The only guy unimpressed with Wesley Matthews’ shooting of late is the same guy who wasn’t worried about his slow shooting start to the 2016-17 season: Matthews himself.
The second-year Mav’s campaign got off to an inauspicious start on the offensive end, as his shooting splits after seven games were just 28.9 percent from the field and 24.1 percent from the 3-point line, adding up to only a 36.1 effective field goal percentage. Those numbers are well below his career averages and were obviously unacceptable to Matthews, but he never panicked through that stretch, even when asked about it after nearly every game.
But including sitting out on the second night of a back-to-back against the Warriors on Nov. 9, Matthews had a total of six days’ rest between games in L.A. and New York, and since that respite he’s been blistering from the field. In his last eight games, he’s shooting 48.2 percent on 7.0 3-pointers per game, and while he’s shooting only 42.2 percent from the field during that time, his effective field goal percentage is 57.2 percent, higher than it’s been any other season of his career.
The 30-year-old is now averaging 13.7 points per game on the season and has scored at least 18 points in three of his last four contests, and at least 20 in three of his last seven. His torrid streak has all but erased his slow start, as his 3-point percentage is up to 36.0 percent on the season, matching last season’s mark. He’s trending way upward.
“I was never worried about it. That was you guys,” Matthews said of his slow start, after dropping 21 points in a win against the Pelicans, a game in which he shot 6 of 8 from deep. “I think I said that during the time. I wasn’t worried about my shot. I’m never going to be worried about it. I know the time I put into it, I know the confidence that I have, and I know the confidence that the team has in me. So I’m not worried about that.”
Matthews’ 3-point percentage is much more important than his 2-point percentage, so that’s the number to keep an eye on the rest of the season. Why? More than 60 percent of his field goal attempts during his last three seasons have come from beyond the arc. He’s an extremely high-volume 3-point shooter, averaging 7.6 attempts per game from beyond the arc, which at this point is the second-most of any Maverick in a season in franchise history. Only two other players have even attempted six per game as a Maverick: Jason Terry launched 6.2 a game in 2008-09, and George McCloud shot 8.6 per game in 1995-96, a season in which the NBA shortened the 3-point line by two feet to encourage more long-range shooting. (Matthews also attempted 6.7 per game last season.)
The hope, of course, is that Matthews will continue his hot 3-point shooting while also continuing to improve his post-up game, which the Mavs have made a team-wide initiative to go to more often in recent games. Per Synergy, Dallas has recorded double-digit possessions in the post in two of its last three games, after having not reached double-digits since its fifth game of the season. Matthews has scored only 0.696 points per possession in 23 such possessions in 2016-17, but he scored an above-average 0.898 PPP in the post last season, suggesting that he could significantly improve his efficiency in that area as the season goes on.
His recent run of hot shooting has seen him shoot up the spot-up PPP leaderboard, as well, as he’s now scoring 1.118 points per possession as a spot-up shooter, which ranks in the top-quarter in the league overall, and 18th out of the 56 players with at least 50 opportunities, per Synergy.
Both struggles and successes aside on the offensive end this season, Matthews has remained a terrific defender, particularly in one-on-one situations. According to Synergy, Matthews has defending more isolation possessions (38) than any other player in basketball. And of the 47 players who have defended at least 20 such possessions, Matthews ranks ninth in PPP allowed, at just 0.684. Opponents have turned it over against him 23.7 percent of the time in those possessions, as well, which ranks second among that group.
Look no further than his consecutive performances against James Harden this season. The Rockets’ MVP candidate has been putting up otherworldly numbers this season, averaging 29 points and more than 12 assists per game, with a 62.2 true shooting percentage. Against the Mavericks, however, he’s been held to a more human 27.0 points and 7.5 assists per game at just a 55.7 true shooting clip, plus 6.0 turnovers. He shot just 32.1 percent when guarded by Matthews in those two games, including just 22.2 percent on 2-pointers.
That’s what matters more to Matthews than his offensive numbers, anyway. He made his name in this league by playing defense every night. The shooting and scoring is clearly important, too, but his defense is what makes him who he is.
“It’s just making sure I’m doing everything else to help us win, and the offense is gonna come,” Matthews said. “I’m playing loose, playing free, playing confident, but I’m trying to give us everything on the defensive end, everything as a leader, and (the shots) will fall.”
Share and comment