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Much will be written and said about the supposed foul committed by Matthew Dellavedova against Al Horford’s in Sunday night’s Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals. In the middle of the second quarter, while diving for a ball, Dellavedova got tangled up in DeMarre Carroll and Horford, causing the latter to strike the Cleveland Cavavliers’ backup point guard on the head.
Although Atlanta Hawks coach Mike Budenhozler claimed it was actually a strike to the shoulder —which would have resulted in a Flagrant 1 — the fact remains that Horford reacted in an unprofessional and unnecessary way. Horford himself even said as much after the game. Whether ejection was warranted or not is certainly up for debate. What isn’t up for debate is that there’s no room for that type of conduct at this level of basketball.
Most egregiously, some people — namely Reggie Miller and, to a lesser extent, Kenny Smith — are unfairly and unjustifiably labeling Dellavedova a dirty player. The league has indeed had a few dirty players. Not many, but a few. The most notable example is probably Detroit Pistons center Bill Laimbeer who played so physically that he had a Super Nintendo game named after him: “Bill Laimbeer’s Combat Basketball.”
Dellavedova and Laimbeer are not in the same conversation. As odd as it sounds, Cleveland fans should be glad for the levelheadedness of Charles Barkley. (This is maybe the first time “levelheaded” and Charles Barkley are used in the same sentence). Not only was he the one to insist that Dellavedova (or “Delladova,” as he repeatedly pronounced it) wasn’t dirty, he was also the first to point out that it was actually Horford who was pulling the St. Mary’s product to the ground.
Kenny Smith later questioned whether the altercation with Horford, Kyle Korver the game before, and Chicago Bulls power forward Taj Gibson didn’t represent a pattern of play. David Blatt roundly dismissed the criticism, saying — much as Shaquille O’Neal did — that Dellavedova was simply scrappy, dedicated, and wonderful on defense.
Outside of Atlanta, I hope the wider world views him the same way. He’s a hard worker that every Cavs member praises profusely. When the Wine and Gold were wheeling and dealing this past winter, making their season-saving trades for Timofey Mosgov, Iman Shumpert and J.R. Smith, Dellavedova’s name was constantly on the block. Reportedly, the coaching staff stopped such discussions at every turn. This postseason is showing why.
