Matthew Dellavedova finds himself in a different situation in his second stint with the Cleveland Cavaliers than when he left in the summer of 2016. Back then, the team was coming off its first NBA championship win, and would subsequently make the Finals for another two years after Dellavedova signed with the Milwaukee Bucks.cheap nfl nike jerseys from china

Now, back at the Cavs after a mid-season trade, Dellavedova returned not to a championship — or even a playoff caliber team — but to a squad struggling to find its identity, not to mention wins.

Dellavedova says it was “different” coming from Milwaukee back to Cleveland.

“I guess coming from Milwaukee where they’re top of the East, we’ve got some work to do here,” Dellavedova tells ESPN. “You just got to look at it as a challenge and see the long term vision, and make sure we’re working on getting better.”

A new, but familiar, environment also means that Dellavedova has gotten a chance to play more after falling out of the Bucks rotation towards the end of his tenure there. In just 12 appearances for Milwaukee, Dellavedova averaged 8.1 minutes and 1.7 points per game – both career lows. Since being traded in early December, he’s played 33 games for the Cavs — mainly as a backup to Collin Sexton — but Dellavedova has seen his own productivity increase. So far he’s averaging 7.5 points, 4.4 assists in just over 20 minutes a night.

Dellavedova says he’s enjoying the opportunities to help the young Cavalier players develop further.cheap nfl jerseys china nike

“It’s been great getting out there and playing, especially the last couple of months you can see the improvement,” he said.

Wherever he’s been, Dellavedova has been lauded for his leadership skills. In Milwaukee, coach Mike Budenholzer praised Dellavedova for being one on the locker room leaders, despite not playing many minutes. Back in Cleveland, it’s no different. Head coach Larry Drew appreciates having a player with Dellavedova’s pedigree to mentor the young players on his team.