The Cleveland Cavaliers are in first place in the Eastern Conference standings. Of course LeBron James and Kyrie Irving are the primary players in Cleveland, but players around the league are voicing their opinions about one, Matthew Dellavedova.

According to Fox Sports, Dellavedova was voted as the dirtiest player in the entire league by coaches and players. Dellavedova received 13 first place votes while Steven Adams finished second.

The Australian-born point guard was undrafted, but he has made quite a name for himself in the NBA with hustle. In the NBA Finals last year he played very well against MVP Stephen Curry in the beginning but ran out of gas as the series went on. Dellavedova is a good defender who never shys away from guarding the league's best player. He's not exactly Kawhi Leonard, but Dellavedova is still an asset to have.

Dellavedova got into a lot of scuffles last postseason against the Atlanta Hawks. The biggest and most controversial one was when he rolled on the ankles of Kyle Korver. After so many altercations, fans voiced their opinion. Many called him a "dirty player," but there were some who stood up for Dellavedova.

"It's not dirty, man. That's the way he plays," said Barkley, according to SMH.com. Others feel as if Dellavedova is a Dennis Rodman type of player, just an enforcer who is needed to protect the superstars on the team.

The coaches and players who voted did so anonymously.

Let's also not forget about the incident last year in which he was ejected for wrapping his legs around Chicago Bulls forward Taj Gibson. Andrew Bogut, Serge Ibaka and Matt Barnes also received a few votes. The NBA clearly isn't as physical as it once was, but it also doesn't want to have the reputation of being "soft."

The Cavaliers are currently 28-10, good enough for first place in the East. The Toronto Raptors are four games behind them in the standings, and many believe the East is over before it even started. We could very well see an NBA Finals rematch of the Cavaliers vs. the Golden State Warriors or the San Antonio Spurs.

Follow Damon Salvadore on Twitter @DamonSalvadore1

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