NBA tracking data shows Wes Matthews defended Kawhi Leonard on 21.0 partial poss yesterday.
In that time, Leonard: 0 points, 0-4 FG, 1 TO.
On opening night, Wes guarded James Harden on 19.1 partial poss.
In that time, Harden: 0 points, 0-6 FG, 2 TO's.
Bud trusts Wes.
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I wasn't going to call Seth out until the pod but this is a subtweet. But he also messaged me to tell me this so I'm cool with it.
But I'm also not an analytics wizard and if I want to make a point about Wesley Matthews defense I'LL DO IT!!
Would recommend against using matchup data on nba dot com for trying to determine how well or poorly a player guarded another unless and until the matchup stats also include team level outcomes. Partial possession accounting makes the “How well?” determination harder not easier.
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@KanePitman
I distinctly recall a match up with Leonard where he backed wes down into the lane and made a very difficult hook shot. Lopez came over, but it was clearly wes possession
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@KanePitman
The eye test (mostly based on what I saw against Harden) had me thinking of Wes in similar terms to Bledsoe. When he's locked in, he's excellent on even the toughest defensive assignments. It's getting him locked in that's the trick. Yesterday seemed to back that up.
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