National Basketball Association

Thompson's dad on Dellavedova: 'It's a joke to think he can stop Steph'

Published Jun. 12, 2015 1:33 p.m. ET

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Matthew Dellavedova has made a name for himself during the Finals. His gritty defense on reigning MVP Stephen Curry has left many impressed with the undrafted guard.

But one person thought the notion that Dellavedova was stopping Curry was "a joke." Mychal Thompson, the former Lakers big man and father to Golden State Warriors swingman Klay Thompson, let his feelings be known about the matchup.

"Dellavedova, he couldn't stop Steph if Steph was asleep," Mychal Thompson said on ESPN Radio before Game 4. "Steph is that good of an offensive player, that great of a shooter, that great of a ballhandler. Giving him credit for stopping Steph Curry, people who are doing that don't understand that Steph Curry is one of those kind of guys: Kevin Durant, Kobe when Kobe was in his prime, there's nothing to do with guys like them. They're going to score. You just try to make it as difficult as possible for 'em.

"Dellavedova's scrapping and he's hustling, I give him credit for that," Thompson continued. "And he's trying his little heart out. But no, come on, it's a joke to think he can stop Steph Curry."

Thompson was correct, at least for Game 4. Curry scored 22 points on 8 of 17 shooting in the Warriors' 103-82 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday. Dellavedova struggled as the Warriors basically dared him to shoot, finishing with 10 points on 3 of 14 shooting.