Milwaukee Bucks: Takeaways From Loss To Toronto Raptors

Delly Comes Good

It can’t be overstated just how important Matthew Dellavedova was to the Bucks’ comeback in the second half. He tallied a nice statline off the bench, with 34 minutes, 12 points, four rebounds, four assists, one steal, and one turnover, but his influence on the game amounted to something even greater.

After signing a hefty contract with the Bucks to become the team’s starting point guard, the expectation was for Dellavedova to come in and be a three-and-D point guard next to Giannis. The hope was he’d help floor spacing by hitting 40 percent from three, as he had in the previous season with the Cavaliers.

The expected fruit was never produced, as the Australian struggled to find the spacing to get off his elongated shot. He also struggled to produce on the defensive end to the perhaps unfair expectations.

When the playoffs came around, the Dellavedova the fans expected reared his gritty face. The Game 6 elimination game was certainly his finest showing, as he was able to completely shut down whichever guard he was switched on during the team’s comeback.

Delly was able to work with Jason Terry and Khris Middleton to swarm the Raptors, forcing them into difficult situation after difficult situation.