Transition from Utah to Portland has been easy for Wesley Matthews

Plain and simple, Wesley Matthews this preseason has become the talk of the Trail Blazers.

Brandon Roy said he is surprised by Matthews' offense. Coach Nate McMillan said Matthews has been so good he has a hard time keeping him off the court. And Blazers fans, who might have blanched at the relatively unknown second-year player getting $34 million in the free agent market this summer, have given Matthews some of the loudest ovations in two Rose Garden appearances.

So when the Blazers play at Utah tonight, forgive the Jazz and their fans if are a little surprised at the buzz the former Jazz wing has created in Portland

"In Utah's defense, they didn't know," Matthews said. "I didn't even know that I was going to be able to do this."

It's not that Matthews didn't have confidence in himself to make a big impression on his new team. He knew he was more than just a defensive-minded player and his history told him that he always improved exponentially from one year to the next