The Cleveland Cavaliers will reportedly be without Matthew Dellavedova for some time, due to Dellavedova sustaining a concussion against the Brooklyn Nets Wednesday night.
Matthew Dellavedova has been one of the Cleveland Cavaliers’ most consistent players in 2018-19 since he was reportedly traded to Cleveland by the Milwaukee Bucks earlier in the season. For now, though, the steady veteran point guard will be sidelined for at least tonight’s game against the Miami Heat.
Cleveland.com’s Chris Fedor reported that Dellavedova will be in “NBA concussion protocol and will be out indefinitely.”
According to Fedor, the concussion was sustained in the “fourth quarter of Wednesday’s loss against the Brooklyn Nets.”
Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Larry Drew described how it happened (again, per Fedor).
"“He was trying to get through a screen and he got nailed pretty good,” Cavs head coach Larry Drew said Friday morning ahead of shootaround. “He’s been a little fuzzy, a little woozy so we won’t have him tonight.”"
From there, Fedor went on to detail how Delly needs to complete the concussion protocol process and getting medically cleared before returning to the floor for Cleveland’s bench, just like it’s been for Ante Zizic, who sustained a concussion recently, and is listed as questionable tonight.
"“Here are the steps:Player is without concussion-related symptoms at rest.He has been evaluated by a physician.He has successfully completed the NBA return-to-participation exertion protocol.A team physician has discussed the return-to-participation process and decision with the Director of the NBA concussion program, Dr. Jeffrey Kutcher.”"
This is tough for the Cavs, who have been playing better overall as of late, and Dellavedova, who has averaged 7.3 points on 50.2 effective field goal shooting and 4.2 assists in 19.9 minutes per game with Cleveland this season (per Basketball Reference), has been a key part of that.
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Dellavedova has seemed to really help Collin Sexton, over the last few months, and the two point guards have even been playing with each other more on the floor together, as Fedor demonstrated this week.
For now, though, Sexton, Jordan Clarkson and Brandon Knight, who as Fedor noted, is still on a “minutes limit,” will have to have more playmaking duties with Dellavedova reportedly in concussion protocol.
In the next few games I would imagine, we’ll definitely see even more offense running through the likes of Kevin Love and Larry Nance Jr., who are both very good secondary playmakers in their own right.
Against the Heat tonight, who have often played zone defense this season against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Nance will likely be tasked even more with making good decisions while flashing in the middle of the zone with Dellavedova’s stabilizing presence not on the perimeter.
Hopefully Delly’s concussion isn’t too awful and he recovers quickly, as that’s a rough ailment to deal with closing out a season.