When he's on, he's ON. But when he's off, its pretty ugly. Wes also plays that scrappy (I know I used that word), in your face defense like Starks did.
Not a bad comparison. I was thinking of Bonzi actually, but he had a better one on one game than Matthews.
Reminds me more of D Wade in terms of build and relentless attack. I love me some Wesley on the break.
Ugh.... I hate John Starks. He was one of my least favorite players back in the day, and I don't really see much of Wes in him at all.
I think Starks is a nice comp. A hot and cold scorer, who could either be your MVP any given night or make you shake your head at his haplessness. My recollection was that Starks was a solid defender, as Matthews is. Of course, it was a long time ago (his prime) and I'm sure my memory is coloured by the fact that he was part of a very good defensive team.
Starks was a dirty player, just as the Knicks were dirty players. I just have a very sour opinion of him, probably stemming from the fact that I was a pretty big Pacers fan when Reggie Miller was on that team. I thoroughly enjoyed watching those Knicks/Pacers series, but Starks was probably my least favorite guy on that team. I respected Oakley, Ewing, and guys like Greg Anthony or Anthony Mason a hell of a lot more than Starks.
I was thinking a while back about how sparse the list is of standout undrafted players, and where Matthews fits in it. Starks came to mind as the obvious measuring stick.
Repped. It never occurred to me until you brought it up, then it seemed so obvious, which is the sign of a great comparison. The big difference is that Starks was a bit of a punk and a headcase while Wes is reportedly a pretty solid guy. Other than that, they play VERY much alike.
Rider was way more skilled than Wes and did use his potential. His post up game was just awesome and he was just so strong for a SG. He was very aggressive offensively...more consistent and more of a go-to guy. He had a good run but just kind of fizzled out and had a bad rep for his attitude.
If your assessment is that Rider was just much better than Matthews (way more skilled, more consistent, more of a go-to guy), how is he a good comparison for Matthews? Admit it, you just wanted to talk about Rider for no reason.
I won't lie, I liked Rider. I think Matthews has an infinitely higher bball IQ and a way better defender. Just the way they carry themselves. Also speed and shooting range. Sometimes Matthew's 3 point shooting doesn't look like it has much forms, like he's just chucking it up...dunno. But he attacks the rim. Mainly just the swagger on the court. Just seems like a badass.
eh..maybe the finishing(to a degree). but i don't think wes is very good at driving, or midrange like wade....
i'd like to see wes assist number go up too, but he's only in his second year. hopefully he develops the ability to drive and finish/kick out
I was a huge JR Rider fan also, and there was a dunk Wesley had earlier in the year that reminded me soo much of Rider. They both are very strong tough players, JR had a better post up game, there both great players who show heart ( pulls back his jersey to show his heart via JR Rider) .
