How the Cavs found their unlikely hero: Matthew Dellavedova

Mike Brown was very familiar with Dellavedova long before he came to the Cavaliers undrafted two years ago.

"Nothing surprises me the way that kid works," Brown told Yahoo Sports.

Dellavedova sparked the Cavaliers with a playoff career-high 20 points, five rebounds and four assists in Game 3. After Golden State cut a 20-point deficit to one, he also had a key three-point play with 2:45 remaining to temper the threat. Cleveland is undefeated in four total games in the NBA Finals and Eastern Conference finals with Dellavedova starting at point guard in place of injured All-Star Kyrie Irving.

It was an exhausting 38½-minute performance for Dellavedova, who needed an IV after the game and was taken to a local hospital in an ambulance for further treatment after he experienced severe cramps. He did not speak to reporters after the game, but was released from the hospital and cleared to play in Game 4. Others, however, gladly praised him.

"He plays as hard as he can every day," Cavaliers coach David Blatt said. "He plays right. He's not afraid. He plays courageously. And everybody on his team has his back. It's not an issue of confidence. He is going to give you whatever he has."

Said Cavs guard Iman Shumpert: "He will leave it all on the floor every single play, get cut in the face, elbowed, scratched and keeps on fighting."

"I know one thing I'm going to count on Delly, as always, it’s how hard he's going to play," LeBron James said. "He's going to give everything he's got. His body, he's going to throw his body all over the place.  And he's going to compete at a high level however many minutes he's out on the floor.

"Tonight it was 38½ minutes, and for 38½ minutes he gave everything he's got."

After Dellavedova stepped on St. Mary's campus for the first time in 2009, Brown and ex-Cavaliers general manager Chris Grant quickly became familiar with him because of a longtime friend and old coach.

St. Mary's is coached by Randy Bennett, an assistant coach at the University of San Diego when Brown and Grant played there. Brown also played for Bennett's father, Tom, at Mesa Community College in Arizona. Brown also often watched St. Mary's games during the 2012-13 season because his son, Elijah, nearly chose to sign a scholarship there out of high school. Dellavedova was a senior then who averaged 15.8 points, 6.4 rebounds and 3.4 assists.

"Teams didn't think Delly was a draft pick," Brown said. "They didn't think he had a skill set. Didn't think he was athletic enough. Randy was disgusted by the feedback he got from other NBA teams. He felt that it would be in our best interest to take Delly.

"We trusted Randy. But we also saw something."

Where Brown and Grant really saw something from the Australian was during a workout with the Cavaliers prior to the 2013 NBA draft. The Cavaliers had six players who took part in several three-on-three games. Brown said that Dellavedova never lost and showed strong leadership. After the workout, Brown said Grant told Dellavedova that the Cavaliers would offer him a non-guaranteed contract if he was not drafted.

"He was phenomenal in the draft workouts," Brown said. "I purposely switched up teams to see how he would do and he still won. He was a leader, too, and everybody looked up to him.

"He was extremely competitive. He was the best competitor I've ever seen in a draft workout."

The Cavaliers' last pick in the 2013 NBA draft was the 33rd selection in the second round, which they used to take Arizona State shooting guard Carrick Felix. While interested in Dellavedova, they were confident that he would go undrafted. Bennett's frustrated rants about what other NBA teams were saying didn't make them nervous.

As expected, Dellavedova went undrafted. The Cavaliers quickly signed him to a two-year contract in which $200,000 was guaranteed. Such deals are rare for undrafted players.

"In my mind, he made the team during the workout," Brown said.

Dellavedova's agent, Bill Duffy, said his client declined overseas offers and offers from two NBA teams to go to the then-rebuilding Cavaliers.

"Chris was all over it before the draft," Duffy said. "He called me before the draft to say he wanted to sign him if he went undrafted. He deserves a lot of credit. He believed in Delly in college."

Irving and former Cavaliers guard Dion Waiters tested the mid-major player during training camp of his rookie year. Dellavedova never backed down and quickly impressed them with his work ethic and play. He averaged 4.7 points and 2.6 assists as a rookie and also had success guarding Washington sharpshooter Bradley Beal.

"Delly was the first one to arrive at practice and the last one to leave," Brown said. "He set it straight who he was immediately, with his play and tone. He didn't back down. He was coming every day and spent hours watching tape. …

"We felt he was going to be really, really good."

Grant was fired midway through last season. Brown was fired after the season. The Cavaliers now have a new general manager in David Griffin and a new head coach in Blatt. Most of the Cavs players are new, too, including James.

Dellavedova is one of the few remaining links to the Cavaliers from Brown and Grant. He will be a restricted free agent this summer and is making a name for himself during these NBA Finals.

"Delly used to have trouble guarding quick point guards like Jeff Teague [of the Atlanta Hawks]," Brown said. "But he figured out how to guard them better with angles and space. He is contesting every shot. Now he is hugging up on Stephen Curry defensively.

"He's physically and mentally tough. He's a leader. He isn't afraid."

Cavaliers stay on point with driven Delly

It was perhaps the most significant moment of the Cleveland Cavaliers’ playoff run thus far.

The second half of Game 6 of the Eastern Conference semifinals was about to get underway in Chicago. Kyrie Irving, literally carried to the locker room in the second quarter after aggravating tendinitis in his left knee, was out on the court but still wearing his warm-up shirt, too banged up to join the rest of the Cavs’ starters to begin the third quarter.

Matthew Dellavedova, Cleveland’s much-maligned backup point guard whom Cavs general manager David Griffin openly spoke about hoping to find a replacement for in January, was about to take the floor in Irving’s place.

Sure, the Cavs held a 14-point lead, but they were playing on the road, there was still 24 minutes of game time remaining and Dellavedova would be matched up with former league MVP Derrick Rose, who had been playing his best ball in years in the series up to that point.

Win the game and Cleveland is in the Eastern Conference finals. Lose it and the Cavs host a winner-take-all Game 7 just two days later with Irving’s health as a major question mark.

Right before Dellavedova trotted out towards the center circle, Irving grabbed his understudy and pulled him in to give a hug and impart a message.

“I just said, ‘Do what you do,’” Irving said, recalling the moment. What Dellavedova went on to do was score 11 of his team-high 19 points in the fourth quarter -- finishing 7-for-11 from the field and outshining Rose’s 14 points on 7-for-16 shooting -- and help propel the Cavs to a runaway victory.

As surprising a performance it was out of Dellavedova -- he had more games in the regular season when he scored zero points (11) than he did double digits (nine) -- the embrace with Irving that preceded it might have been even more unlikely when you consider how the pair’s relationship started off.

***

“Yeah, they used to f--- each other up,” said Tristan Thompson, recalling the times he’d have to play peacemaker in Cavs training camp in the fall of 2013 when Irving, the franchise player and former No. 1 pick, was matched up with Dellavedova, the undrafted rookie free agent just trying to make the team. “They used to go after it every day. There would be times when they’d be ready to fight each other.”

The distaste between them started a few months before that, in the summer, when Irving sized up Dellavedova for the first time during a pick-up game.

“I played him in the summer time and he was going into summer league, I was going into my third year and I was like, ‘Who the hell is this kid?’ I was like, I’ve never heard of him,” Irving said. “I had heard of him, because of St. Mary’s, but I had never played against him. So, I’m coming in and he just basically, every fast break, he was just fouling the s--- out of me. I was like, ‘OK, well, maybe I’ll see him in training camp.’ So, we went through training camp, every single day we went against each other and damn near almost fought every single day.”

Mike Brown, known for his lengthy practices, was coaching the Cavs at the time. More practice time meant more 1-on-1 battles between the point guards.

“Early in the season when you scrimmage more at practice, it definitely almost came to that -- having to be separated,” said Dellavedova. “But it was never [personal]. We were both just playing hard and wanting to win in practice. It’s been great for my development, having to try to guard Kyrie every day in practice.”

It wasn’t always great for Irving, at least he didn’t think so initially.

“Probably the first three months of the season he was irritated by Delly,” Thompson said, “but he realized Delly is not going to stop and it was going to make him a better player.”

Slowly, the rancor turned to respect.

“It was just the pride that he had and the pride that I had,” Irving said. “You know, I love a guy when he challenges me and I’m not going to back down and he’s not going to back down from me -- which I didn’t expect. So, that’s what really drew us a lot closer.”

***

Now, there are a lot of players in the Cavs’ locker room who express how close they feel to the team’s second-year guard from Australia.

“I’ve been telling people, Delly is the man,” said Iman Shumpert. “He’s one of those guys who comes to the gym early and leaves the gym late.”

Oftentimes when Dellavedova does lag after practice, he’ll be at a hoop with James Jones working on speeding up the release on his catch-and-shoot jumper with Jones closing out with his 6-foot-8 frame to contest the shots put up Dellavedova, generously listed at 6-foot-4. What led to Jones, born in 1980, finding a connection with Dellavedova, born in 1990?

“Listen, man, he’s a tireless worker,” said Jones. “He’s focused on this craft. Every day he comes in the gym to get better and he won’t leave until he feels like he had a day where he got better. And I’m drawn to him because he’s a young guy who has come up the hard way in this league but he’s proven to everyone that he’s a very good NBA player.”

And then Jones offered up the label that does the most to explain Dellavedova’s success story.

“Heart, man,” Jones said. “On this team, Delly embodies all heart, all hustle and all the work.”

***

Dellavedova doesn’t know what all the fuss is about when it comes to his Game 6 clincher against Chicago.

When he was asked during the postgame press conference he if ever envisioned being selected by the Cavs’ public relations staff to get the star treatment at the podium for the televised event, Dellavedova shrugged it off: “This is all the extra fluff stuff. What matters is what happens in the game.”

Similarly, he was uninterested in the fashion show aspect to it. His black jeans and dark green jacket were fine by him. He wants to run an offense not walk the runway.

“Somebody sent me a text message about that, but I mean, to be honest, that’s like an American thing,” Dellavedova said. “I couldn’t care less about my outfit -- which was, actually, it’s a nice jacket. It wasn’t just a hoodie. But I really couldn’t care less about all that other stuff. All I care about is just trying to help the team win basketball games.”

That’s what he’s done this postseason. It wasn’t just Game 6, either. In Game 2 against the Bulls he set a Cavs franchise playoff record for assists by a bench player with nine. He added nine points. Cleveland came away with the victory.

***

It shouldn’t be surprising to hear that Dellavedova has not only endeared himself to his fellow role players, but to the Cavs’ principle decision-makers in David Blatt and LeBron James as well.

Blatt said Dellavedova made an impression on him the first time they met in Las Vegas prior to summer league.

“Some guys are easy reads,” Blatt said. “He’s an easy read. I’ve coached enough guys to know.”

What stood out?

“Purposeful, attentive, motivated and very, very focused.”

Dellavedova might not have earned James’ trust quite as quickly, but it’s definitely there now.

“You don't mind a guy the way he plays, his attention to detail,” James said. “If he happens to make a mistake, you're able just to say, 'OK, he made a mistake because he's playing hard.' You can't fault that; you can't fault what he brings to the table. It's been key to our team.

“I know Kyrie is extremely happy to have a backup like that. For us as a team, we're happy to have him.”

Irving and Dellavedova were once at each others’ throats, now they have each others’ backs as they prepare to face Atlanta’s point guard tandem of Jeff Teague and Dennis Schroder in the conference finals.

“Even though [he is only in his second year], he’s older than me and he has a mature sense about him that allows him to play with a team like this,” Irving said. “It’s just, he’s going to go out and play hard, it doesn’t matter who he is playing against. He’s going to go out and give 110 percent and that’s what you want.

“I wouldn’t want a different teammate.”

Jimmy Butler - NBA's Most Improved

Back in February, 24 of the NBA's best played in the All-Star Game in New York City. The rosters featured one-time high school prodigies, sons of former NBA players and No. 1 overall picks.

Only one player played on a junior college roster. Only one player spent part of his high school life homeless. Only one player came from Tomball, Texas, population 11,124.

"I feel like I've come a long, long, long way from Tomball, Texas, and couldn't be more proud," Butler said at the start of speech at Chicago's United Center. "I feel like the Bulls are just as proud of me."

Butler's father, Jimmy, left Butler's childhood before it began in Tomball, which is approximately 40 miles from Houston. When he was 13, Butler's mother, Londa, kicked him out of his house. In 2011, Butler told ESPN.com she put him on the streets because "she didn't like the look of him."

Butler moved in with a friend, Jermaine Thomas, whose father spent most of his time on the road as a truck driver. Before his senior year of high school, Butler met Jordan Leslie, a freshman, at a basketball camp. Leslie, who was born to a white mother and African-American father, previously lost his father in a car accident. Before his senior year at Tomball High School, 16-year-old Butler and Thomas moved in with Leslie, his three siblings, and his mother, Michelle Lambert. Lambert is the woman Butler calls, "Mommy."

Although Butler found a mother figure, his basketball game still needed work. He lacked college offers and resorted to stay close to home below the NCAA level.

"You look back at Jimmy's story and it really is amazing that we're here today," Bulls General Manager Gar Forman said. "You go back to high school where Jimmy was basically a non-recruited player, he goes to Tyler Junior College.”

Butler averaged 18.1 points and 7.7 rebounds in his one season at Tyler. That was enough to catch the eye of then-Marquette coach Buzz Williams. Williams brought Butler to Milwaukee to play behind such Golden Eagles stars Wesley Matthews and Lazar Hayward. He did not start a game in his sophomore season. Getting minutes was Butler's goal, not making the NBA.

"Buzz brought me to Marquette and he taught me your confidence, it only comes from your work," Butler said. "This summer, I put in a lot of work to get to where I am today. Without Buzz constantly challenging me and pushing me to be great, I don’t think I'd be standing here."

Butler progressed at Marquette. After averaging 5.6 points his sophomore year, Butler bumped those figures to 14.7 and 15.7 points in his junior and season seasons. His visible and statistical improvements at Marquette put him on NBA radars. Forman grabbed him with the Bulls' first-round pick (30th overall).

In Butler's rookie year, the lockout-shortened 2011-12 season, he only played in 42 games with no starts. Butler averaged 8.5 minutes and just 2.6 points.

Butler attributes Luol Deng and Adrian Griffin as two of the individuals who helped him push through a frustrating rookie season. "Luol had a lot do it to tell you the truth, teaching me to be a professional and teaching me the ropes," he says of the former Bull, whose role as the team's go-to swingman was essentially handed to Butler.

Butler had his coming-out party in 2012-13 when a Deng injury allowed the second-year player more playing time. He averaged 8.6 points in 82 games (20 starts) and 26 minutes a game. As time has passed, Butler's role has widened. He started all 132 regular-season games he played in from 2013-14 to 2014-15. Butler averaged 13.1 points in 2013-14 and 20.0 points (and 5.8 rebounds) in his All-Star 2014-15 campaign.

"He comes to the Bulls and he continues with the same focus, the same energy" Forman says of drafting Butler in 2011. "[He] goes from being a role player initially to becoming a starter to becoming today, the most improved player in the NBA and an NBA All-Star."

When Butler was drafted, the Bulls were rich with talent. Derrick Rose had won the MVP award the previous season. Deng and Carlos Boozer were still there, and Joakim Noah was continuing to develop. Butler was not supposed to be the guy. Four years ago, imagining Butler being the leading-scorer on a Bulls team with a shot at an NBA title would have been ludicrous.

But rapid progression is a recurring theme in Butler's basketball life.

"I felt like at any level I was at, whether it be junior college or Marquette, I didn't think I was supposed to be there," Butler said. "Being from Tomball, and somehow, in some way, with the people in my corner, I found a way to get there. Now that I'm here, I'm just as confident as when I was in junior College or when I was at Marquette. As long as I continue to work, I'll continue to stay and I'll continue to get better."

Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau thinks Butler can get better too. "I don't want to put a lid on it," he says. "I don't think any of us do. We don't know where it's going. All I know is if you study his career, every year he's gotten a lot better."

"We wouldn't be in the position that we are today without him," Thibodeau says. "Whatever we've asked him to do, he's excelled in that role. He came in primarily as a defensive player, a great effort guy, and he's made himself into a great scorer, and most importantly, a winning player. He's very, very unselfish and very, very efficient. He scores in a lot of different ways and he'll guard anybody and he's a fierce competitor."

Butler attributes Thibodeau for pushing him beyond his talent love. The coaches have led Butler to focus on the mental aspects of the game just as much as the physical aspects.

Last summer, Butler turned off all Internet and cable services in his home in Houston. He shut out the non-basketball aspects of his life–something he had done so well already despite the hardships life has given him–and worked day-in, day-out with trainer Chris Johnson.

"He was the first one who said I'll make you an All-Star," Butler said. "Of course, I didn't believe it."

Butler's summer focused worked. From day one of the 2014-15 season, Butler has been among the top players in the league. It is what got him an All-Star nod and has made him the Bulls' No. 1offensive (and defensive) option.

"I believe he's one of the best two-way players in the league today," Thibodeau says. "It hasn't happened by accident. The way he's worked, it's a testament to his character and who he is as a person. Obviously, to get where he is today, you have to have a lot of talent, which he does have, but when you combine that with his intelligence and his drive, you get something special."

Forman adds that Butler's presence on the court is far from his only positive. He works similarly as hard off the court.

"Jimmy is a very special person," Forman says. "Anybody who's been around him knows he goes out of his way each and every day to interact with everybody that he's around. He's always willing to give himself before others, which is really a great trait."

"I think this is a place for me. I love playing with the guys that we have. They continue to bring in great high character guys that fit the team role. I love it here and I'm happy to be here."

"I want to help this team win," he said. "I want to get antoher trophy and I want to win a championship. That's the final goal."

Evolution of Steph Curry

Curry had always studied and drawn inspiration from Nash, another slightly built point guard who used shooting skills, creativity, leadership and instinct to become a two-time MVP. But the full picture of how Curry wanted to place his own stamp on the position didn't fully click for him until the summer of 2012, when he visited the training camp of the Carolina Panthers, one of his favorite teams. Curry sat in on a full day of quarterback meetings and saw a contemporary in Cam Newton, who won the 2011 NFL offensive rookie of the year by playing quarterback like a point guard in shoulder pads. In the playbook and on film, Curry recognized how Newton was juggling the same dozen or so basic responsibilities that point guards also have to manage in real time: game situations, momentum, positioning, ball protection, elevating teammates, staying three steps ahead of the defense and, when needed most, making something happen all by yourself.

The difference was that even as a rookie, Newton wasn't hesitant, overly worried about mistakes or brain-locked by all the duties the way Curry had been. Newton was smooth. Effortless. In command. And having a freakin' blast. Curry realized that although a point guard has dozens of responsibilities, the toughest one is to let it all go and ball like you're back on Jack's country court. He had always known how to play the game. What Curry has improved on dramatically since then is how to feel it. "It's all become so natural," Curry says. "I think that's why I feel so comfortable on the floor most nights."