RealGM

Last 10 games:
30.5mpg (5 starts) 17.4ppg 3.1rpg .9apg 1.2spg .4bpg, shooting 0.496 0.442 0.784

The kid is putting up impressive numbers, could we have actually added Mathews this year and still got both rookies, Bell, Elson, and Watson?

Just to compare, CJ Miles who essentially plays the same role Mathews would of played, lets see how he's doing in his last 10..

22.1mpg 11.9ppg 3.3rpg 1.7apg .6spg .5bpg 0.437 0.333 0.889
@30.5mpg - 16.4ppg 4.6rpg 2.3apg .8spg .7bpg

His overall numbers better, though he's shooting worse from the field, and obvious difference is defense. Do you guys think it was worth resigning Mathews? Keep in mind that he probably wouldn't be playing 30.5mpg, if not he'd futher stunt Miles' growth, and ofcourse Hayward and Evans down the road.

Anyways congrats to the kid, hope he keeps it up.

Ming Kong! wrote:The kid is putting up impressive numbers, could we have actually added Mathews this year and still got both rookies, Bell, Elson, and Watson?

Definitely not.

Wes is tearing it up, though, and I certainly miss him.

I think he'd be perfect in our lineup. I understand why we didn't match. But, damn he's playing well.

This team would be beastly with Matthews starting. I miss that kid.

He's certainly shooting a lot. I think it's relevant to point out that Portland's record in those ten games is 3-7.

If the Jazz had kept Matthews it would've likely meant:

No Raja Bell
No Elson
Sundiata Gaines instead of Watson (!)

As much as I like Matthews the Jazz made the right decision. You just can't sink that much money into a single role player, no matter how good he is at his role.

HappyProle wrote:He's certainly shooting a lot. I think it's relevant to point out that Portland's record in those ten games is 3-7.

If the Jazz had kept Matthews it would've likely meant:

No Raja Bell
No Elson
Sundiata Gaines instead of Watson (!)

As much as I like Matthews the Jazz made the right decision. You just can't sink that much money into a single role player, no matter how good he is at his role.

Great Point! I just love what Elson has brought to the Jazz. Raja might play Kobe better than Wes as well so probably the right decision by the organization. Watson brings toughness and good PG play to the bench as well. It was the right decision.

A real issue is why havent the Jazz gone ahead and picked up the option on Miles. Miles has to worry about getting injured severely than not getting paid. The way he has played he deserves to have hsi option to picked up. It looks like GM KOC has become a very smart business man putting organization over the players once again.

HappyProle wrote:He's certainly shooting a lot. I think it's relevant to point out that Portland's record in those ten games is 3-7.

If the Jazz had kept Matthews it would've likely meant:

No Raja Bell
No Elson
Sundiata Gaines instead of Watson (!)

As much as I like Matthews the Jazz made the right decision. You just can't sink that much money into a single role player, no matter how good he is at his role.

Not only that, I think that Raja Bell is a HUGE part of the reason we have pulled off so many comebacks. He brings a veteran toughness and leadership that Matthews definitely does not have

HolyToledo wrote:...
A real issue is why havent the Jazz gone ahead and picked up the option on Miles. Miles has to worry about getting injured severely than not getting paid. The way he has played he deserves to have hsi option to picked up. It looks like GM KOC has become a very smart business man putting organization over the players once again.

There is little need by either the team (or players when they have the option) to pick up the option before the deadline to do so. I don't know when that is though. The interesting part will be if the lockout happens, what happens to guys who have options? Do the deadlines for picking up options stick but the money not have to get paid out during the lockout? Do deadlines get extended or contract terms delayed?

Damn, we need to let it go

Wesley Matthews is not walking thru that door..

HappyProle wrote:He's certainly shooting a lot. I think it's relevant to point out that Portland's record in those ten games is 3-7.

If the Jazz had kept Matthews it would've likely meant:

No Raja Bell
No Elson
Sundiata Gaines instead of Watson (!)

As much as I like Matthews the Jazz made the right decision. You just can't sink that much money into a single role player, no matter how good he is at his role.

win

If we would have kept Matthews, we wouldn't have signed Raja and probably would have needed to trade AK or CJ for next to nothing to hover around the salary cap. If the equation is Matthews and maybe Gaines or Jeffers on one side of the scale vs. Raja, CJ, Watson and Elson on the other then the choice is obvious. We did the right thing for the organization and Wes did the right thing for himself...

sendai91 wrote:If we would have kept Matthews, we wouldn't have signed Raja and probably would have needed to trade AK or CJ for next to nothing to hover around the salary cap. If the equation is Matthews and maybe Gaines or Jeffers on one side of the scale vs. Raja, CJ, Watson and Elson on the other then the choice is obvious. We did the right thing for the organization and Wes did the right thing for himself...

I might be the only Jazz fan who isn't the least bit sorry we didn't keep Mathews. Don't get me wrong, would have loved to have kept him, but not for the contract. Not now, and not back in August. I would much rather have Raja's comparable numbers and his leadership over Mathews. Actually, I would even only take Raja's leadership over numbers.

Not to mention that we probably wouldn't have one of the following guys this season: Jefferson, Watson, Elson, AK, all of which I wouldn't want to give up at the moment.

Though I will say that I think Raja was the right decision for the now, where as Wesley might have been the right decision down the road.

If the NBA imposes a Hard cap next summer. The Blazers will hate what they are paying the role player .

I agree that the Jazz made the right decision. I am glad Wes is putting up those numbers, good for him, but filling out the roster with Elson, Watson and the two rookies is going to help way more in the long run. Personally I think both Hayward and Evans have the talent to be equal to or better than Matthews, so being able to keep both of them will be more valuable.

The veteran leadership on this team has been a huge help, and that is something Matthews wouldn't have brought to the team.

Lava Rock Kid wrote:If the NBA imposes a Hard cap next summer. The Blazers will hate what they are paying the role player .

Uh, he is not playing like a role player, quite frankly he is earning that money.

Pai Gow wrote:

Lava Rock Kid wrote:If the NBA imposes a Hard cap next summer. The Blazers will hate what they are paying the role player .

Uh, he is not playing like a role player, quite frankly he is earning that money.

And yet they keep losing. And they have talent.

qman wrote:

Pai Gow wrote:

Lava Rock Kid wrote:If the NBA imposes a Hard cap next summer. The Blazers will hate what they are paying the role player .

Uh, he is not playing like a role player, quite frankly he is earning that money.

And yet they keep losing. And they have talent.

They're about to lose to Washington.

WASHINGTON.

Ouch.

He's up to 14.4ppg. In 8 games as a starter 21.3ppg 3.9rpg 1.3apg 1.6spg .4bpg shooting.488 .385 .778. Damn it, wish AK's salary didn't have us so close to the luxury tax threshold! As much as I like Raja, this kid is special, he should of been our SG, or we could of had both. Either way, this reminds me of when we let Mo Williams walk, but we knew this kid's potential, and it's really getting ugly as he keeps putting up ridiculous numbers. :-/

Ming Kong! wrote:He's up to 14.4ppg. In 8 games as a starter 21.3ppg 3.9rpg 1.3apg 1.6spg .4bpg shooting.488 .385 .778. Damn it, wish AK's salary didn't have us so close to the luxury tax threshold! As much as I like Raja, this kid is special, he should of been our SG, or we could of had both. Either way, this reminds me of when we let Mo Williams walk, but we knew this kid's potential, and it's really getting ugly as he keeps putting up ridiculous numbers. :-/

Mo Williams looked like an awful decision at first, but turned out to be a great decision for the future of the franchise. Things were out pretty well for us.

... still wish we had Matthews, though.

The59Sound wrote:

Ming Kong! wrote:He's up to 14.4ppg. In 8 games as a starter 21.3ppg 3.9rpg 1.3apg 1.6spg .4bpg shooting.488 .385 .778. Damn it, wish AK's salary didn't have us so close to the luxury tax threshold! As much as I like Raja, this kid is special, he should of been our SG, or we could of had both. Either way, this reminds me of when we let Mo Williams walk, but we knew this kid's potential, and it's really getting ugly as he keeps putting up ridiculous numbers. :-/

Mo Williams looked like an awful decision at first, but turned out to be a great decision for the future of the franchise. Things were out pretty well for us.

... still wish we had Matthews, though.

Definitely, we wouldn't have got Deron since Mo would of probably kept us respectable. Now in Mathews case it's a whole different story, we're not looking for a franchise player in the draft.