Milwaukee Bucks: Matthew Dellavedova 2017-18 season preview
By Adam McGee
What Dellavedova offers
Dellavedova was signed by the Bucks as a player whose skills could significantly outweigh his deficiencies within the context of the team’s playing style. That remains more true now than ever, yet Bucks fans will be eager to see more from the 27-year-old this season.
For as much as Dellavedova’s effort and hustle can help to improve and energize a team, in many ways some of the more controlled elements of his play end up overlooked.
Dellavedova is a composed and diligent playmaker. He doesn’t necessarily have the quickness or handles to create opportunities out of nothing for his teammates, but he does a good job of taking care of the ball.
The 2016-17 season was Dellavedova’s worst year in the NBA in that regard, posting what was still a very respectable assist to turnover ratio of 2.68. In his previous three years in the league, Delly’s assist to turnover ratio ranged from 2.91 to 3.34.
In other words, Dellavedova does have a proven track record in offering ball security, and even if he doesn’t present as a likely game-winner, he can certainly be an efficient offensive presence.
Along those same lines, Dellavedova is also a capable shooter, but he does need to show improvements on his struggles from his first season in Milwaukee. A career 38.9 percent three-point shooter, the Bucks would welcome a return to that kind of form from their veteran guard in the coming months.