You could be forgiven for thinking Matthew Dellavedova’s dizzying, fairytale run in the NBA Finals would prove to be little more than a fleeting spell in the league’s spotlight.
And to some extent, you’d be right – he hasn’t grabbed headlines this season, nor is he anywhere near consideration for any All-Star or All-NBA teams come season’s end.
But he has been quietly having a massive season for Cleveland, and is a vastly improved player.
First off, Delly leads the NBA for assist-to-turnover ratio, dishing off 3.85 assists per turnover.
His shooting, too, has improved out of sight. The point guard is second in the league for catch-and-shoot efficiency, and fifth in the league for three-point percentage.
Let’s break these numbers down.
His shooting percentages are slightly inflated because he simply doesn’t take the volume of shots that say Steph Curry or Klay Thompson does. Curry has taken 289 threes, Thompson 189 and Delly just 70.
But that’s the thing about Dellavedova – he knows his role. He’s not there to take fade-away threes with four hands in his face, he’s there to move the ball cleanly and quickly, and if an open shot emerges – knock it down.
The numbers show he’s doing that incredibly well.
The assist-to-turnover ratio is again probably more flattering than it should be, given he hasn’t played the same minutes Russell Westbrook or Chris Paul would play – but it shows that when he is on the court, he’s making very few mistakes and creating great looks for his teammates.
“He does everything correct,” LeBron James said last week.
“He doesn’t make mistakes. He’s just that important.”
And he is.
The Cavaliers score 10.1 points per 36 minutes more with Delly on the court – that’s 13th best plus-minus in the league.
But while he’s shown this year that he’s one of the league’s elite role players, when he’s been elevated to the starting team Dellavedova has shown glimpses of what he can do as the playmaker over a full game.
His 13 assists against the Milwaukee Bucks were the best ever by an Australian in the NBA, and his double-double earlier this week against Westbrook and Oklahoma City was another promising display.
He’s more than the pesky defender he was last year, and his offensive consistency has kept the Cavs afloat in Kyrie Irving’s absence.
Without doubt, Delly needs gifted teammates to be effective, but he facilitates and controls the immense talent around him like few others.
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