Milwaukee Bucks: The Cleveland Perspective on Matthew Dellavedova

How would you rate Dellavedova as a defender? Obviously he makes an impact on that end thanks to the intensity of his effort, but is it a stretch to call him a good defender?

AF: The numbers would say it’s a stretch that Dellavedova is a good defender, but I also take his intangibles into account. He sticks to his opponents like glue and can easily frustrate them by his air-tight defense. His high-energy effort can elevate that of his teammates and get fans excited, too.

CDS: He certainly passes the eye test that’s for sure. He’s definitely not lazy and is pretty great at staying between his man and the basket. I don’t think it is a stretch to call him a good defender because there’s many players at his position, players who are stars, who don’t do the things Delly does on the defensive end.

JG: He makes headlines for his hustle but, in reality, Delly is an above average defensive player. It’d be a bit of a stretch to call him great and he will likely never attain that status simply due to his lack of athleticism relative to other “great” perimeter defenders but he moves his feet well enough to prevent penetration and fights through screens like his life depends on it. Off-ball, he’s very intelligent and understands the concept of team defense. I know Jason Kidd‘s defensive schemes have been uber aggressive and dependent on length and athleticism so he may struggle early on learning the new system but he’s a smart player who will figure it out in time.

MR: Delly is a great defender, albeit he struggles against some guards that physically dominate him (think lengthier/stronger players like Shaun Livingston, Russell Westbrook, Dwyane Wade). But he’s fearless and won’t give up on a play. He’ll do what he can to make up for the height/strength differences by effort, scrappiness, and even pestering his opponent.

JF: I don’t believe it’s a stretch to call him a good defender, however he isn’t a shut-down defender by any stretch. His pesky, relentless energy can really throw some point guards off of their game. While he’s not a guy that will lockdown the opponent’s point guard every game, he can be very effective if he’s playing the right matchup.

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