Cleveland Cavaliers guard Matthew Dellavedova fueled a 96-91 Game 3 victory against the Warriors (USA TODAY Sports).
Matthew Dellavedova has become LeBron James’ Steve Kerr (the player not the coach) in these NBA Finals. As if his gritty Game 2 performance didn’t prove that, his gutsy play in Game 3 — 20 points and diving on the floor/into the stands — certainly validated it.
The best part of Dellavedova’s emergence is that it wasn’t expected. With All-Star Kyrie Irving out, the Australian guard has found a perfect role on the NBA’s biggest stage. He played decent defense against Derrick Rose and Jeff Teague earlier in the playoffs, but those weren’t as impactful as his defense on league MVP Stephen Curry, who went 0-for-8 against Delly in Game 2 and didn’t catch fire until late in Game 3.
Get up! Matthew Dellavedova finds LeBron James for the #SCtop10 alley-oop. http://t.co/6rwSGDj1j4
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) June 10, 2015
Dellavedova made headlines earlier in the playoffs for his “dirty” play, but overall he’s a mixture of floor-burning hustle plays, smothering defense and unexpected offense (ahem, floaters). His game is not pretty in the least bit and with LeBron dubbing his cast of role players the “Grit Squad,” consider the Saint Mary’s product the poster boy.
In every Finals, there’s a player like Dellavedova who steps into the spotlight (Danny Green last year, Mike Miller in ’13). To celebrate Delly’s clutch play, here’s a look at the Honor Roll of unsung role players (who became Finals’ heroes) he’ll be joining should the Cavs win the whole thing.
9. James Posey, Heat & Celtics
Posey’s defense and clutch three-point shooting ability helped the Heat and Celtics win titles in 2006 and 2008, respectively. (USA TODAY)
8. Derek Fisher, Lakers
Fisher won five rings as a Laker, three in the early 2000s led by Shaq and two more later with Kobe Bryant. On all those teams, his big-time shooting was huge. (AP)
7. Robert Horry, Spurs & Lakers
“Big Shot Rob” won two titles with the Rockets, three with Phil Jackson’s Lakers and then two more alongside Tim Duncan and the Spurs. He was never a great player, but he always hit the big shot, hence the nickname. (AP)
6. Bruce Bowen, Spurs
Undrafted and an NBA journeyman before he got to the Spurs, Bowen became a defensive stopper for coach Gregg Popovich and keyed San Antonio to three NBA titles. (USA TODAY)
5. Steve Kerr, Bulls
Kerr never averaged double figures in his playing career, but became a hero when he hit the game-winning shot off a pass from Michael Jordan in Game 6 of the 1997 NBA Finals to help the Bulls capture their fifth title. (USA TODAY)
4. Mario Elie, Rockets
Mario Elie was an NBA journeyman but became an unlikely hero in propelling the Rockets to back-to-back titles in ’94 and ’95 with his hot shooting. (AP)
3. John Paxson, Bulls
John Paxson is best known for his championship-winning shot in Game 6 of the 1993 NBA Finals as the Bulls beat the Suns. Like Kerr, Paxson never put up All-Star numbers but he complemented Jordan nicely with his perimeter shooting. (AP)
2. Danny Ainge, Celtics
Like Dellavedova, Ainge is known for his hard-nosed style of play. He wasn’t part of the Celtics’ Big Three in the 1980s, but his hustle and grit helped spark the C’s during title runs. (AP)
1. Phil Jackson, Knicks
Before he became a legendary coach, Jackson was known as one of the best bench players, most notably as a defensive standout on a 1973 Knicks team that won a title. (Getty Images)
