Matthews endures full-contact practice for Mavericks

Wesley Matthews was probably the most ecstatic player at the American Airlines Center on Monday afternoon.

The former Portland Trail Blazers star went through full-contact practice for the first time since tearing his left Achilles tendon March 5 in a game against the Dallas Mavericks. It was a joyous occasion for the talented shooting guard, who signed a four-year, $70 million free-agent contract with the Mavs in July.

“Obviously, I’m limited a little bit,” Matthews said. “This is the first time I’ve played actual basketball in over six months. Obviously, I’m not me yet. But that will come; that will come quickly.”

How quickly? No one knows for sure. But Matthews still believes there is a strong possibility of him playing in the Oct. 28 regular-season opener at Phoenix.

“I was optimistic [on being ready for opening day] after I tore it,” Matthews said. “This doesn’t change anything for me. I’ll never tell myself I can’t do something. I’m pushing it.”

Coach Rick Carlisle was encouraged by what he saw from Matthews, who is expected to be a big-time contributor at both ends of the floor.

“He was a go today for contact and did extremely well, which was a great sign,” Carlisle said. “When he’s involved in the live parts of practice, you see how he’s going to fit into the team.

“He played well, looked very good defensively, hit open shots. [He’s] going to be a leader on our team. He brings toughness and grit. He’s going to help us in many ways.”

Matthews stopped short of saying what he accomplished Monday was a big first step in his recovery from a devastating injury.

“This isn’t the step right now,” he said. “The step is [Monday night], the step is the next morning and how my body responds.

“And I’m fully confident that it’s going to respond like it always has — and bounce right back and be ready to go again. I wasn’t worried about this. I knew that I could do this, but it’s still a great feeling to be able to do it.”

There still are obvious concerns on what was an otherwise bright day for Matthews.

“The thing I was most concerned with is the defense — what makes me good on both ends of the court,” Matthews said. “I know the offense is going to come, the shot is going to come, the timing and rhythm and all that.

“I’m not worried about that. That’s easy. It’s the instincts that I have on the defensive end to make plays and reads. I felt it there.”

Matthews will not make the trip to Tulsaon Tuesday night when the Mavs (0-2) face the Oklahoma City Thunder (2-0). And he likely won’t play in Friday’s home game against the Atlanta Hawks.

“This is the first day of contact stuff of the year [for Matthews],” Carlisle said. “It’s exciting because he’s out there and he looks good, but let’s keep our eye on the ball. It’s one day.”

One day that serves as a gradual stepping stone toward Matthews becoming the player expected to replace Monta Ellis, the Mavs’ go-to player the last two seasons. Matthews is confident he’s ready for the challenge.

“I feel like I’m going to fit in just fine,” he said. “I honestly think I’m going to flourish in this system on both ends of the court. I’m excited about it.”

So excited that Matthews started pushing some boundaries during Monday’s practice while not even thinking about his surgically repaired Achilles.

“I was getting into guys on screens, I was fighting over screen-and-rolls,” he said. “I think I even broke some of our principles, initially, just to do it, just to push my body to do it, and it responded.

“I was able to do what I wanted it to do. It’s a hair slow right now. I’ve got to get my nervous system firing with the rest of my body, but that will come.”

TV reminder

Tuesday’s preseason game between the Mavericks and Thunder will be broadcast on Fox Sports Southwest Plus, the network’s second channel, due to an overlap with the Oilers-Stars NHL telecast on Fox Sports Southwest.

This story was originally published October 12, 2015 at 9:01 PM with the headline "Matthews endures full-contact practice for Mavericks."