Garrison Mathews - Professional Shooter

[Kanyewest]

EXTEND HIS CONTRACT NOW

Time to get a time machine and do it.

[Frichuela]

EXTEND HIS CONTRACT NOW

Amen. Not sure what they are waiting for!!

[Kanyewest]

EXTEND HIS CONTRACT NOW

Amen. Not sure what they are waiting for!!

Maybe they will give that salary from the disabled exception from Thomas Bryant as a starting point?

[nate33]

EXTEND HIS CONTRACT NOW

Amen. Not sure what they are waiting for!!

Two-way contracts can't be extended. They can be converted to full contracts (at a vet minimum salary), but there really isn't a reason to do so. As long as Mathews stays with the team, he is being paid vet minimum money, only he doesn't actually take up a roster slot.

[Ruzious]

If you adjust to players that have played atleast 50 minutes this season, and sort by “Total on/off” instead of “War”(due to lack of playing time), Garrison Mathews has been the 2nd best player in the NBA. If you do the same thing for 19-20, Mathews comes in at 21st.

https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/nba-player-ratings/

Yeah, set it to a minimum of 60 minutes, and he's number 2. Btw, #1 is Alec Burks - who I said was the most underrated free agent in the offseason. There are some oddball names in there - like DJ Wilson at 9 and John Konchar at 6. Konchar's actually a very interesting player, but Wilson... meh.

[NatP4]

If you adjust to players that have played atleast 50 minutes this season, and sort by “Total on/off” instead of “War”(due to lack of playing time), Garrison Mathews has been the 2nd best player in the NBA. If you do the same thing for 19-20, Mathews comes in at 21st.

https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/nba-player-ratings/

Yeah, set it to a minimum of 60 minutes, and he's number 2. Btw, #1 is Alec Burks - who I said was the most underrated free agent in the offseason. There are some oddball names in there - like DJ Wilson at 9 and John Konchar at 6. Konchar's actually a very interesting player, but Wilson... meh.

John Collins and Deandre Hunter are also in that top 30

I have no clue who Konchar is, but it looks like he was also very good in 19-20, like Mathews.

[Ruzious]

If you adjust to players that have played atleast 50 minutes this season, and sort by “Total on/off” instead of “War”(due to lack of playing time), Garrison Mathews has been the 2nd best player in the NBA. If you do the same thing for 19-20, Mathews comes in at 21st.

https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/nba-player-ratings/

Yeah, set it to a minimum of 60 minutes, and he's number 2. Btw, #1 is Alec Burks - who I said was the most underrated free agent in the offseason. There are some oddball names in there - like DJ Wilson at 9 and John Konchar at 6. Konchar's actually a very interesting player, but Wilson... meh.

John Collins and Deandre Hunter are also in that top 30

I have no clue who Konchar is, but it looks like he was also very good in 19-20, like Mathews.

Honestly, i don't think I ever saw Konchar play, but statistically he does everything but score.

Collins and Hunter... hmm, I'm gonna post something in the trade thread.

[EDC10]

Great thing about him is that he not only spaces the floor but he really plays hard. He cuts hard, comes off screens hard and plays hard on defense. His drives have been a little out of control at times, but you can't fault his aggression

Its not like he can only space the floor but is a liability on the other end, he definitely holds his own on defense.

[payitforward]

EXTEND HIS CONTRACT NOW

Amen. Not sure what they are waiting for!!

Two-way contracts can't be extended. They can be converted to full contracts (at a vet minimum salary), but there really isn't a reason to do so. As long as Mathews stays with the team, he is being paid vet minimum money, only he doesn't actually take up a roster slot.

Until this season, 2-way players were limited to 45 days with their NBA team. That's "days" not games.

This year, b/c of Covid, the rules have been changed temporarily. A 2-way player may play for his NBA team in up to 50 games. That's games not "days."

In that sense, you are right that there is no reason to convert Mathews right now, but there might be a reason later in the season.

The other -- & to me more important -- question is whether, aside from being "converted," a 2-way contract can be "replaced" with a regular contract that is longer-term & whose terms are, therefore, different from those of a veteran minimum deal?

If so, then there might well be a reason to give Garrison a new deal right now -- using the Injured Player Exception, assuming we get it. We would be able to control him for a few years.

Keep in mind that if he continues to play at a high level, we will face competition to retain him. We'll be able to match offers of course, but that might wind up being a more expensive way to proceed.

In short, if possible I'd sign him to a 3-year deal asap.

[payitforward]

When we signed Garrison Mathews undrafted last Summer, Dat's first comment was that he couldn't guard a chair, which I then turned into the claim that a chair had actually dunked on him....

I'm calling on Dat to check in here with an updated observation on Garrison Mathews.

[nate33]

When we signed Garrison Mathews undrafted last Summer, Dat's first comment was that he couldn't guard a chair, which I then turned into the claim that a chair had actually dunked on him....

I'm calling on Dat to check in here with an updated observation on Garrison Mathews.

For what it's worth, I think Mathews isn't that great of a defender on the ball. He bites on fakes and can get out of position. But he's a real hard worker off ball, he rotates well, closes out hard, and jumps the passing lanes. In this league, that's good enough, at least for the regular season. He's the perfect example of how even relatively bad defenders can be successful just by executing the scheme and working hard. It's why I have little tolerance for our defense being so awful. Yeah, we don't have great defensive personnel, but if our bad defenders merely worked as hard and as intelligently as Mathews, we'd have maybe the 20th ranked defense instead of the 27th.

[WashWiz54]

Garrison Mathews is the Taylor Heinecke of the Wizards organization. Considering I'm riding shotgun on that bandwagon, count me all in on Garrison's too. This kid has the skill, heart, and desire to make it. Hopefully he can be retained long-term when the season is over because he's the type of guy that you want on your squad.

[NatP4]

I would say Mathews is our best defender after Bonga, good lateral quickness, high IQ, great effort. I would call him above average to average like Satoransky was.

[nate33]

Posting after the Brooklyn win.

Mathews played 26 minutes on a night when everyone (except Neto and Bryant) was healthy and Mathews wasn't even shooting that well (just 2/6). Brooks left him out there because he was just rock solid all around. He had 3 steals and played sound D whenever he was switched onto Durant or Kyrie. (They still scored, but Mathews forced them into tough shots.) He also had the game-winning steal and assist to Westbrook for the 3.

It felt like a significant moment to me. I think today is the day when Mathews supplanted Robinson as the full time backup SG. He's a good rotation player, not just a situational role player.

[DCZards]

Posting after the Brooklyn win.

Mathews played 26 minutes on a night when everyone (except Neto and Bryant) was healthy and Mathews wasn't even shooting that well (just 2/6). Brooks left him out there because he was just rock solid all around. He had 3 steals and played sound D whenever he was switched onto Durant or Kyrie. (They still scored, but Mathews forced them into tough shots.) He also had the game-winning steal and assist to Westbrook for the 3.

It felt like a significant moment to me. I think today is the day when Mathews supplanted Robinson as the full time backup SG. He's a good rotation player, not just a situational role player.

Mathews has a really high bball IQ. The type of steals that he comes up with and his ability to draw offensive fouls help make that obvious.

He needs to get more shots...but he also needs to make more of those open 3s and work on becoming a more well-rounded offensive player.

[Frichuela]

Posting after the Brooklyn win.

Mathews played 26 minutes on a night when everyone (except Neto and Bryant) was healthy and Mathews wasn't even shooting that well (just 2/6). Brooks left him out there because he was just rock solid all around. He had 3 steals and played sound D whenever he was switched onto Durant or Kyrie. (They still scored, but Mathews forced them into tough shots.) He also had the game-winning steal and assist to Westbrook for the 3.

It felt like a significant moment to me. I think today is the day when Mathews supplanted Robinson as the full time backup SG. He's a good rotation player, not just a situational role player.

Mathews has a really high bball IQ. The type of steals that he comes up with and his ability to draw offensive fouls help make that obvious.

He needs to get more shots...but he also needs to make more of those open 3s and work on becoming a more well-rounded offensive player.

As it happens often, this board was spot on regarding Matthew's potential from the get go. Let's hope Brooks -aka the stubborn mule- finally realizes he deserves significant minutes. He is a deadly 3-point thereat that mixes so well with Westbrook and Bertans on the second unit. And on top of that he is one of our best defenders!

Per 36, he is averaging 16 points, 4 reb, 1.5 assists, 0.4 TOV and 2.6 steals!! Shooting splits: 50/41/89. On top of that he's got great advanced metrics: ORTg of 137 and DRTg of 114. And positive OBPM and RBPM.

[NatP4]

Posting after the Brooklyn win.

Mathews played 26 minutes on a night when everyone (except Neto and Bryant) was healthy and Mathews wasn't even shooting that well (just 2/6). Brooks left him out there because he was just rock solid all around. He had 3 steals and played sound D whenever he was switched onto Durant or Kyrie. (They still scored, but Mathews forced them into tough shots.) He also had the game-winning steal and assist to Westbrook for the 3.

It felt like a significant moment to me. I think today is the day when Mathews supplanted Robinson as the full time backup SG. He's a good rotation player, not just a situational role player.

I’m not so sure about that, I think Brooks should keep trying Mr. -14.6 net rating, 33% shooting, Jerome Robinson. He was a lottery pick after all!

[doclinkin]

Posting after the Brooklyn win.

Mathews played 26 minutes on a night when everyone (except Neto and Bryant) was healthy and Mathews wasn't even shooting that well (just 2/6). Brooks left him out there because he was just rock solid all around. He had 3 steals and played sound D whenever he was switched onto Durant or Kyrie. (They still scored, but Mathews forced them into tough shots.) He also had the game-winning steal and assist to Westbrook for the 3.

It felt like a significant moment to me. I think today is the day when Mathews supplanted Robinson as the full time backup SG. He's a good rotation player, not just a situational role player.

I’m not so sure about that, I think Brooks should keep trying Mr. -14.6 net rating, 33% shooting, Jerome Robinson. He was a lottery pick after all!

I agree we should still see lines with Tankinson. Especially if Westbrook is waking up. Granted we gave up 150 points so it won't matter too much who we put out there most nights. But Tankrome is a sure bet to get us pingpong balls.

[NatP4]

Posting after the Brooklyn win.

Mathews played 26 minutes on a night when everyone (except Neto and Bryant) was healthy and Mathews wasn't even shooting that well (just 2/6). Brooks left him out there because he was just rock solid all around. He had 3 steals and played sound D whenever he was switched onto Durant or Kyrie. (They still scored, but Mathews forced them into tough shots.) He also had the game-winning steal and assist to Westbrook for the 3.

It felt like a significant moment to me. I think today is the day when Mathews supplanted Robinson as the full time backup SG. He's a good rotation player, not just a situational role player.

I’m not so sure about that, I think Brooks should keep trying Mr. -14.6 net rating, 33% shooting, Jerome Robinson. He was a lottery pick after all!

I agree we should still see lines with Tankinson. Especially if Westbrook is waking up. Granted we gave up 150 points so it won't matter too much who we put out there most nights. But Tankrome is a sure bet to get us pingpong balls.

For some reason I’m becoming optimistic about the team again. Brooks seems to have figured out that Garrison Mathews is good at basketball, and last season whenever Westbrook got going, he was MVP level for a good portion of the season. Wagner also has still not come back down to earth. He grades out as one of the best bigs in the NBA so far.

I wish we could see a starting lineup of Westbrook-Mathews-Beal-Avdija-Wagner, with a bench unit of Ish/Rui/Bertans/Bonga and eventually Brown Jr off the bench.

[doclinkin]

I’m not so sure about that, I think Brooks should keep trying Mr. -14.6 net rating, 33% shooting, Jerome Robinson. He was a lottery pick after all!

I agree we should still see lines with Tankinson. Especially if Westbrook is waking up. Granted we gave up 150 points so it won't matter too much who we put out there most nights. But Tankrome is a sure bet to get us pingpong balls.

For some reason I’m becoming optimistic about the team again. Brooks seems to have figured out that Garrison Mathews is good at basketball, and last season whenever Westbrook got going, he was MVP level for a good portion of the season.

We gave up 150 points. Still have no defense, and won a game with a last second shot on a fluke play on a night when our backcourt put up more points than any tandem in the history of the team since 1974. After our team was able to rest one of those two players for 13 games. I wouldn't get manic about our prospects yet.

With professional athletes the hardest thing to develop is consistency. With aging athletes that is the first thing to go. Westbrook may put up a game here and there, but he will think he can do it every night. With that mindset he will still gun us out of about as many games as he will gun us in. Yes he may be better than he started the season, he has always started slow, he may be better over the second half, but even so we are not a good team. We have youth to develop, including Mathews, and Westbrook/Brooks are impeding that development.

Our best future hope is still lottery. Maybe if we can win a string of games late, or win improbable games here and there against the stars of the league (as last night) it could help young players develop hope and confidence. More than anything we need an upgrade in talent, and better coaching.