I know that Matthew Dellavedova didn’t play in this game, but his glorious return to Cleveland also signals the return of the fabled Tristan Thompson-Matthew Dellavedova lob connection, which for a period of time seemed to be the most prolific lob connetion in the NBA. Tristan Thompson, when he’s not catching lobs, is a player who I can’t get excited for. However, a Tristan Thompson that regularly catches lobs from an underathletic, goofy-looking Australian is a player that I would be more enthusiastic to make highlight videos for.
Apparently Thompson himself is aware of the significance of their lob connection, as he mentioned in an interview that he’s excited to join forces with Delly again. I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised that Thompson is aware of the significance of the Delly trade; after all, he’s the one who’s actually catching the lobs. Alley oop dunks are just about the most fun thing you can do on the basketball court (not that I would know), so you would be likely to remember which teammates are most likely to set you up for those dunks.
We’ve already seen the “Anti-LeBron Effect” happening with Thompson; his production is way up from last year. Will we now see the “Delly Effect” contribute even more to Thompson’s statistical improvement? And if the Delly Effect does indeed exist, can we get a quirky Australian sitcom called “The Delly Effect” where Matthew Dellavedova experiences the challenges of running a deli in Melbourne?