Ex-Cav jokes Delly ‘almost died’ guarding Steph in 2015 Finals initially appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea

If the Kings want to advance previous the Warriors, keeping Steph Curry quiet should be atop the to-do list in their initially-round NBA playoff series.

Kings guard Matthew Dellavedova probably will not play — he’s out indefinitely immediately after obtaining finger surgery final week — but he’ll certainly share his knowledge of guarding Curry for the duration of the 2015 NBA Finals, which J.R. Smith jokingly stated practically killed his former Cavaliers teammate.

“I adore Delly to death, but Delly practically died guarding Steph Curry. No, actually practically died,” Smith told JJ Redick and Tommy Alter on the most up-to-date episode of “The Old Man and The 3” podcast. “We have footage of this man in the ice tub, like, actually to his neck, attempting to guard this man.

The Warriors star averaged 26. points, six.three assists and five.two rebounds per game in these Finals, which Golden State won in six games. These averages dropped to 22.six points, three.7 assists and four.9 rebounds in the 2016 NBA Finals, which Cleveland famously won in seven games immediately after erasing a three-1 series deficit.

Dellavedova did not play a lot in the 2016 Finals, with 46 total minutes in six games, but Smith never ever will neglect his work in the preceding year’s series.

“He attempted. … Just from watching that, Dellavedova is, by far, one particular of my greatest individuals, like, of all time,” Smith stated. “He actually gave every little thing he had, and there was no excuse.

“There wasn’t like, ‘Oh, he just had it going.’ It was like, ‘No.’ It really is like, ‘Oh, I am attempting,’ it wasn’t none of that. He could barely speak immediately after. That is how challenging he was attempting. That respect level, to me, it goes via the roof.”

Associated: Draymond identifies exactly where Warriors miss Mike Brown the most

Dellavedova will not be on the floor to guard Curry this time, so that job will fall to somebody else on the Kings, beginning Saturday evening with Game 1 at Golden 1 Center.