Wesley Matthews returned to a standing ovation.
Before another Blazers collapse at the hands of the Mavericks on Tuesday night, the entire Moda Center crowd stood and gave Wesley Matthews a much deserved standing ovation.
You could tell Ironman was overcome with emotion while saluting the crowd. Matthews signs littered the arena and there was even a small cheer when he scored his first points. However, seeing the Maverick’s bench adopt the “bow & arrow” got a little annoying, but that was the only negative in an otherwise positive return.
But what struck me the most was the stark contrast to another recent comeback.
I’m still trying to wrap my head around Lamarcus Aldridge’s return. We boo the crap out of someone that’s sure to have his number retired and cheer for Matthews… Why?
Let’s start with Aldridge. He took far less money to play with his idol Tim Duncan and avoid what would have been his fourth Blazer’s rebuild. We won’t know the full extent of what happened, but from my perspective it looked like he had made up his mind long before last season’s end.
Nov 11, 2015; Portland, OR, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward LaMarcus Aldridge (12) posts up against Portland Trail Blazers forward Ed Davis (17) during the third quarter at the Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Craig Mitchelldyer-USA TODAY Sports
From the infamous I’m taking a different flight home, to passive body language during the playoffs, the guy was checked out. Add in all the stories the Oregonian published (including this great article), and the whole situation felt like Portland was the babysitter who just looked after a middle-schooler until three in the morning.
Matthews almost had the exact opposite experience. After going down March 5 against the Mavericks (ironic right?), Matthews stayed committed as an emotional leader by attending practices and traveling. But an ACL tear was too severe of a gamble to come back from and the Blazers decided not to offer him a contract. Actually, they didn’t even talk to him – silently letting him go like he was Milton in Office Space. Matthews admitted that he felt disrespected, but in one of the best representations of his class, he wrote one of the best farewell messages ever.
Flash forward to Tuesday night where we saw a different Matthews on the floor. Besides the blue jersey, he played like a piece of a puzzle rather than our emotional leader. Maybe it was his respect for Portland fans, but Matthews never shot any “bow & arrows” and showed very little emotion besides a triumphant yell that suspiciously seemed to be directed at Paul Allen and Neil Olshey.
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If Matthews fully recovers from his injury, we’ll get to watch him play his prime years from afar and wonder what could’ve been. Not only did we lose a dynamic playmaker, but we lost the heart of one of the most exciting Blazers teams ever. He always defended tenaciously (James Harden battles!), screamed for effort in timeouts, and even came to the aid of his teammates after hard fouls. Those traits and more are what made him a fan favorite, and they were also traits that Aldridge rarely showed.
Look, I don’t want to take anything away from Aldridge because simply put: the guy is a beast at the game of basketball. However, the one year turnaround from “Best Blazer Ever” to his suspect off-court behavior wouldn’t sit well with any fanbase, especially the well-educated Blazermaniacs.
Dec 14, 2013; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Portland Trail Blazers guard Wesley Matthews (2) celebrates with forward LaMarcus Aldridge (12) during the second quarter against the Philadelphia 76ers at the Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Howard Smith-USA TODAY Sports
We have to remember that both players gave Portland years of effort and success. Even though Aldridge may have given us more moments of basketball brilliance, Matthews left a blueprint of how to lead a basketball team the right way. That’s why the Moda Center cheered so loudly for Matthews: not only do we miss him, we want one of the young Blazers to follow in his footsteps and become the emotional leader this team desperately needs.
Aldridge doesn’t come back to the Moda Center this year unless the Spurs and Blazers meet in the playoffs, while Matthews returns in March.