by Stu Holdren on July 21, 2010
All signs have pointed to restricted free-agent Wesley Matthews becoming a member of the Blazers for weeks now, but now it’s official. The Blazers had signed Matthews to a five-year, $34 million offer sheet, and Monday’s 5 p.m. deadline passed for Utah to match Portland’s contract. This is an impressive payday for an undrafted rookie who has yet to fully solidify himself in this league. That being said, he was reliable enough to earn 48 starts for the Jazz under the old-school tutelage of Jerry Sloan – a coach who traditionally doles out his playing time to veteran players.
While there was some question at first whether the Jazz would match Portland’s offer for Matthews, it became clear they were moving in another direction after committing a hefty sum of money to pay Al Jefferson’s contract, and added Raja Bell to their roster. While the Jazz and their fans all liked Matthews’ game, they didn’t like it that much. The Blazers’ deal for Matthews was another “toxic” front-loaded offer sheet, much like their push last year for Paul Millsap. However this time the Blazers will be writing the checks, including $9.2 million in his first year alone ($4.6 in salary, $1.2 million up front, and a $5.6 million signing bonus). Not too shabby for a guy who barely made his roster and only made the the league minimum of $457,588 last season.
Whether or not Portland actually expected the deal to go through (and whether or not he is truly worth the money), they will be acquiring a versatile and hard-nosed wing in Matthews. He has quickly gained the reputation of being a gritty defender, often drawing the matchup of the opposing teams’ top scorer. Pair this along with his incessant hustle and opportunistic play, and you’ve got a prototypical Nate McMillan player.
Matthews’ defensive effort alone will get him substantial minutes for the Blazers next season, but he’s shown the ability to be an impact player on the offensive end as well. In just under 25 minutes per game last season, Matthews averaged over 9 ppg and shot 38% from downtown. He also got some extended run in the playoffs where he boosted his scoring average to 13 ppg. This was likely a big factor in Portland targeting Matthews, as they have had two consecutive seasons of lackluster postseason play from their wing players.
How Matthews will fit in in Portland remains to be seen. As the roster stands, Matthews would likely serve as a role player off the bench, spending time at both the shooting guard spot behind Brandon Roy and the small forward spot behind Nicolas Batum. I could also see him getting some valuable time in the clutch when defensive stops are needed. However, the Blazers have a clear logjam of players that can play shooting guard, and the addition of Matthews would seem to spell a trade for the Blazers in the not-too-distant future. Rudy Fernandez and Jerryd Bayless are the most likely candidates to be shipped out this Summer, as neither have been able to fully embrace the roles they have been given on a consistent basis.
While I don’t consider Matthews to be worthy of such a massive contract at this stage in his career, this wouldn’t be the first time in his career to prove doubters wrong. As a player who has shown such determination and hunger to defy the odds, I wouldn’t bet against him. Would you?
by Stu Holdren on July 13, 2010
On the heels of watching their star free-agent Carlos Boozer sign with Chicago, the Utah Jazz countered the loss with a big move of their own. In a cost-cutting effort, the Minnesota Timberwolves traded Al Jefferson to Utah in exchange for Kosta Koufos, the Memphis Grizzlies’ protected 2011 first-round pick (obtained by the Jazz in a previous trade) and an additional future protected first-round pick.
While the Jazz are on the hook to pay Jefferson $42 million over the next three years, it solidifies their relevancy within the Western Conference. While I was looking forward to seeing Paul Millsap finally get his chance to shine as a starter, he has been invaluable to the Jazz by providing them with depth and stability and it looks as though he will continue that role next year. Jefferson will give the Jazz a reliable scorer in the post, a beast on the boards, and a presence at both ends of the floor. Playing with an elite pick-and-roll point guard like Deron Williams should elevate Jefferson’s game to another level, but Big Al will have to refine his mid-range jumper to be a true threat in Utah’s system. What I like about this acquisition for Utah is that it shows a confidence in their current roster, and also a commitment to staying highly competitive within the Northwest Division.
It will be very interesting to see what kind of impact Jefferson has in Utah, as he has not played for a winning team since he was a rookie with a limited role with the Boston Celtics in the 04-05 season. Of course Jefferson can’t shoulder all of the responsibility for that, but Jazz fans can hope that his time amongst the bottom-feeders results in a fiery hunger to win every night he steps on the floor. Over the past three seasons, Jefferson has averaged 20.4 points and 10.5 rebounds per game, so he certainly serves as a suitable replacement for Boozer.
Jefferson was once considered to be the cornerstone of the rebuilding Timberwolves, however his game has been somewhat redundant alongside the double-double machine that is Kevin Love. With Love still on his (substantially cheaper) rookie contract, and with the Timberwolves still deeply in a re-building phase, Jefferson became expendable. The departure of Jefferson leaves the T’Wolves thin at the center position, but Darko Milicic will finally get the chance he’s always wanted to prove that he deserves to be a regular within NBA rotations. With Jefferson out of the picture, we should see more playing time from Minnesota’s offseason steal, Michael Beasley. While Beasley will get time at both the small and power forward positions, he’ll form a versatile frontcourt tandem with Love when the matchups allow.
How do you think the Jefferson will fit in with Utah?
by Stu Holdren on July 8, 2010
In one of the most anticipated announcements in recent sports history, LeBron James stated his intentions of signing with the Miami Heat. The acquisition of James, alongside other star free-agent acquisitions of Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade makes the Heat the runaway winners of the free-agency period.
James’ decision to sign with the Heat says a great deal about his desire to be a winner. From an outsider’s perspective, I assumed that James would sign with a team that would be a winner – but also one that he would be the clearcut leader of the franchise. This won’t necessarily be the case as he joins the Heat. While James’ style of play is certainly not a selfish one, playing alongside two stars has the possibility to dilute his shine. Now you might not see James going off for 30 every night any more (OK, maybe every other night), but he has a rare opportunity to create a truly special and dynamic team with Bosh and Wade.
James might be even more dangerous on the Heat than he ever has been, as he has never had such talented players to pass the ball to. Imagine defenses collapsing on a slashing James, only to have him drop a pass to a slashing Wade or Bosh for a baseline jackhammer. The alternative is that defenses don’t leave Wade or Bosh to go double-team James, freeing him up for advantageous one-on-one situations. Playing alongside Wade and Bosh will allow James to focus on the intangibles more than ever before. He’ll be a fantastic facilitator and great teammate in Miami, and this trio will bring the level of excitement and power up a big notch in the Eastern Conference.
As the Cavs fall out of the elite group in the East, the Celtics continue to age, and Orlando works to hone their winning formula, the Heat are instantly at the forefront of title contenders. I don’t care who they put around the trio – the Heat will be in the discussion once the postseason comes around. The Heat will hope to round their squad out with proven, veteran players who are willing to sign for the veteran’s minimum for a true chance at winning a title. Given Pat Riley’s success in signing all three of the most-coveted free-agents, I don’t doubt his ability to surround them with a strong supporting cast.
Amidst all this excitement, I can’t imagine how depressing it must be to be a Cavs fan right now. James has been the heart and soul of Cleveland sports since he has been in the league, and has been their shining ray of hope for a championship. Seeing James leave must feel like getting dumped by your supermodel girlfriend who you just got engaged to. I can only imagine how loud the ragestorm of boos will be in Cleveland for the first time James visits Quicken Loans Arena as a member of the Heat – and likely for the rest of his career.
But in the end, James chose the promise of winning over the comfort of home, and he chose a chance for collective greatness over individual accolades.
Even without knowing what the final makeup of their team will be, do you think the Heat’s new power trio makes them the Eastern Conference favorite?
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