Wesley Matthews recently concluded his 16th NBA season, a feat that very few players in the history of the game have accomplished. Fewer still succeed after failing to make the cut. Despite this, he still signs contracts and makes contributions in his 37th season.
Matthews have a special ability to fit in well with every club that hires him, and it’s obvious that his presence in the locker room is still valued.
In his parting interview, Matthews said of mentoring, “It’s been good.” Seeing a bunch of guys that are eager to learn has been incredible. wish to improve and turn to you for counsel, support, and direction. and attempting to be the fire in certain circumstances or to cool it down in others.
It wasn’t something I would often do, but it was a learning experience for me. Usually, I could lead by example as well. It was a new function, and I was performing it on the court.
Matthews mentioned in the remarks above that he noticed extremely irregular time on the court. This was true even when he came off the bench in the Play-In Tournament game against the Chicago Bulls due to an ailment that plagued the club.
However, considering his age, this outcome was probably not all that shocking, as he appeared on injury reports many times during the season with a variety of ailments.
He played in 36 games, scoring 3.1 points per game, the lowest in his career. It should come as no surprise that he attempted 71% of his field goals from three, where he shot 35%.
But when he did have a chance to play, he consistently contributed excellent team defense, communication, and the odd burst of catch-and-shoot threes—a combination of basketball abilities he has contributed his whole career. His fortitude was particularly helpful during the season when the forwards sustained injuries. He best demonstrated this by applying a strong dose of point-of-attack defense against Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown during the Boston Celtics’ two-game home sweep.
During the postseason media availability, Matthews showed gratitude for being able to play the game they love. “Happy to be able to play basketball and do this in front of the fans.”
Let’s hope that when autumn 2024 rolls around, Matthews gets another chance with an NBA team—even if it’s not the Hawks.
