The pros and cons of the Milwaukee Bucks starting Wesley Matthews
By Dalton Sell
The verdict on the Milwaukee Bucks’ starting Wesley Matthews
There truly is no right or wrong answer with which of these two lineups the Milwaukee Bucks use, as they are both used situationally.
When the Bucks are matching up with the Philadelphia 76ers or Brooklyn Nets, it makes sense to start Matthews because he can guard Harden or Durant right from the opening tip. He brings that added boost of defensive intensity, and as evidenced by his strong play in these last two contests, it has truly made a difference. Starting Allen makes sense in other matchups as he brings offense to the table in the form of his elite outside shooting, which makes him a seamless fit alongside the other members of the starting five.
Though the specific matchup would likely ultimately dictate this, it would not be too surprising to see Matthews become the full-time starter in the playoffs. Once Donte DiVincenzo went down in last year’s postseason, the Bucks opted to promote P.J. Tucker into the starting five rather than a sharpshooter in Bryn Forbes because of the defensive intensity brought by the former. The same applies here, and having Matthews start the game on opposing lethal scorers could make a huge difference for the Milwaukee Bucks, especially if they run into a team like the 76ers or Nets.
Ultimately, both Matthews and Allen deserve to be praised for their lack of ego as they have fully embraced this lineup swap and are willing to do whatever it takes to help the team win.
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Stay tuned to see who the Milwaukee Bucks roll out at shooting guard as the Dallas Mavericks are set to come to town on Sunday. With Luka Doncic on the other side of the floor, Matthews may get the call once again due to his robust play defensively.