Expectations For Each Starter in Dallas

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Apr 21, 2016; Dallas, TX, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Wesley Matthews (23) drives to the basket against the Oklahoma City Thunder in game three of the first round of the NBA Playoffs at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports /

Shooting Guard: Wesley Matthews

Wesley Matthews had a pretty good year last year coming off of his dreadful injury. Fans in Dallas expected a little more out of him, but sometimes coming off of injuries don’t allow a person to do that. Wes has always played his heart out, and that’s something fans can never argue with.

Dallas agreed to terms with Wesley last summer and plan to keep him around as their shooting guard for a long time. He is a very good shooter and his defense is great. Watching him make his best effort to guard Kevin Durant in the playoffs last year showed he really has the grit and grind to fit in perfectly with these Maverick veterans, although he may not be up there in age like them.

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To speak towards the upcoming campaign, Wesley may be the person right next to or slightly behind Harrison Barnes primed for a breakout season. He played very well last year, but the stats didn’t truly show it. His defense was amazing, and he put in 12.5 points per game.

Now this season, fully recovered and a year into this Dallas system, it’s his time to shine. Matthews should certainly see an extra boost in points this year.

With the new weapons coming in, he will find himself open for that deadly three ball he proved capable of knocking down last year with more consistency. Having that grit as a younger player makes it so much easier to fit in with the older guys.

Wesley is a great teammate. He always wants to win. His defense will stay where it’s at, if not improve. His scoring will be the stat that almost certainly goes up. Mavs fans should be ready to see Wesley pour in around 18 points per game this season.

Next: Small Forward: Harrison Barnes