But not Matthews, a throwback in every sense of the word. Despite his status as one of the best two-way shooting guards in the league, Matthews never took practices off, earning the “Iron Man” moniker while setting the tone for a roster filled with young players. And given the respect Matthews had rightfully earned for his dogged approach to the game, he had the ability to hold his teammates accountable on the court and in the locker room. His refusal to never throw in the towel, regardless of deficit, made Portland one of the best teams in the NBA at winning games after trailing by double digits.
But Matthews is much more than a “hustle guy.” He’s easily Portland’s best defender and arguably their best shooter. He developed a post game over the past few seasons, using his stout frame to bully opposing guards in the block, and made huge improvements in his ability to finish at the rim.
So when Matthews had the second-longest consecutive games streak of his career ended at 142 games after rupturing his left Achilles tendon in a 94-75 victory versus the Dallas Mavericks on March 3, it unofficially ended Portland’s status as a darkhorse for the Western Conference title.
“I’m frustrated man, I’m frustrated,” said Matthews after the injury. “You say everything happens for a reason and again, I was up in that tub I was just thinking: What was this reason? What was it? I can’t find it right now. But it’s bigger than me and this team has got something special still. I believe in that, I feel that they do too. We’ll all weather this. I’ll do what I need to do, this team will do what this team needs to do.”
Sure, Arron Afflalo was a decent replacement, but there was simply no way anyone could step in and replace what Matthews meant to the Trail Blazers on and off the court.
Now, Matthews continues to rehab — he’s vowed to be ready to play by training camp — and joins much of Portland’s roster a free agent this summer. Regardless of the direction his future takes, his performance and spirit through five seasons with the Trail Blazers has made him one of the champions of Rip City.
“I want to be in the ideal situation,” said Matthews. “My thing is, we only have a short window to do what we love and do what we love at the highest level. I’m about, when I’m done, when I can’t go anymore, when I don’t want to go anymore, I gave everything I had to this game, to myself and I was the best basketball player I could be. That’s where my head is, that’s where my heart is and in order to do that, I’ve got to get healthy and that’s what my focus is right now.”