Matthew Dellavedova could be the backup playmaker the Trail Blazers need
Another big Blazers weakness that was exposed in the Denver series is their lack of playmakers. While they have plenty of shot-makers, the only player on the roster capable of consistently creating for others is Damian Lillard.
In their first-round series, Dame accounted for 45 percent of the Blazers total assists. Dame totaled 61 assists in 6 games. The next closest player was CJ McCollum with a mere 4.3 helpers per game.
The Blazers were taught a painful, but valuable lesson that they can’t rely on CJ to run the offense in the few minutes that Dame is taking a breather. Portland needs another playmaker that can keep the offense running smoothly when Lillard is on the bench.
Out of all the point guards available in Portland’s pay range, Matthew Dellavedova stands out.
It wasn’t that long ago when Delly was starting alongside LeBron James in place of Kyrie Irving and helping to push the Golden State Warriors to six games in the NBA finals.
Since returning to the Cleveland Cavaliers after a short stint with the Milwaukee Bucks, Dellavedova has averaged an impressive 3.7 assists despite never playing more than 20 minutes a night. He’s also a career 36 percent shooter from beyond the arc.
He earned a cult following and the nickname Outback Jesus by continually making plays like this:
Delly had a knack for making Stephen Curry work for his buckets and does the same against nearly every guard he lines up against. It’s obvious the effort and passion he plays with on the defensive end as he hounds Curry over the screen and forces a turnover with his impressive hands and timing.
Even at age 30, Delly would be the best backcourt defender on Portland’s roster.
This season, he played for a little over $2.1 million. Portland could offer him more with the veteran’s minimum contract next season.
The Blazers need someone who’s willing and happy to come off the bench, dig in on defense, and set the table on offense. Dellavedova would be a perfect fit in Rip City.