First things first: There is no replacing Wesley Matthews.
His fire and competitive spirit are both crucial to the Portland Trail Blazers, inspiring his teammates to play harder and the fans to cheer louder. Whether he’s diving on the floor after a loose ball, checking his man up close or swishing through a long-range shot, Matthews will be sorely missed after a ruptured Achilles tendon ended his season per a tweet from Portland's PR team.
But the Blazers will be forced to press on, and they can still compete despite losing an integral part. It may not be at the precedent set for most of the past year, but it can still be at a high level for a few reasons.
Rigid Offensive Game Plan
While Matthews contributes a sizeable 15.9 points and 2.9 three-point field goals per game, Portland has a relatively concrete approach in terms of scoring that can make up for his absence.
The ball is often forced inside to LaMarcus Aldridge, who can go at his defender with single coverage or kick it out for an open three if he’s double-teamed. The main approach, however, is fr ...
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Article written by Joshua J Vannuccini
3 Reasons the Portland Trail Blazers Still Have Hope Without Wes Matthews
March 10th, 2015 by Joshua J Vannuccini Leave a reply »
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