Utah Jazz Notes

This is an admission of sorts: During the first days of training camp, I dubbed Wesley Matthews “All-World Wes Matthews.” The thinking was that Matthews had to secretly be an all-world talent for Jazz coach Jerry Sloan to talk so much about a player who averaged 6.2 points and shot 34.8 percent at the Orlando summer league.

It also was a way to distinguish Matthews - - “A.W.W.M” - - from the likes of Goran Suton, Paul Harris, Spencer Nelson, Ronald Dupree and Alex Johnson, guys the Jazz invited to training camp but had little intention of keeping. The same originally was true for Matthews, given the team’s $82 million luxury-tax payroll.

Of course, then the Jazz headed to Europe, Matthews got the start in London after C.J. Miles suffered his thumb injury and he responded with a 16-point effort. If he could do it overseas, then Wesley Matthews truly had to be all-world. The nickname stuck, at least among the beat writers.

Not only did he end up making the Jazz’s roster, but after Thursday’s game against San Antonio, the story of “All-World Wes Matthews” keeps getting better and better.

Matthews finished with 12 points and two steals in 25 minutes, playing ahead of Ronnie Brewer in the fourth quarter. Think about it for a second: Sloan had Matthews - - an undrafted rookie - - on the court for the final 15 minutes in the Jazz’s biggest victory of the season to date.

He spent the game attacking the basket, driving on Richard Jefferson for a three-point play in the first quarter, knocking down a three-pointer in the closing seconds of the third quarter to give the Jazz a 15-point lead and getting out for a dunk in the fourth quarter. He could have had a 14-point game had he not gone 1-for-3 at the foul line.

“I ain’t got words for it right now,” Matthews said. “I’m just excited to get this win more than anything. We’re all competitors, we all love to win, that’s what we’re here to do, and to get this win tonight against a team like that, it’s just a great feeling.”

“He played pretty good,” Sloan added. “He’s not afraid. He’s not afraid to use his body. He gets up and tries to play people on the defensive end. We’re looking for some of that, so we let him play some.”

It was said in the first quarter that Jefferson probably had no idea who Matthews was when he scored on him. Actually, Jefferson might have been one of the few, having spent last season in Milwaukee, where Matthews played in college at Marquette.

“Attacking the basket, I feel that’s one of my strong suits,” Matthews said. “If I get a lane, I’m going to go. 

“There’s a couple times earlier in preseason, the first couple games, where I felt like I was putting pressure on the team by not taking the shots or driving to the basket because now I’m making them dribble and shoot at the shot clock. I’m just taking what the defense gives me and trying to finish.”

Even after he made the Jazz’s opening night roster - - thanks in no small part to the injuries to Miles and Kyle Korver - - Matthews vowed that he wasn’t going to be satisfied with just that. I asked him after Thursday’s game if he felt like he was contributing and establishing himself.

“A little bit,” Matthews said, “but there’s still things I can do better. I feel like I can always get better, every player can always get better. I’ve just got to keep going out there, proving myself, making sure that I’m bringing energy every day and defense. That’s my mind-set.

“Offense just happens when I’m playing with guys like Booz and D-Will and A.K. and everybody. I just have to make sure I’m just doing the right things.”

Is he settling into his situation with the Jazz? “A little bit,” he said again. “I’m still new to everything, but I’m excited. This is an exciting time for everybody. We get to play the sport we love for a living.”

Deron Williams said it best about Matthews in the preseason: He might not wow you in any one department, but he doesn’t do anything wrong, either. 

There’s also something about his story. Case in point: Flipping through the Jazz’s media guide after Dirk Nowitzki’s 29-point fourth quarter in Dallas, one name jumped off the page.

It turns out that Matthews’ father, Wes, who played nine NBA seasons, including on two Lakers championship teams in the 1980s, owns the Jazz record for most assists in a quarter by an opposing player. Matthews Sr. had 10 assists in the second quarter of a Jan. 8, 1988 game when he was with the Lakers.

There’s no guarantees what will happen once Miles and Korver make their return. Matthews, however, has seen 65 minutes of action through five games compared to 15 for first-round draft pick Eric Maynor. If he continues to play the way he did Thursday, it seems likely we’ll be seeing a lot more of “All-World” this season.

--Ross Siler