How will Dellavedova factor into the new look Kings?
Back in July, the Sacramento Kings signed veteran guard Matthew Dellavedova. It was a signing many didn’t expect or even care to think about at first. However, once the initial thoughts had passed, it was a signing that many people believe will be very beneficial.
Though he hasn’t played much NBA basketball since 2019, Delly has a vast amount of league experience and has been a professional since before many of his new teammates were too young to drive.
Dellavedova spent the first three years of his career in Cleveland where he won a championship alongside LeBron James and made a name for himself by being Stephen Curry’s primary defender in the Finals.
In the first of those three years as a Cavalier, Delly played under new Kings’ head coach Mike Brown. But this season will be very different than his last playing with Brown.
The best case scenario? Delly will be the Kings’ No. 3 point guard and show that he isn’t too old to make an impact in the league. He will not be asked to play a lot of minutes or take any important shot. But when he is on the court, he will be asked to control the pace of the game and help the younger guys around him to make the smart play and not let the game get out of hand.
The worst case scenario? There could be a reason Delly was essentially out of the league. He could be a wasted signing that gets outplayed by one of the younger guards he’ll be competing against at camp and is a liability on the court whenever he gets minutes.
I don’t see the worst case scenario coming to fruition any time soon, though. Delly signed a cheap one-year deal for a reason. He is on the team due to his relationship with the coaching staff and the value he provides off the court.
Delly will be used purely as a veteran influence on the Kings’ core. Like Andre Iguodala (Golden State Warriors) and Udonis Haslem (Miami Heat), he will essentially be a player-coach and mentor, something every successful team in the league has.
He has domestic and foreign league experience and played alongside two all-time greats in James and Giannis Antetokounmpo. Sometimes knowledge is more valuable than talent.