CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Matthew Dellavedova, affectionately known around these parts as Delly, has earned another nickname from various members of the Cleveland Cavaliers organization because of his play since last week’s long-awaited season debut.
Mr. Plus-Minus.
It doesn’t have the same punch. Doubtful it sticks. But it’s fitting. Sometimes it’s hard to truly quantify a player’s value. But here’s a starting point with Dellavedova -- the brainy maestro of Cleveland’s reserve group: In 70 minutes this season, the Cavs have outscored opponents by 29 points with Dellavedova on the floor.
“Delly has helped a lot,” starting point guard Darius Garland said following Friday’s practice. “His intensity, leadership. His voice is just amazing, especially in the locker room. He’s always in someone’s ear trying to help them out. Just him being out there, his physical presence and him getting everybody involved is helping our second unit a lot.”
Here’s another number that helps encapsulate Dellavedova’s four-game impact: 22. That’s his assist total. And Delly, ahem, Mr. Plus-Minus, has yet to commit a turnover.
“That’s incredible. Twenty-two assists on zero turnovers,” Garland asked when that stat was brought to his attention. “I’ve never heard that one before. I tip my hat off to him.”
Dellavedova missed the first 47 games because of a severe concussion, whiplash and then a late February appendectomy. It was a string of bad luck. But he’s back. Like he never left. Players often need time to reintegrate or catch their rhythm. Not Dellavedova. It’s been a seamless transition.
“Delly really does a great job of playing with his brain,” Cavs coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “He understands how to set the table for other people. His game isn’t based on himself. When your game is based on the team and making your teammates’ job easier, it makes it … again, give him credit because the time he’s put into the game, not taking anything away from it, but when you set the table and think the game the way he does, that makes your comeback a little bit easier. We’re not asking him to go score 40 points a night, that would take him some time to get some rhythm there. But he has an uncanny ability to see things before they’re happening and that doesn’t change, so he’s been able to be impressive quickly.”
While sidelined, Dellavedova was watching. He even sat in on some coaches meetings, wanting to see what they were planning and making sure he was in the loop. Once he finally received clearance to join the team on the bench, Dellavedova acted like an extension of the coaching staff. An extra set of eyes, seeing the game from a different viewpoint, he offered pointers and shouted instructions. That allowed him to stay engaged while also building chemistry.
“He’s the type of guy you respect no matter what the circumstances are,” Bickerstaff said of Dellavedova. “He’s the ultimate teammate, he’s the ultimate competitor and he’s a brilliant mind on the floor. When he was around and kind of going through recovery and getting back to playing, his voice mattered.”
Throughout the first few months, the Cavs internally bemoaned the Dellavedova loss. They signed Yogi Ferrell and Quinn Cook to 10-day contracts, recognizing the need for a true backup point guard. By default, not having Dellavedova was putting more playmaking stress on Collin Sexton. Bickerstaff tried to avoid long stretches with Garland and Sexton on the bench at the same time. Always willing to experiment, Bickerstaff used Damyean Dotson as an emergency option, especially following the Dante Exum injury -- and trade -- as well as Kevin Porter Jr.’s departure. Those two guards were supposed to handle some of the secondary playmaking responsibility. Bickerstaff even let now-benched Cedi Osman initiate from time to time. It became more obvious how much the Cavs missed Dellavedova.
Watching from the bench, he took mental notes on where he could help most. He recognized moments when the offense would stall or there would be a lack of structure. He made a point to help remedy that.
“Keeping us organized, like when to run certain plays, and trying to take the pressure off DG and Bull,” Dellavedova said of his role. “I mean, they’re carrying a lot of the load in creating offense and having to score as well. Just providing something different there to take the pressure off them and get some of the other guys some easy looks as well.”
Dellavedova and Sexton started forming a unique on-court connection last March, prior to the league abruptly stopping because of the coronavirus pandemic. The 30-year-old veteran and one-time NBA champion averaged 9.2 assists over that five-game stretch, playing heavy minutes and starting four of those games alongside Sexton while Garland was sidelined with a groin injury. It was a reminder of Dellavedova’s value. Sexton, meanwhile, averaged 30.0 points, 58.4% from the field and 37.5% from 3-point range that month.
The two have picked up where they left off. In the four games this season with Dellavedova, the Cavs have been able to use Sexton off the ball more frequently. Dellavedova, who often pulls clips and watches them with Sexton, has helped create easier looks for the third-year guard who has become the target of opposing defenses. Dellavedova has already assisted on nine of Sexton’s made shots, including four during Thursday’s 129-102 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder.
“He’s an explosive scorer. He’s a really good cutter. He can find the gaps, but it’s something we talk about a lot,” Dellavedova said of Sexton. “I think once you get chemistry with someone, the longer you play with them, the more it builds over time. I was telling him like soon as I come back, I’m like, ‘You know where we’re gonna get to.’ And he’s like, ‘Yeah.’ So it’s something that we talk about what he’s seeing on his cuts or where he can get open and I’m seeing it as well. Even if he doesn’t get the ball, he draws so much attention by cutting hard, it’s getting open looks for TP (Taurean Prince) and Hart (Isaiah Hartenstein) and all the guys.”
Dellavedova isn’t the same player he once was. His defense has tailed off. He’s not athletic. He can’t shoot, hitting just 3-of-18 from the field and 1-of-7 from deep. But that doesn’t diminish his importance. He makes everyone better. Garland and Sexton -- two of Cleveland’s most important building blocks -- in particular.
Even though it remains to be seen whether he can maintain this level of play, there’s a reason the Cavs have a ridiculous 124.5 offensive rating and an assist percentage of 78.8 with him on the court. Dellavedova is the kind of player the Cavs missed this season -- a secondary ballhandler, pressure release and experienced stabilizer that supports a young, still-growing backcourt.
“I feel like I still have a lot to give and a lot to improve on,” Dellavedova said. “And there was really no doubt in my mind that I would be able to come out here and contribute in a positive way by just competing, keeping us organized and helping the team win. And that’s what I’ve been able to do so far. Didn’t play for whatever, three months or so, in a proper game for a year, but it’s just like riding a bike. I’ve played so much basketball. My body wasn’t working out and stuff like that, but my mind was still there and paying attention to what I needed to do to help us win. And I knew that I was going to be able to come in and help us right away.”
Thirteen months between regular season games is a long time. It was worth the wait.
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