Grading Wesley Matthews’ newly signed deal with the Milwaukee Bucks

What role will Wesley Matthews play for the Milwaukee Bucks?

As previously mentioned, Matthews will not be reclaiming his spot as a starter for the Bucks and he will be coming off the bench. This second unit has been a weakness for Milwaukee this year as they currently rank 27th in points, 29th in assists, and 17th in rebounds per game. While they are a solid outside shooting unit at 35 percent – 11th in the NBA – Matthews’ role will revolve around bumping up that 3-point percentage and taking on household defensive assignments.

Offensively, the Bucks will likely use Matthews similarly to how they used Bryn Forbes last year, which means pairing him as much as possible with Antetokounmpo. Forbes managed to thrive in Milwaukee last year due to the abundance of open looks that the two-time MVP helped generate for him, and Matthews will be given the same opportunity. If the swingman can knock down those open 3-pointers, he will be in good shape, as this is a role tailor-made for his biggest strength.

Defensively, Matthews is someone that the Bucks can throw at top-notch players to take some of the pressure off of players like Antetokounmpo and Middleton. Matthews will essentially play the role that P.J. Tucker saw last season and what Ojeleye was doing this season before his calf injury. Although he is now 35-years-old, Matthews will give the Bucks yet another versatile defender to throw at opposing offenses on a nightly basis. That will be huge, as Matthews is a more reliable defender than players like Nwora or Hood.

Essentially, Matthews will have to live up to his 3-and-D stature for the Bucks. They will not ask him to do too much besides knock down a few 3-pointers and occasionally play tough defense. In a bench role, that should be suitable for the veteran.