Milwaukee Bucks Roster Ranking 2017: Delly is Looking Fine at Number 9

We’re diving deeper and inching closer to the most valuable player on the roster, but before we can get to the top we have to scale a few boulders. Matthew Dellavedova is one of those boulders. With 3 years remaining on a contract that pays him nearly $30 million, Delly was tasked with producing at a level worthy of such a deal. Unfortunately, his first year in Milwaukee saw no marked improvement from his final year with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Delly came to Milwaukee after posting career highs in almost every statistical category after seeing an increase in his role with the championship winning Cavaliers. He garnered a reputation as a scrappy instigator that was vital to the Cavs’ 2016 championship chase. Fans expected his signing would help bolster the Bucks’ backcourt defense and bring energy to that side of the court. Unfortunately, Delly’s Defensive Rating dipped from 108 to 113.7, and while individual defensive ratings aren’t a fantastic barometer of individual play, it’s indicative of a drop-off on that end.

Although his role with the Cavaliers increased in 2016, he still was not a significant contributor. Delly came to Milwaukee expecting to see a bump in responsibilities and he is getting paid like a player that can handle those responsibilities. He started 54 games this past season and averaged a tick over 26 minutes a game. Those are not two numbers that would lead anyone to believe Dellavedova is handling that increased workload like the front office thought he could. The rise of rookie guard, Malcolm Brogdon, also contributed to Delly not seeing the floor as much as someone making nearly $10 million a year should. When he was on the floor the offense would sputter; his Offensive Rating dropped from 109 to 101.4 and the team’s rating dipped when he was on the court. He posted a career-low 36.7% shooting percentage from three point range, a significant dip from his 41% clip during the 2015-16 season. Delly’s lackluster offensive output coupled with the Rookie of the Year coming into his own meant he was relegated to a bench role as the season progressed.

With three years left on a deal that looks like it is going to be harder and harder to move off the books via trade, what can the Milwaukee faithful expect to see out of Delly? Using Basketball Reference’s similarity score as a guide, the future does not look too rosy. Eric Piatkowski and Ron Mercer are the top two comps for Dellavedova and for a team that lacks guard depth, this will have to suffice for now. If Delly can come off the bench and stroke the three ball closer to 40% and stay active on the defensive end, he will provide a valuable commodity that a team looking to make a deep playoff run needs from a role player.

The bloated contract certainly does not do Dellavedova any favors in the ranking. Even if we ignore his deal I believe that this is an appropriate slot for him. His moderate defensive value is not enough on its own to warrant a higher ranking and I think few would be sad to see him included in a trade package, if that were to happen.

We are slowly ascending to the top of the roster food chain and we climb on as our 8th most valuable Buck appears from the horizon.

Brew Hoop 2017-18 Roster Ranking

9. Matthew Dellavedova

10. Sterling Brown

11. Mirza Teletovic

12. John Henson

13. Rashad Vaughn

14. Spencer Hawes

15. Gary Payton II