In consecutive prime-time matchups this week, the Milwaukee Bucks made a lineup change that saw Wesley Matthews placed in the starting five. The decision sent Grayson Allen to the bench as the Bucks opted to switch things up, and the change ultimately worked as they managed to notch two victories against the Philadelphia 76ers and Brooklyn Nets. Given the success Milwaukee had with this lineup change, perhaps coach Mike Budenholzer will decide to keep it that way moving forward to finish the regular season and into the postseason. Let us look at the pros and cons of a permanent lineup change for the Milwaukee Bucks.
The cons of the Milwaukee Bucks starting Wesley Matthews
First and foremost, Allen has thrived as a full-time starter with the Bucks this season by averaging new career-highs in several statistical categories. The two-guard has played the best basketball of his career this season because of how he fits alongside the other starters. Per NBA.com/stats, the 26-year-old has the fifth-most wide-open 3-point makes in the NBA this season with 114 and is shooting 43.7 percent on such looks. He gets that many looks because he is playing alongside the other starters like Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jrue Holiday, and Khris Middleton, and demoting him to the bench could throw him off.
Allen has struggled in his three games coming off the bench this season, as he has averaged just 6.7 points while shooting 41.2 percent from the floor and a mere 28.6 percent from long distance. Given how well Allen has played as a starter this season – 11.3 points while shooting 44.6 percent from the field and 41.3 percent from downtown – the Bucks may not want to disrupt the shooter’s rhythm by sending him to the bench full-time. While coming off the bench would not eradicate his minutes alongside the other starters entirely, it would certainly lessen. With the playoffs nearing, changing his role this late in the season could be a risk as it would shake things up drastically.
Matthews does not provide the same level of 3-point shooting that Allen does, as he is shooting a mere 33.8 percent from deep this season. Though the Bucks would primarily rely on Matthews for his defensive intensity, his subpar 3-point shooting could become problematic. This team needs a reliable threat out on the perimeter for the starters, and Matthews just has not been that for most of the season, while Allen has. Matthews has been streaky at times, but consistency has been one of his biggest struggles on the offensive end since coming aboard.
The pros of the Milwaukee Bucks starting Wesley Matthews
The ultimate reason why the Bucks made the change in the first place was to bring more defense to the starting five. Allen is not a horrid defender by any stretch, but Matthews simply offers more on that side of the basketball, which has been on display in these last two games.
Against the 76ers, Matthews immediately took the assignment of guarding James Harden, one of the most prolific scorers of this generation. During the nearly five minutes of game action that the two were matched up, Matthews surrendered just four points to Harden while also forcing him to commit a turnover, according to NBA.com. Given Harden’s pedigree as a scorer, those numbers are solid from Matthews.
While he was good against the 76ers, Matthews’ defensive effort truly shined against the Nets on Thursday. Matthews was primarily tasked with slowing down Kevin Durant, and he did a reputable job by holding him to 13 points on 4-of-11 shooting with a turnover. Of course, the veteran had a large blunder near the end of overtime as he fouled Durant on a reckless closeout, which sent KD to the line for three free throws to give Brooklyn the lead. Aside from that, Matthews did his part to make things difficult for Durant whenever he touched the basketball. Not to mention that when he was not on Durant, Matthews held Kyrie Irving to 0-of-4 shooting and Seth Curry to 0-of-2.
These two games have showcased how important Matthews will be in these big-game matchups. When the opposing team has a top-notch scorer like Harden or Durant, the Bucks can immediately put a great defender like Matthews on them right from the opening tip. Similar to P.J. Tucker during last year’s title run, Matthews will willingly take on the toughest scorers and attempt to play them as physically as possible to keep them in check. This is not a knock on Allen’s game, but he cannot do that for the Milwaukee Bucks, which is fine, as they never expected him to do so.
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.
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.