Cavs: Matthew Dellavedova should help free up Collin Sexton more soon

Collin Sexton has continued to solidify himself as the first option offensively for the Cleveland Cavaliers, as we know. Sexton has led Cleveland in scoring again throughout this season, currently is averaging 24.2 points per outing, and has had 27.5 points per contests in his last eight games active.

Part of what’s aided Sexton, even more so of late, has been Darius Garland’s capabilities, and he’s had 17.3 points and 6.0 assists per outing in his past seven appearances.

Garland tied a career-high with 25 points in Wednesday’s win over the Boston Celtics, and despite it largely being a rough game overall for Cleveland, Garland did have a career-best 29 points versus the San Antonio Spurs on Friday.

He, and Sexton as well, to go with a breakout game for two-way wing/forward Lamar Stevens (15 points and 11 rebounds), played into the Cavs making a game of that one, though, only losing by six.

Albeit to help out in the primary playmaking realm for Garland, and to aid Sexton in creating some more off-ball looks, the Cavs should benefit from Matthew Dellavedova likely to return soon for Cleveland.

Dellavedova has not appeared in regular season game action yet for Cleveland, mostly due to him working his way back from a severe concussion suffered back in preseason, and then last month having an appendectomy, along with that. Dellavedova has had other concussions in his career, anyhow.

But according to a report from Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com, Delly could seemingly very well return on Cleveland’s upcoming four-game road trip. That again could aid Sexton, perhaps in spurts.

Dellavedova should help free up Sexton more for the Cavs, hopefully soon.

I’m not suggesting that Dellavedova, when he’s back, will be playing a ton of minutes. As Cleveland Cavaliers know well, though, when Delly is in games, he does a great job of getting guys involved.

In a few spurts in games if/when Delly is on the floor with Sexton, he could be able to free him up more for catch-and-shoot looks, and/or via some diagonal/baseline cuts. In what would end up ultimately being the closing games post-All-Star last season for Cleveland, due to COVID-19, Delly was doing that for Collin, Larry Nance Jr. and others, for example.

Darius Garland having been banged up then did play into it, sure, but Dellavedova’s passing feel/abilities were on display in that stretch, in which he led Cleveland then in assists per outing with 5.5.

Although Sexton is a polished all-around scorer, and Garland has helped get him quality off-ball looks and/or get him his share of looks leading to him getting to his preferred spots, Delly could again take some pressure off DG, and help out Collin. That’s in spurts/in instances on the floor when Dellavedova is on the court with Sexton, at least.

Now, Delly’s shot was clearly not on the mark much last season, and he hit by far and away a career-low 23.1 percent of his three-point attempts. He had only 3.1 points per outing in 14.4 minutes, and an effective field goal shooting clip of only 41.4, which were obviously career-lows as well.

Nonetheless, and while the Cavs will reportedly sign Quinn Cook to a second 10-day deal, I’d still expect Delly to help the ball moving in settled offense in some run with the Cavaliers when he’s back, seemingly soon. He had a near-career-best 7.9 assists per-36 minutes in 2019-20.

And in that realm, to take some pressure off of Sexton on-ball to some degree, I’d imagine Dellavedova should very well help do so. That’s when factoring in the two seemingly having great chemistry in instances together, and with Delly being such an instinctive and well-rounded passer.

I could foresee the veteran point man aiding Dean Wade, who has shown plenty of stretch big abilities recently, and perhaps Dylan Windler, too.

Granted, the same could clearly go for the likes of say, Larry Nance Jr. and Jarrett Allen, also, with Delly’s lob throwing/cutting passing prowess.