Milwaukee Bucks: Wesley Matthews heating up after recent struggles

After a stretch where he was averaging career-low numbers on the offensive end, Milwaukee Bucks guard Wesley Matthews has come on as of late, finding a consistent groove with the ball in his hands.

Wesley Matthews has been a welcome addition to the league-best Milwaukee Bucks this season, even with his hit or miss play offensively. Averaging a career-low 7.5 points per game this year, the guard has had his share of inconsistencies while integrating into the lineup, and taking on a lower usage role than he’s previously been accustomed to.

Going back to the start of the season in October, Matthews has seen a decrease in points per game with every month that has passed.

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However, Matthews has had an excellent start to February, making his offensive presence felt in four games thus far. Averaging 9.8 points per game, the shooting guard has been connecting on 44.8 percent of his field goals and a reassuring 47.8 percent of his three-point shots.

This hot-start comes as a sigh of relief after Matthews had a worrisome January where he was only successful on 34.7 percent of his field goals and 32.7 of his shots from three-point territory. Averaging 6.0 points per game throughout the month, the 32-year-old was struggling immensely but put together some good performances as the month came to a close.

Going six games back into January, the guard has put together a stellar nine game stretch. Averaging 9.2 points while connecting on 45.7 percent of his field goals to go along with 45.1 percent of his shots from deep, the guard has put together a nice run offensively.

These numbers may seem a little lackluster on the surface, but it is precisely what the Milwaukee Bucks need if they wish to be successful. Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton are going to carry a majority of the offensive load, but surrounding the pair with lethal shooters is what has brought them to this point.

As long as Matthews and company are hitting their three-point shots consistently, the Bucks will continue to thrive. Finding himself as the fifth scoring option in the starting lineup, Matthews is not going to put up 20 or more points on a nightly basis. The guard was brought in for his ability to hit the three-ball on occasional and defend several different positions, which he has proven to be possible.

Playing in Mike Budenholzer’s “Let it Fly” offense, Matthews was set to break out of his struggle on any given night. Although the Milwaukee Bucks are not solely reliant on Matthews’ scoring abilities, he is the perfect complement to this lineup the team has been so dominant with.

As the Bucks are currently 45-7, they have begun preparing for a revamped championship run after falling short last season in the Eastern Conference Finals. If the team is hopeful for a championship in the near future, they are going to need everyone on the roster firing on all cylinders.

Hopefully, Wesley can sustain this hot start to February as he could break that downward scoring trend as the postseason nears.