It’s very early into his stint with the Milwaukee Bucks this season, but veteran wing Wesley Matthews has had very few problems stepping into the team’s starting lineup and stabilizing the squad overall.
Wesley Matthews’ homecoming has certainly been the talk of his growing stint with the Milwaukee Bucks ever since both parties came to terms on a two-year deal at the outset of free agency nearly three months ago.
After becoming a hometown product, first as an accomplished player in the high school ranks at Madison Memorial and then growing into a star playing at Marquette University, it was only natural for Matthews’ next act in his veteran NBA career to come back to the place where his basketball journey all started.
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And to do so for a Bucks team that holds clear title aspirations after failing to achieve their hopes last season makes this Wisconsin homecoming all the more thrilling for Matthews, Bucks fans and the city of Milwaukee overall.
Now we’re only three games into Matthews’ and the Bucks’ 2019-20 campaign overall, but the early returns have been incredibly promising in how the 33-year-old has gone about fitting within the Bucks’ system.
Tabbed as the fifth starter to round out the Bucks’ everyday starting lineup at the end of preseason, Matthews has already clicked in with his teammates, even as the Bucks look to iron out their early season form.
Per NBA.com/stats, the Bucks’ starting five has tallied a +4 in their 34 minutes together, which translates to a +6.1 net rating. It’s been Matthews who has stood above the fray from that area of the Bucks’ roster as he has the highest net rating of any Bucks rotation regular at +11.9 points per 100 possessions through his 89 minutes on the floor so far this season (or +19 through raw plus-minus numbers).
Of course, we’re going on an incredibly small sample size as we’re not even a week into the Bucks’ season and we’ll be looking closely to see whether Matthews can sustain his effectiveness as the year wears on. However, Matthews has made his presence felt in other ways beyond just plugging into the Bucks’ starting lineup or on the court in general.
For example, just look at how Matthews’ second half performance in the Bucks’ comeback win over the Houston Rockets unfolded, which featured the tactical switch of the former Golden Eagle primarily covering reigning NBA scoring leader, James Harden.
Adhering to the Bucks’ unique defensive strategy of being glued to Harden’s left hand, just as they had done in their two matchups last year, Matthews shut down the one-time MVP as Harden failed to connect on all six three-point tries he attempted over the 19 possessions Matthews ended up covering him that night.
Add in the 14 points Matthews is averaging through three games on 16-of-30 shooting from the field (53.3 percent) and 8-of-21 shooting from long range (38.1 percent) and the Madison native has really covered his bases as his full contributions go.
The obvious appeal to Matthews’ fit offensively was how willing of a three-point shooter he has been throughout his career, but it’s been encouraging to see him put the ball on the floor and put down scores with his ability to penetrate the paint en route to the cup. Case in point, Matthews has converted all seven of his looks attempted within the restricted area and is 4-of-4 on drives when he attempts a shot.
There was no question Matthews could step up and contribute upon coming to Milwaukee, but the way in which he could make his mark on the Bucks was an interesting test, especially in light of their biggest offseason departure and the very player he’s replacing in their regular starting lineup, Malcolm Brogdon.
Yes, it’s incredibly early to draw any and all conclusions from the Bucks’ overall play three games into their campaign, but the early returns from Matthews have been encouraging to see all the same.