NBA News: Australian Guard Matthew Dellavedova Out For At Least A Month Due To Sprained Knee

Australian Matthew Dellavedova of the Cleveland Cavaliers will be out for at least a month up to six weeks because of a sprained medial collateral ligament (MCL) or a knee injury, according to team reports. Dellavedova sustained the knee injury in the fourth quarter of their game versus the Portland Trail Blazers last Tuesday and did not play in the loss to the Utah Jazz and the wins versus the Denver Nuggets and New Orleans Pelicans.

The MCL sprain was confirmed after an additional evaluation by Cleveland Cavaliers head team physician Dr. Richard Parker at Cleveland Clinic Sports Health and will go a period of treatment and rehabilitation for the next month or so, according to a report from realgm.com.

The 24-year-old from Maryborough, Victoria in Australia was one of the key rotation players for the Cavaliers in the early part of the season. The Australian guard was the starter for a few games alternating the first five slot with Dion Waiters and was replaced eventually by veteran Shawn Marion in the starting line-up.

Dellavedova has played a total of three games so far in the 2014-2015 NBA regular season. Dellavedova’s stats have been underwhelming so far but new Cavaliers head coach David Blatt was willing to give him major minutes when he was healthy. He had 6 points and 3 assists in the 95-90 loss to the New York Knicks on opening day and played in 30 minutes with 4 assists and a blocked shot in the succeeding game, a 114-108 win versus the Chicago Bulls. Dellavedova had 2 points and 2 rebounds in the 101-82 blowout loss to the Portland Trail Blazers.

For the year, the 6-foot-4 Dellavedova, who is known for his outside shooting and defensive hustle and energy, averages 3.0 points and 3.5 assists per game. The Cavaliers currently own a record of 3-3 after their 118-111 win over the Pelicans on Monday night when LeBron James had a triple-double of 32 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists.