After having played a pivotal role on the Milwaukee Bucks during the 2019-20 NBA season, Wesley Matthews has returned with the same energy, grit, and toughness that the experienced wing has made a successful career out of. Matthews may have a diminished role compared to his last stint with the Bucks, but his impact still holds plenty of value, and it should continue to serve as a spark moving forward.
Since the Milwaukee Bucks brought back Wes Matthews on a non-guaranteed deal, the veteran has consistently been a bright spot in his emotional return.
The Bucks recently signed Matthews to a non-guaranteed minimum deal worth roughly $1.9 million after waiving Georgios Kalaitzakis, and it’s already safe to say that bringing him back was well worth the investment. The 35-year-old veteran has immediately contributed to this currently decimated team with Giannis Antetokounmpo, Brook Lopez, Bobby Portis, Donte DiVincenzo, and more being frequently sidelined.
His presence surely hasn’t gone unnoticed, especially following his best performance of the year thus far coming on Wednesday evening. Matthews dropped a season-high 16 points on 6-of-7 field goal shooting and 4-of-5 from 3-point range across 20 minutes off the bench during the win against the Houston Rockets.
In what was an emotional night for Matthews, he was outstanding in every aspect on both ends of the floor. Matthews told reporters postgame that his grandma had just passed away, and if you know Matthews, you would know that his grandma meant so much to him.
“It meant the world to me because my grandma meant the world to me. And what brought her the most joy was watching me play, so there was no doubt. I knew what I had to do,” Matthews stated following his brilliant contest. His 16 points were the most he’d scored in a game since December 30 of last year.
It was also Matthews’ first game back since entering the league’s health and safety protocols, so it really was an impressive performance with so many emotions and lack of conditioning running through him. He’s a class act that leaves it all out on the court each night, and the Bucks sure seem happy that Wesley Matthews is back in Milwaukee.
“He’s one of the ultimate warriors I’ve ever been around. I have so much respect for him. I’m so glad he’s here,” head coach Mike Budenholzer said about Matthews during his postgame press conference. It’s clear how much respect everyone in that locker room has for him. It has always been there, and they know he’s poised to help these Bucks defend their title.
Matthews is the type of player that can help you win a championship with his defensive prowess, 3-point efficiency, and dog mentality. He knows that, his teammates know that, his coaches know that, and the Bucks know that. It seems like Matthews could take the P.J. Tucker role from last season as the tough guy that can guard a team’s best initiator while doing all the dirty work. Whether he’s hustling for loose balls, letting it fly from deep, disrupting defenses, or motivating his teammates, Matthews should become a key contributor for this franchise once again.
As someone that grew up playing at Madison Memorial High School and college ball at Marquette University in Milwaukee, it would certainly mean more to him to earn his first championship ring in the state that made him who he is today, especially in the late stage of his career. There’s no question that Matthews will do everything in his power to help make that happen.
In his 13th NBA season, Wes Matthews should continuously be a veteran spark off the bench for the Milwaukee Bucks as they seek to repeat as NBA Champions.