Matthew Dellavedova’s style of play isn’t sitting well with some.
The Los Angeles Times recently polled 24 NBA coaches, assistants and players, who spoke anonymously about who they thought was the league’s dirtiest player. Dellavedova received the most votes, showing that the Cleveland Cavaliers guard has earned quite the reputation in his two-plus seasons.
Dellavedova garnered 13 votes, giving him a strong edge over Oklahoma City Thunder center Steven Adams, who received the second-most votes (seven). Golden State Warriors center Andrew Bogut (five), Memphis Grizzlies forward Matt Barnes (four) and Thunder forward Serge Ibaka (two) rounded out the top five — or bottom five, depending on how you view the honor.
“He’s as dirty as they come,” a Western Conference coach told the L.A. Times of Dellavedova. “When you’re hurting people, that is not OK.”
Dellavedova has been involved in several skirmishes because of his questionable play. Some view his style as scrappy or hard-nosed, whereas others clearly feel like the Australian crosses the line.
“His stuff really ain’t intentional. It’s just like goofy,” an Eastern Conference coach told the Times. “It’s not like John Stockton, where John Stockton was calculated. Dellavedova is accidentally dirty. He can’t help himself. He’s a quality backup point guard.”
Thumbnail photo via Jerome Miron/USA TODAY Sports Images
