Kind of makes you wonder if Pritchard had a hand in identifying Mattews as a top free agent target and drafting the front loaded contract that got him here. Obviously, before the draft (and Pritchard's bizarre firing), KP would have known who the upcoming free agents were going to be and how much they could offer. Possible free agent signings could have also impacted who they would draft. Pritchard was the master of analyzing all possible scenarios. So, was Martell traded for the rights to Babbitt done because he thought the Blazers had a good chance to land Mattews to replace Webster? Seems rather likely to me. BNM
Anyone notice how sometimes Wesley seems to be the only one on our team trying? He plays with a higher level of energy.
As a starter through 7 games, he has averaged: 21pts, 4rebs, 1ast, 1.6stls, and 2 turns on 49% FG, 39% from 3 (2.4makes per game) in 36mpg. I too wasn't making much of the front loading stuff, but I didn't feel him worthy of the MLE. He's showing otherwise, and I'm slowly taking a liking to his game, even if I think he should pass the ball more.
That's just because we're used to having Brandon Roy as our shooting guard, who averaged a great deal more assists.
Which makes him not a "chucker" IMO. If all being a chucker means is shooting a lot, then every shooting guard is supposed to be a chucker. I've always seen "chucker" to mean someone who shoots more than his scoring efficiency suggests he should. That is absolutely not the case for Matthews, as his scoring efficiency is excellent for a perimeter player.
I see his attitude more than his talent--a big guard who swings his weight around all over the floor. He takes charge instead of playing a role. If Aldridge played like that, he'd be an all-star.
This. And I also agree that sometimes it appears that Mathews is operating at a much higher energy level then anyone else in a Blazer uniform on the floor. I don't think Mathews has yet figure out how to make his teamates better. Maybe he never willl. Since it's only his second year in the league I feel it is safe to say we haven't seen the best from Wesley yet.
It's even more obvious when you compare Wes to how Batum used to play the same position among the same starting unit. The question is no longer, "Who is the best complement to Roy?" It's "Who is the best complement to Matthews?" Which makes it tough to say, but we need to bench Roy and insert Batum back into the starting lineup. The end-of-game lineup should be whichever of Roy or Batum has had the better game.
Yeah, I don't think he'll ever be a Roy-like passer. His assists have actually gone down this year, even as he handles the ball more. Which is where his reputation as a black hole comes in. But some guys just don't see the floor that well. Anyway, we've got decent-to-great passers at every other position. I like his aggression on this team.
He also doesn't command the attention defensively that Roy got. Thats why Roy got so many assists, the defense would collapse on him and he'd hit an open teammate. Thats why I think were struggling a lot. We haven't changed the offense and since Roy isn't commanding as much attention players aren't getting the easy looks they've had the past few years.
I think it is still "Who is the better compliment to Roy" being answered by Nate inserting Wes into the starting lineup. If Roy were playing better offensively, I think Batum would have stayed in the starting lineup with Wes providing scoring off the bench. As for the title of the thread, I also think it is an overstatement using the word steal. All of Paul Milsap's contracts could be labeled a steal since there was superior production for the price paid. We are getting what we paid for with Wes.
Interesting. You think most players that receive the MLE perform at the level Wes is currently performing? I'd have to disagree with that.
