I have always hated this comment. This is the comment of a loser, not a winner. Give me a guy any day that likes to play from the lead, and not as the under dog I will await the barrage of insults from the do gooders and people wearing their rose garden colored glasses.
Wes brings it every night balls out if you ask me. MM he is kinda' telling the truth though right? NOBODY is expecting us to do anything this season.
The mindset is that "if we lose, then so what? Everyone already thinks we're going to lose so it doesn't matter."
Here's why you're being stupid: 1. Wesley is not playing for the Heat. He's playing for a team that will in all likelihood finish well out of the playoffs, no matter how hard he plays. It would just be insane for him to say "I like it that everyone thinks we're going to win the West." Because nobody does. 2. Just because he (purportedly) likes the feeling of being counted out doesn't mean he doesn't like the feeling of leading from the front even more. You can like more than one thing, you know. Nice preemptive ad hominem. If you mean the people who disagree with you, at this point they just sigh resignedly.
I don't see it that way, but I don't feel incited to insult you...at least no more than usual. The way I see it, Wesley is stating the obvious facts when he says that it's a rebuilding year and nobody expects the Blazers to do anything. There's nothing he can do about that either way. People's perceptions are what they are, and the team's roster situation isn't something he can do anything about either. All he can do is play hard every night and try to help the team win as many games as possible. If he uses the underdog mentality as a boost, more power to him. That doesn't mean he isn't going to relish playing from the lead should management find a way to put the team in that situation.
I tend to take those kinds of comments to mean when he is being underestimated or overlooked he gets a chip on his shoulder and wants to battle and prove those people wrong. My impression is that's how Wes got where he is today. Same with Will Barton and how he's described his own career. I'll take that over the spoiled athletes who think they are simply ordained to be winners, so don't really have to bring it every night. I still don't see Wesley as a starting quality NBA SG, but I give him credit for being "scrappy".
Why do you think Matthews doesn't like to play from the lead? The thing is, we're no where near the lead. What would you have him say?
I agree with MM in principle, but I think Wes is just speaking in terms of cliches and it doesn't really mean anything one way or the other.
On the plus side he's going to get a ton of practice playing from the "down and out" POV. Should be right in his wheelhouse
