Milwaukee Bucks: To buy or sell on Wesley Matthews in free agency
By Dalton Sell
Milwaukee Bucks: To buy or sell on Wesley Matthews in free agency – What to buy
Where to start? Wesley Matthews was phenomenal in the starting shooting guard slot for the Milwaukee Bucks this season, making his presence felt nightly.
Offensively, Matthews served as a vital floor spacer, embracing head coach Mike Budenholzer’s “let it fly” based system. The guard shot 36.4 percent on 4.4 attempts from behind the arc in the regular season and proved to be a stellar fit next to Giannis Antetokounmpo, just as the Greek Freak intended when he recruited him.
Matthews was not just-one dimensional, however, as his defensive prowess was also a significant bonus for Milwaukee this season, particularly in top-heavy matchups. When the Bucks had stars such as Kawhi Leonard, James Harden, or LeBron James on the schedule, Matthews often took the assignment to slow them down.
While he might not have been perfect, there is no doubt that the guard’s contributions helped bolster Milwaukee’s top-ranked defense this season. Per NBA.com/stats, the guard finished with the second-highest defensive rating (98.3) on the team’s historically great defense, ranking only behind Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Playing on a deal worth approximately $2.5 million this season, Wesley Matthews undoubtedly outplayed his earnings for the Milwaukee Bucks. This could potentially lead to him opting out in search of a raise, but that is all just speculation at this point.