Wesley Matthews: 'I think I'm the best two-way two-guard in the NBA'

Wesley Matthews thought this preseason could use another player making a bold statement about his own game.

"Do I think I'm All-Defense? Absolutely," Matthews said Monday, according to The Columbian's Erik Gundersen.

"I think I'm the best two-way two-guard in the NBA. But I feel like we need to be a good defensive team within the scheme of the game. We're not out there gambling, trying to reach and get steals. That would put us in a bind if I don't get it."

Matthews also mentioned that he's "never going to be the type that gets gaudy numbers to make an All-Defensive team."

Matthews has a point about steals. While forcing a turnover and gaining possession is always a good thing, looking only at steals can be a dangerous game when evaluating defensive players. A player who gambles for a lot of steals could be leaving the rest of his team vulnerable behind him.

He also has a case in the best two-way two-guard debate.

Matthews averaged 16.4 points and 2.4 assists, with 39 percent three-point shooting and a true shooting percentage of 58.8, while providing solid perimeter defense.

Of course, as with most NBA arguments, there isn't necessarily a clear-cut right answer. Lance Stephenson, a healthy Dwyane Wade, Klay Thompson, and a host of others can all make their own case as premier two-way shooting guards.

Whether Matthews carries enough of an offensive load for his team to truly be in the discussion is a separate argument, but the 28-year-old certainly played his way into the conversation last season.