Wesley Matthews Is A Breakout Trail Blazer In The NBA

By now, just about every Blazer fan knows his story: Undrafted rookie free agent who earned a starting spot for conference rival Utah and was then signed by the Blazers to a gaudy contract.

He plays with a fire that you don’t see from many NBA players, who sometimes can get caught going through the motions in an 82 game schedule. Last year, Wesley Matthews was simply out to prove that he belonged in the league. Under legendary coach Jerry Sloan, someone who doesn’t normally hand rookies much playing time, he earned his way into the starting rotation with defense, hustle, and playmaking. 

This year, he wants to prove to his skeptics that he was worth the five year, $34 million deal that the Blazers entrusted him with and fans questioned during the team’s absence of a true GM.

In recent games, Matthews has played like he deserved every dollar of that contract.

Coming out of Memorial High School in Madison, Wisconsin, Matthews was the 24th ranked SG in the nation, a 4* recruit and was named "2005 Wisconsin Mr. Basketball." After his high school days were finished, he became part of a talented recruiting class of three guards to play at Marquette University under Tom Crean. 

Alongside Jerel McNeal and Dominic James, both players who overshadowed him at one time or another during their time with the Golden Eagles, Marquette made the NCAA Tournament in all four of their years. However, the talented trio was never able to make it past the second round of the tournament. 

Averaging 18.3 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.2 steals, Matthews went relatively unnoticed among the NBA Draft scene. Facing questions about his athleticism, quickness, ball handling and ability to create, his name was never called.

Perhaps this was a blessing in disguise.

The son of former NBA player Wes Matthews, who won two titles with the Lakers, Matthews inherited a 6’5” and 220 lb. frame, which is a solid build for an NBA guard. Playing with a lot of energy, hustle and defensive effort helped him earn a spot on the Utah Jazz in 2009. 

Being undrafted definitely put a chip on his shoulder, and after the Jazz traded starting SG Ronnie Brewer mid-season, Matthews stepped in flawlessly. Averaging 9.4 points per game, he was entrusted with the starting spot, and capitalized with a fantastic rookie year. During the playoffs, Wesley was spectacular for the Jazz in their playoff series against Denver and LA. Averaging 13.2 points and 1.8 steals in the postseason, his performance caught the attention of the Blazers. 

Offering him the considerable offer sheet, the Jazz were unwilling to match and Portland acquired the promising guard that summer.

As a Blazer, Matthews has seamlessly fit into the team. He has a great basketball IQ and feel for the game that is apparent with him being involved in almost every play. The playmaker has been an aggressive offensive threat to drive hard to hoop or nail a 3 from the perimeter. 

While he hasn’t shot the ball as well as he did last year, he still shows spurts where his jumper looks money, and can put up points in a hurry. Even when he’s not shooting well, he plays with a tremendous amount of confidence and can get himself involved without the ball by cutting to the basket for easy scores. 

Wesley is a gamer who flat out knows how to play and he has proven it in the absence of Blazer’s star Brandon Roy.

During the past three games without the All-Star, Matthews is averaging 22 points, including a career high 30-point performance versus Memphis. Despite barely jumping when he shoots the ball, he knocked down five 3’s against the Grizzlies, where the Blazers needed every single one of them to win 100-99. 

Portland fans can all agree that he has been much more effective and productive than Rudy Fernandez, who has struggled and consistently failed to prove himself when given more minutes. In terms of minutes for Wesley Matthews, 24 has been the magic number: In the nine games this season where he has played 24 minutes or more, Matthews is putting up 17.7 points per contest. 

While minutes may not be a universal tell all for his performance, it is a good indicator of what he is capable of when given significant playing time for the Blazers.

No doubt a great long-term addition for Portland, Wesley Matthews stays humble and is continually looking to get better. Just last week, he donated 100 frozen Turkeys to Milwaukee in the Thanksgiving spirit.

While he won’t make the Blazers forget about B-Roy, he sure helps ease the loss while the face of the franchise is out. All he can do is play his game and help the team pick up wins, something the Blazers have done well in recent years despite injuries. 

While he won’t ever be a star for this team, he will a reliable, complimentary player and a great character guy during his time in the Rose City.