Michigan Basketball: Predicting the Wolverines NBA draft decisions

Matthews will go

Following the Wolverines loss to Texas Tech in the Sweet 16, head coach John Beilein talked about how just about everyone was going to be back. However, he also said Charles Matthews was going to graduate and that the team didn’t expect him back.

Of course, what we expect to happen and what actually happens aren’t always the same thing. Just because Matthews was going to leave at one time, doesn’t mean he is still going to.

After testing the NBA waters last year, Matthews said he wanted to win a national title but he also certainly wanted to improve his draft stock. To do that, he needed to show improvement on the offensive end this season and while he wasn’t bad by any means, he didn’t do that.

Matthews saw his numbers dip in key categories such as points per game, assists, rebounds, 2-pointers, 3-pointers and overall shooting percentage. He shot better from the free throw line but that was it. Even his overall efficiency rating dropped 18.6 to 15.9 and his true shooting percentage dropped from 54.4 percent to 50.1.

The former Kentucky transfer played really well on the defensive end but he didn’t respond well to being the focus of the offense as he was early in the season. Yet, Matthews probably isn’t going to get much better. He has the NBA body and he can defend right away in the league, which gives him some value.

If he can impress during the pre-draft process, it wouldn’t be surprising at all to see him get drafted in the late second round. Even if he doesn’t, he would get signed by someone and could earn a two-way contract like Duncan Robinson and Derrick Walton Jr. have done. That guarantees games in the NBA and the G-League.

Matthews needs to develop his jump shot and the honest truth is that playing professional basketball, whether it be in the NBA or the G-League is probably the best way to do it.