TUALATIN, Ore. — Typically, this wouldn’t be a chicken-or-the-egg type question, but little involving Blazers guard Wesley Matthews has turned out typical so far.
Which comes first: Twenty points in 20 minutes off the bench, or a thunderous ovation from the home crowd?
Seems like a simple enough query, but Tuesday the Rose Garden fans bellowed cheers before Matthews hijacked the spotlight with a man-of-the-hour performance.
And that was just as surprising as his all-star-resembling production.
“I didn’t know whether to inbound the ball or give a wave to the crowd,” said Matthews at Blazers practice Wednesday. “I appreciated it.”
Matthews hit three 3-pointers and nine of his 10 free throw attempts while creating havoc defensively. His plus/minus ratio also led the team — prompting some to wonder if more minutes await him when the regular season rolls around.
Portland coach Nate McMillan, however, isn’t biting on that proposal yet.
“As far as minutes, we’re taking advantage of what we do. I don’t want to get caught up in minutes,” said McMillan, whose team plays at Utah tonight. “We have to be strong out there as a unit.”
Another Blazer used to shooting 3-pointers — at least in college — is Luke Babbitt.
But connecting from NBA length is still a work in progress. Perhaps he overcompensated a touch on his first attempt Tuesday; his stroke sailing three feet over the bucket.
A case of nerves ceasing control of the body?
“I wouldn’t say nerves, I just got a little overexcited,” said Babbitt, who knocked down a 3-pointer on his next attempt. “You want to play with high intensity.
McMillan was forgiving of the Nevada product, understanding that the reality of playing in the NBA can temporarily give a young buck superhuman strength on his initial shot.
“It was his first game in the NBA,” McMillan said. “After that shot, he settled down.
Camby practices
Blazers center Marcus Camby sat out Tuesday with a pulled groin, but practiced Wednesday. McMillan said he’d like to see the would-be starter play against either the Jazz or the Nuggets over the next couple days, but can’t yet confirm he will.
