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Cavs Injury Report: Matthew Dellavedova Sprains MCL

By Maxwell Ogden

Oct 14, 2014; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Matthew Dellavedova (8) dribbles against the Milwaukee Bucks at Quicken Loans Arena. Cleveland won 106-100. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 14, 2014; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Matthew Dellavedova (8) dribbles against the Milwaukee Bucks at Quicken Loans Arena. Cleveland won 106-100. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports /
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Beyond the star power, what makes the Cleveland Cavaliers such an intriguing team is the depth it possesses. With quality second unit players at every position, Cleveland has a case for being the deepest team in the league.

On Wednesday, November 5, the depth chart took a hit.

During the Cavaliers’ November 4 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers, backup point guard Matthew Dellavedova suffered an apparent knee injury. He traveled with the team to Salt Lake City, where Cleveland fell 102-100 to the Utah Jazz.

According to Chris Haynes of The Northeast Ohio Media Group, Dellavedova will miss up to six weeks with a sprained MCL.

"Doctors in Salt Lake City have diagnosed Cavaliers backup point guard Matthew Dellavedova with a Grade II MCL sprain in his left knee, league sources told Northeast Ohio Media Group.We have been informed that he could miss up to six weeks. The Cavaliers will get Dellavedova checked out in Cleveland before they release any information.The sources spoke on the conditions of anonymity due to the team having yet to make an official announcement."

This is a bad sign for a team that’s struggling to develop chemistry and move the basketball.

In three appearances, Dellavedova is averaging 2.7 points, 2.3 assists and 1.0 rebounds in 19.7 minutes of play. He was active for 30 minutes in Cleveland’s lone win and is one of head coach David Blatt’s favorite players on the team.

The only other point guards on the roster are Kyrie Irving and Will Cherry.

Dellavedova may not be a household name, but he’s an intelligent lead guard who excels in running the pick-and-roll. He can facilitate and shoot coming off of high screens, using his 6’4″ frame to see above the average point guard defender.

Dellavdova closed out the 2013-14 season strong, shooting 51.3 percent from beyond the arc in 15 games during the month of March. He appeared to be far more comfortable within the offense and began to see in excess of 20 minutes per game.

In Cleveland’s first 2014-15 game without Dellavedova, the second unit had a combined one assist.

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