Dallas Mavericks: Wesley Matthews expecting to shoot deeper threes

Dallas Mavericks starting wing Wesley Matthews worked hard this offseason to expand his game, and he plans on shooting some deeper 3-pointers this season.

The Dallas Mavericks signed Wesley Matthews in 2015 in an offseason of a bit of turmoil for the team.  That was the same summer DeAndre Jordan backed out of his verbal agreement and Matthews got a four-year deal coming off an Achilles tear.

Now after three years in Dallas, fans know what to expect from Matthews.  He is the team’s best perimeter defender and shoots over 80 percent on free throws.  Matthews has struggled shooting from the field, though.  He shot 40.6 percent last season which was his first over 40 percent with the Mavs.  Absorbing nearly 34 minutes a game and playing high-level defense are important to winning basketball games, though.

More 3-pointers this year

The team is not going to ask Wesley Matthews to dribble the ball often this season.  On offense, he will be a spot-up shooter for the playmakers on the floor.  That is a role Matthews thrives in.  He has been an above league average 3-point shooter all of his nine years in the NBA.  Matthews also sank 46.4 percent on corner threes last season.

Matthews worked hard this offseason and added a new wrinkle to his game.  He will tell you himself below in a Tweet courtesy of the Mavs official account.

More space a trend

Both the Warriors and Rockets have had success in recent seasons doing exactly what Matthews wants to do.   By shooting from further out it creates a predicament for the defenders.  If you defender further out, there is more space to operate and it is easier to get blown by, but he nails the shot if you sag off.

The Mavericks added a special ball handler in Luka Doncic and a matchup problem center in DeAndre Jordan.  Throw in Wes Matthews shooting from the coaching line, and the Mavs offense could be difficult to stop for the first time in a while.

Improved conditioning too

Isaac Harris also shared this interesting tidbit about Matthews on Sept. 22.

He is three years removed from that Achilles injury and had a healthy offseason to work on his game.  Matthews could be in line for a fantastic season on this Mavs squad.  More 3-pointers could open the floor for teammates and improved conditioning should help Matthews on both ends of the floor.

It should be a fun and entertaining season for all Dallas Mavericks fans, so stay tuned.

The Smoking Cuban is the website to enjoy the Dallas Mavericks from a unique fan-centric perspective, so please check back with us daily to never miss a post.  Thank you for reading.