatically, amazing what experience in the biggest stage can do. His shot, while still looking similar, is much smoother as well.

So far this season, Delly has averaged just under 22 minutes a game while scoring 7.7 points, dishing 5.7 assists, bringing down 3.3 rebounds and getting 1 steal per game. All this while slashing his turnovers to 0.3 a game.

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That last stat may be the most important. Delly averaged less points, assists, rebounds and steals during the Playoffs last year all while turning the ball over 1.8 times per game. The sample size this season is obviously small but having 17 assists to 1 turnover is a heck of a ratio, especially going against three teams known for solid defense.

Matthew Dellavedova is likely to get bumped from some of his minutes but, if he can keep his turnovers down and keep his confidence up, he could be even bigger in this year’s Playoffs. It also will skyrocket his price in Free Agency, proving him as smart to bet on himself.

What do you think about Matthew Dellavedova so far this season for the Cavs?