When LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers took on Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors, they were very short-handed. Matthew Dellavedova had to guard Stephen Curry, and he was the point guard. He had a great series and made a good name for himself. But he doesn’t believe in comparing himself to the greatest shooter to ever live.
After the 2015 series, Delly got a name for himself as an excellent defender and a dependable scorer. But he wasn’t known for his three-point shot. However, Delly took huge strides the next season and moved higher in the rotation.
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He was, in fact, one of the top 10 leaders in many statistical categories. At some stats, he was ranked just below Stephen Curry, who had one of the best seasons in NBA history.
Delly credits LeBron James for helping him rank over Stephen Curry
At one point in the season, Delly was ranked 7th in three-point percentage and 6th in assist-to-turnover ratio. He took care of the ball extremely well and shot the ball very efficiently.
When asked how he feels to be compared with Curry, he said, “I don’t think it’s fair to compare. He’s the main focus of the opposition, whereas I’m getting a lot of open looks because of guys like Bron and Kev and Kyrie. We’re playing much different roles so I don’t think it’s fair to compare.”
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And he was right. Despite him shooting so well, Delly was never the main focal point of the offense. It mainly ran through LeBron James and Kyrie Irving. But Curry was the engine that got the Warriors running. The difference he had on that team that was unbelievable, and he propelled the team to a 73-9 record, the best in NBA history. And he was rightfully given the MVP award.
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But Delly got his revenge in the Finals. After the previous year’s loss, the Cavs came back to the Finals again to match up with the Warriors. And they completed a historic 3-1 comeback to win the first title in franchise history. This was just part of the rivalry, as the two teams matched up two more times in the Finals.
What is your favorite moment from the Warriors-Cavs rivalry? Let us know in the comments below!