Should E.C. Matthews Be Drafted?
After a very disappointing 2017-2018 season individually and yet another injury, E.C. Matthews had a solid postseason, particularly in the 2018 NCAA tournament. Funnily enough, the story of Rhode Island's #0 is basically the opposite of how Jared Terrell's season went. Besides his game-winning shots against Oklahoma in the first round of the 2018 NCAA tournament, Matthews scored a total of 16 points, while grabbing five rebounds and assisting on two baskets. Then, in Duke's massacre of URI in the second round of the 2018 NCAA tournament, the Detroit native gave the Rams their only lead in the game and put up 23 points, 7 rebounds, and one assist.
While there is not too much to speak about when it comes to offseason activity at notable pro basketball combines, Matthews has had workouts with the Boston Celtics, the Brookyln Nets, the New York Knicks, the Phoenix Suns, the Sacramento Kings, the Atlanta Hawks, the Dallas Mavericks, the Oklahoma City Thunder, and the Philadelphia 76ers.
At the very least, Matthews has the proper attitude to grab a spot on at least one NBA team, as shown in his interview after his pre-draft workout with the Sacramento Kings.
At this stage in his basketball career, there is reason to believe that many NBA general managers will challenge Matthews' mindset when it comes to recovering from injuries and remaining confident in his shot.
It is unlikely that E.C. Matthews is drafted in the 2018 NBA Draft and I would not draft him if I was one of the 30 NBA general managers because of his injury history and his decrease in production. However, Matthews could eventually find himself on an NBA team one day.
