Milwaukee Bucks: 5 Keys To Recent Winning Streak

Return Of Delly

One of the biggest disappointments of the season has been the underperformance of nearly every player signed to a large contract last offseason. While stars such as Kevin Durant and Mike Conley have played at elite levels, those in the next tiers have largely come up short.

Centers such as Timofey Mozgov, Bismack Biyombo and Ian Mahinmi were signed for huge contracts and have made tiny impacts. Evan Turner, Chandler Parsons and Luol Deng have struggled with injuries and ineffectiveness.

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Matthew Dellavedova has been part of the disappointment club for much of the season. After looking his best alongside LeBron James for two seasons, Dellavedova cashed in for a four-year deal starting at $9.6 million. Suiting up alongside another ball-dominant wing in Antetokounmpo, he was supposed to be the perfect fit for a defense-first Milwaukee squad in need of shooting.

Unfortunately for the Bucks “Delly” did not thrive outside of Cleveland. The Australian guard is shooting a career low from deep, and although his increased usage is resulting in more counting stats — career marks in points, assists and steals — Dellavedova is also turning the ball over and struggling on the defensive end.

For much of the season Delly’s struggles have been mitigated by unexpectedly strong play from rookie Malcolm Brogdon. But expecting the world out of a rookie second-rounder is unreasonable; the Bucks have needed Dellavedova to fulfill his contract as a reliable option at the point.

Four games ago Jason Kidd made the decision to bring Dellavedova off the bench, a place he was well familiar with stemming from his time in Cleveland. Not only would it place Delly in different lineups, it gave rookie Brogdon an opportunity to shine – something he has done admirably.

For as much as Brogdon has played well as a starter, Dellavedova has excelled off the bench. He has scored in double figures three of the four games, including a 15-point showing against the Clippers where he posted a game-high plus-24 plus-minus.

If Dellavedova can continue to play hard and hit open shots, he can be a revelation for a struggling bench unit and begin to come through on the contract he signed this offseason. For a coach who has been publicly critiqued on his lineup decisions, this is a move many if not all should commend.