Wesley Matthews knows how to grind. Portland’s all-purpose shooting guard is tireless, running defenders around countless screens in the Trail Blazers’ flow offense and raining down 3-pointers on those who can’t keep up. On the defensive end, the 6-5, 220 pound Matthews is a brick, out-muscling weaker guards and matching up against bigger, stronger wings.
Off the floor, Matthews is less threatening. When his gaze meets yours, Matthews’ voice is honest and direct, with few words out of place or lacking real meaning. His sparkling eyes and perfectly-trimmed beard frame a pearly-white grin that flashes often. But between smiles, the words are serious and indicative of what lies inside the ubiquitous and often overlooked Blazers guard.
“I’m blessed, excited and happy,” said Matthews. “But by no means am I content. I’m hungry.”
Hunger has always been a part of who Matthews is. He went undrafted in 2009 and signed with the Utah Jazz that September. His solid play for a playoff team led to a deal in Portland just 10 months later. In less than a year, things went from famine to feast, which prepared him for Portland better than he could have imagined.
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Matthews was originally slotted as a sixth man behind All-Star Brandon Roy, a strengthening beam for the foundation of a team that won 50 games the year before. Instead, he started three times as many games as Roy in his first year for the Trail Blazers. By December of 2011, Portland’s franchise cornerstone was gone, retired due to injury. Matthews became the unchallenged starter.
He certainly hasn’t wasted the opportunity. Over the last four seasons, Matthews became one of the most reliable guards in the NBA. He’s missed just 16 regular season games, earning him the nickname of “Iron Man” for his ability to stay healthy and play through minor injuries.
Headed into his fifth season, Matthews is poised to pass Roy in games as a Blazer. He is only 20 games behind the former Portland standout, and should surpass him before the end of 2014.
“It’s hard to believe that we’re going into year five,” Matthews said. “When I signed the contract I was so excited, but after I signed it I was like, ‘Man, five years is a long time’. It’s crazy to think that we’ve reached that point.”
The Portland fan base, which watched numerous careers fall short because of injury, couldn't be happier that Matthews’ five-year deal worked out in Portland. He's always been a defensive stalwart and 3-point shooting maestro, but last season was Matthews' coming out party.
No player in NBA history made more 3-point field goals in his first five seasons than @stephencurry30 #Splash pic.twitter.com/QySSrVfa02
— NBA TV (@NBATV) October 27, 2014In 2013-14, Matthews connected on 41 percent of his threes, impressive considering the long ball accounted for roughly half his 12 field goal attempts per game. He also debuted a stronger post presence, something he says he learned from longtime teammate LaMarcus Aldridge.
“I learned by watching him,” Matthews said. “How he picks and chooses his spots — when to be aggressive, when to go and make a play and when to make a play for others. I’m starting to get in that niche.”
That niche has served the Trail Blazers’ shooting guard well. According to Synergy, Matthews produced 0.939 points per play in post-up situations last season, ranking in the NBA's 68th percentile.
How he's scored in the post last season was similarly unique. One of his most effective moves was a quick turnaround shot, during which the Blazer guard leaps toward the basket and over opponents, tricking them with timing instead of taking a difficult fadeaway.
“That’s something that I started utilizing because guards are so ready to fight me to combat my strength,” Matthews said. “When I’m backing down, I time it for when they’re trying to get ready to hit me and then I just elevate. I know they can’t hit me and elevate at the same time.”
It’s the cerebral process and dedication to the game that has let Matthews thrive. He’s a self-proclaimed gym rat, a dedicated student of the game who didn’t need any coaches to tell him what to work on this summer. He knew what he needed to get done, and how to get better for himself and for the team. Ballhandling. Shooting. Post work.
Each Blazers player was given one of these today from the organization. pic.twitter.com/e1kTQppNwY
— Erik Gundersen (@blazerbanter) October 28, 2014
Portland will certainly need Matthews’ focus this season. He was a big reason why the Blazers finished with the second-most efficient offense in the NBA last year. Portland is slated yet again to challenge for a postseason berth, but expectations in the Blazers’ locker room are even higher.
Both Matthews and point guard Damian Lillard spoke often this preseason about what it was like to watch championship basketball first hand after losing to the Spurs in the second round of the playoffs. Matthews said the team has not dwelled on the series with San Antonio, but that it has acted as an underlying motivator in their quest for improvement.
“It’s something we talked about at the time,” Matthews said. “But everybody carried it into the offseason.”
The Blazers have their work cut out for them if they want to beat the Spurs next time around. Their starters were incredibly good last year, but their bench was abysmal. GM Neil Olshey has tried to fix that with Steve Blake and Chris Kaman, who are offensive players better suited to continue Stotts’ system when the first line needs a breather.
Portland also hopes for better production out of their returning bench players. Matthews himself mentioned Will Barton as markedly improved year-on-year. Meanwhile, C.J. McCollum, Dorell Wright and Joel Freeland are expected to contribute more for Blazers this season. Stotts even made the move to alter the role of 7-1 Meyers Leonard, placing him with the power forwards in practice and positioning him along the 3-point line during preseason games.
The bench and evolution of Lillard was the discussion surrounding the Trail Blazers this offseason. Very little focus was placed on the steady and necessary input of Matthews, who is often left out of talk about the best off-ball guards in the NBA.
For Matthews, being overlooked is a long part of his basketball life. He’s five years removed from his NBA debut, an unassuming five minutes in a loss to the Denver Nuggets. Now, he’s arguably on his way to being just as much of a franchise cornerstone as Brandon Roy ever was. If Matthews re-signs in Portland after this season and continues his strong play, he will eventually surpass the man he replaced.
As he prepares for his sixth season in the NBA, Matthews admits he’ll likely still be passed over, or added as an afterthought when it comes to discussion about his position. It doesn’t bother him in the slightest, which is good news for Portland. If they want to have success in the postseason, the Blazers need Matthews to simply continue to be himself.
Blessed and excited. Happy but not content. Always hungry.