CLEVELAND: When he first arrived as an assistant coach last season, Tyronn Lue didn’t know what to make of Matthew Dellavedova.
That tends to be the standard response. Lue indicated Larry Drew wasn’t sold on Dellavedova, either.
But Jim Boylan and Bret Brielmaier, two holdovers from the previous coaching staff, instantly praised the undrafted guard.
“He’s a winner. You’re going to love him,” they told Lue. They were right.
Dellavedova missed his fourth game Monday with a sore left hamstring and his absence has been noticeable. One executive called Dellavedova the “heart,” of the team recently and blamed the loss to the Celtics, in part, on not having Dellavedova on the floor because he always seems to hit a big 3-pointer or make a big defensive play at the right time.