The Cleveland Cavaliers are 31-12, they have the best record in the Eastern Conference and the team has a 6.5 game lead over the Chicago Bulls in the Central Division. But the team hasn’t looked complete all year and management had to make a move. But amidst all of the roller coaster ride that the Cavaliers have been on, one player has proved his worth to the team by elevating his play.
Matthew Dellavedova went undrafted in the 2013 NBA Draft and then later was signed by the Cavaliers. He didn’t have an impressive first year for a team that was not a playoff team. But the next season, he stepped it up and even participated in the Rising Stars Challenge as a part of the 2015 All-Star weekend.
But Dellavedova didn’t stop there. He continued to impress the Cavaliers in the playoffs after Kyrie Irving became limited because of his injuries. Although many opponents didn’t like it, Dellavedova’s toughness and ability to make plays happen was a big reason why the Cavaliers were able to nearly survive without the presence of two All-Stars.
With Irving once again sidelined for significant time, Dellavedova once again showed his improvement. He is currently averaging a career high in points (8.4), assists (4.9), free-throw shooting (89.7 percent) and 3-point shooting (43.4 percent). Even though Dellavedova started during Irving’s absence, he primarily comes off the bench. He is one of the best bench players in the league because he knows his role and he doesn’t try to be like LeBron James or any other star in the league.
He has also been one of the better defenders on Stephen Curry as well. In the 10 games Curry has played against the Cavaliers in the past two seasons, Curry is averaging a little over 25 points per game. While Dellavedova doesn’t stop him, his physical play on the pick-and-rolls involving Curry often help.
Dellavedova will be a free agent at the end of this season. After all of his improvement over the last couple of seasons, the Cavaliers would be foolish to let him go.
