Spurs Sign Roger Mason Jr.

[AFBlue]

Unless we sign another swing, then I would say so.

If the Spurs don't sign another swing...it'll be Manu that starts.

[DPG21920]

It's a bargain compared to $30 mil for Pietrus.

agreed. Marginal pick up with regards to in game stats, nice pick up for the value.

[Tully365]

http://www.spursreport.com/forums/spurs-nba-fan-feedback/94147-roger-mason-jr-free-agent.html


Pradamaster: Clearly, Roger Mason was the biggest surprise of the 2007/2008 Wizards season. With Gilbert Arenas sidelined for most of the year, Mason, who nearly didn't even make the roster, took advantage of his opportunity and emerged as one of the better third guards in basketball. He gave the team the deadly three-point shooter that Jarvis Hayes was supposed to be and even impressed me with his ball-handling. The biggest worry with Mason was that he would struggle handling the ball, but while he didn't pass well, he was excellent at holding onto the basketball, turning in over on just 9.9 percent of his possessions, a mark good for second on the team behind Antawn Jamison and ahead of Antonio Daniels. In short, Mason was a godsend this year.

It's often said that it takes a while to learn the Princeton offense, and Mason is proof of that. The jump in his shooting percentages was astronomical. In 2006/07, he hit only 33 percent of his threes, with a 42.2% effective field goal percentage and a 44.3% true shooting percentage. Those numbers jumped to 40 percent, 55.2% and 57.3%, respectively this season. My theory is that he was overanxious with his three-point attempts in 06/07, firing whenever he had any sort of daylight, no matter the situation. He still shot a lot of threes this year in bad spots (6.9/36), but he displayed an ability to drive and was far smarter in his attempts. More importantly, instead of just hanging out in the corner waiting for someone to pass the ball, he finally embraced the importance of constantly moving in the Princeton. The end result was a banner year shooting the ball.

Mason didn't really contribute much in the other areas of the game, but really, who expected him to do so? His job was to hit open shots and provide instant offense from the bench, and he did an outstanding job filling that role. If one has quibbles with his season, as I did on many occassions, it's over things that will never really be fixed. Mason is going to shoot some bad shots, and he's never going to be a great passer or a great driver. It would be nice if he developed those parts of his game, but I don't see it happening at this stage.

Truthaboutit: Roger Mason Junior.....DC's own ....the Potomac Rainmaker. Mason Junior was the recipient of this year's Pleasant Surprise Award. Ok, I made that up.....but the fact is that Roger Mason had a career year, averaging 9.1 ppg and almost 40% (39.8) from 3-point land. Oh yea, his PER and Usage-Rate bested that of both DeShawn Stevenson and Antonio Daniels. Mase-ON was truly an invaluable offensive spark off the bench as the Wizards dealt with an array of injuries in 07-08. Not only that, but in the nine games he was asked to start (five of which came in late December), Mason averaged 17.4 ppg, 3.4 ast, 52.6% fg, and 43.1% 3p.

Wow, a post about the topic-- so rare. Thanks.

[Kori Ellis]

If the Spurs don't sign another swing...it'll be Manu that starts.

I think they will avoid Manu starting. It's easier to manage his minutes and get him enough touches if he comes off the bench.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Are you saying you expect Mason to put up 17ppg?

I don't think that's a realistic expectation for next year for him. I do expect double figures and not being a turnstile defensively like Finley.

I was just saying I don't agree with saying Udoka and him are the same. I don't think Ime could ever average 17.1 over a stretch of games even if you gave him 35 minutes a night.

[Marcus Bryant]

Nice under the radar kind of signing. Spurs are quietly revamping their supporting cast. Hill, Mason, and Mahinmi will definitely change the look and athleticism of that cast. Maybe with what's left of their exceptions and/or a minor trade they can tweak that cast further.

Spurs front office went after Mason last summer with a 3 year deal when he hadn't really done much in the league, but he opted to stay with the Wizards so they would have Early Bird Rights for him this summer. His performance last season justified their interest.

This isn't an exciting move, but it's the kind of move that's helped the team win 4 NBA titles. I definitely prefer this over signing Pietrus for 10 years.

[exstatic]

So we've signed Roger Mason to be our new Finley? Nice ... 37% shooting for 1/2 of the MLE

Try .443, .398 from downtown.

[Spurtacus]

"Scouting report: A 6-5 combo guard, Mason certainly has the size to play either spot in an NBA backcourt and has shown he can defend them fairly well ... at least by the Wizards' standards. He's a decent ball handler and can create his shot OK; he just needs to start knocking them down."

http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/players/hollinger?playerId=1721

Before the 07/08 season, but still. This guy will be 28 going into next season.

[Kori Ellis]

Wow, a post about the topic-- so rare. Thanks.

Just FYI, the proper source for that is a Bullets/Wizards blog:
http://www.bulletsforever.com/2008/6/6/547379/player-evaluation-roger-ma

[marcflynn2009]

If the Spurs don't sign another swing...it'll be Manu that starts.

we wont start manu... i read an article one time and the reason manu is on the bench is because when we are ready to put him in, the other team already has their second string in and nobody can pick apart s second strung defense like manu

[DPG21920]

I'd rather have a guy that will possibly improve for 2-3 years (hey, that happens to coincide with his Spurs contract...) than someone in Finley who has obviously declined and we all saw (those of us who watched, anyway) him turn into a fucking gaping hole defensively the last 3 months of the season.

You act like we're locked into Roger until he's 38 or something stupid like that.

Finley is done, I'm sorry you're either too dense, too stupid, or just really fucking annoying and keeping this argument going because you're a twit, to understand.

You seem enamored with what Finley did back in the day. Like I said, fine. Bring Finley back. Bring Jaren Jackson, Will Perdue, AJ, Mario Elie, and Sean Elliott back too. This team would clearly repeat if we just did all that and hung on to memories of years past.

I am keeping the argument going....the kettle calling the pot black.
I am not enamored with Finley, the whole time I said he would be just as good as Mason. I did not say Finley is the savior or will lead us to victory. I said since we are not getting a real change agent, Finley would have sufficed. You are to big of a dickhead to realize what I have been saying. You are arguing for the sake of arguing without shutting your MAN PLEASER long enough to realize what I have been trying to say.

[vy65]

It sure could. Barry and Fin were head cases their first seasons because of expectations. Since none of us know enough about this guy to have any expectations, who knows? Certainly not you.

Oh fuck you. You can't go back now after talking about shitting your own pants.

1. I still don't see how "I don't wanna harp on this" + stat's = a meltdown, but if you think so, then more power to you.

2. Barry and Fin, while possibly carrying expectations (which I don't think is necessarily the case, but if you say so) were also better 3P% shooters (both at around 42.5%) whereas the same cannot be said about RM (around 38.5%). My point is simply those percentages went down with Tim Duncan, who 2-3 years ago was consistently double teamed. Their numbers dropped when they had Timmy sucking up the paint. And while they may have been headcases for there respective first years (which I still don't know how that would last for a year), their numbers still dropped in the following year as well. Were they headcases then?

3. I seriously don't know what the fuck your problem is. You obviously have nothing better to do than to make any post that you might disagree with personal/not take the time to understand what people are saying. You're a fucking dick for no apparent reason other than being a fucking dick. Congrats ... you're obviously a badass on the internets.

[AFBlue]

I think they will avoid Manu starting. It's easier to manage his minutes and get him enough touches if he comes off the bench.

All the stacked teams in the West and the Spurs come with Roger Mason Jr. as the starting 2-guard?

I'd have to get used to that one...doesn't sound like much of an improvement to me.

[spurman20]

Nice under the radar kind of signing. Spurs are quietly revamping their supporting cast. Hill, Mason, and Mahinmi will definitely change the look and athleticism of that cast. Maybe with what's left of their exceptions and/or a minor trade they can tweak that cast further.

Spurs front office went after Mason last summer with a 3 year deal when he hadn't really done much in the league, but he opted to stay with the Wizards so they would have Early Bird Rights for him this summer. His performance last season justified their interest.

This isn't an exciting move, but it's the kind of move that's helped the team win 4 NBA titles. I definitely prefer this over signing Pietrus for 10 years.

I agree still think we need to sign another wing besides barry, Let Fin walk....reup Thomas.....see if Orlando will take vaughn after they said they are desperate for a cheep vet PG to add to the roster....

[vy65]

Try .443, .398 from downtown.

This probably wasn't clear - 37% was a figure for Fin

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Spurs drafted two guards and now signed another, and who knows what they will do with the LLE and remainder of the MLE.

I suspect we will see one more guard added - someone along the lines of Delfino, Hayes, Diawara, or Barry.

And then a big with what's left, perhaps Najera, O'Bryant, or Horry.

[DPG21920]

You also have to look at all the moves combined, you can not just be myopic and look at each individual move.

[Tully365]

Nice under the radar kind of signing. Spurs are quietly revamping their supporting cast. Hill, Mason, and Mahinmi will definitely change the look and athleticism of that cast. Maybe with what's left of their exceptions and/or a minor trade they can tweak that cast further.

Spurs front office went after Mason last summer with a 3 year deal when he hadn't really done much in the league, but he opted to stay with the Wizards so they would have Early Bird Rights for him this summer. His performance last season justified their interest.

This isn't an exciting move, but it's the kind of move that's helped the team win 4 NBA titles. I definitely prefer this over signing Pietrus for 10 years.

Yeah-- the fact that the Spurs were interested last year, and he followed that up with a breakout season is a very good sign. Chances are the potential they saw is real and not imagined...

[spurman20]

Spurs drafted two guards and now signed another, and who knows what they will do with the LLE and remainder of the MLE.

I suspect we will see one more guard added - someone along the lines of Delfino, Hayes, Diawara, or Barry.

And then a big with what's left, perhaps Najera, O'Bryant, or Horry.

What do you think about the C harrison from Indy.....he said he would sign cheep and has some skills....still only 24-25

[DPG21920]

All the stacked teams in the West and the Spurs come with Roger Mason Jr. as the starting 2-guard?

I'd have to get used to that one...doesn't sound like much of an improvement to me.

Thank you... that is the only point I have been trying to make and these guys have been killing me. Mason in place of Finley is not an upgrade, but the move was made to allow for us to MAINTAIN our level with a low cost/risk player. He could be an improvement, but not much...

[SequSpur]

:lmao what a waste of $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

[The Truth #6]

Yes, would love to see us get Barnes as well.

However, signing Mason could mean we're trying to save money to resign KT and/or Barry.

[mardigan]

:lmao what a waste of $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

What a waste of text

[timvp]

I think this is a decent signing. First of all, it looks like the Spurs were only wanting to offer two-year contracts. If that is the case, you can't steal any RFA with a two-year contract. So you have to eliminate all the RFA's from discussion.

Out of the UFA's, Mason was one of the few decent options. The Spurs offered him a three-year contract last summer before they signed Udoka. San Antonio was impressed by his defense and the fact that he can play multiple positions enough to give him some sort of three-year offer, which says a lot to me. Now a year later after Mason added a very capable offensive game ... then it's not too much of a surprise that the Spurs like him even more.

Defensively, I've seen him guard 1's, 2's and 3's. He's best defensively against shooting guards, which is good because that's the position the Spurs will likely want him to defend.

This is one of those unspectacular yet safe and solid signings. Now the question that will be seen is whether the Spurs needed more. Did the Spurs need a top of the line scorer to take the pressure off of the Big Three? Or will adding a capable wing to the mix be enough?

I'm pretty underwhelmed by this development but hopefully this is followed up by something else. If the Spurs are heading into next year with Mason and three rookies as their offseason additions, that'll be scary.

The good news regarding his contract is it is possible that the Spurs will have slightly more than the LLE ... which could be helpful to outbid others for Barry's services. If that's what it takes to get Barry back and let Finley walk, Mason + Barry probably would be an a better outcome than Player X + Finley.

[exstatic]

What do you think about the C harrison from Indy.....he said he would sign cheep and has some skills....still only 24-25

Not so high on players who threaten to kill members of the Spurs while leaving the court when they have an off night.

[Marcus Bryant]

Yes, would love to see us get Barnes as well.

However, signing Mason could mean we're trying to save money to resign KT and/or Barry.

I think it means they are trying to pick up a few players they like and see who pans out.

[DPG21920]

I think Mason will fill in nicely for Finley, we should expect the same type of production and that leaves a healthy Spurs in good shape. If he has a breakout year than more power to the Spurs. Lets just see how many minutes he will get.

[AFBlue]

Yeah-- the fact that the Spurs were interested last year, and he followed that up with a breakout season is a very good sign. Chances are the potential they saw is real and not imagined...

Chances are they saw a defensive specialist and had established rotation players in Finley and Barry....and chances are he was offered a much cheaper deal.

[Marcus Bryant]

Chances are they saw a defensive specialist and had established rotation players in Finley and Barry....and chances are he was offered a much cheaper deal.

Knowing they were free agents this year.

[tmtcsc]

Yes, it's clear you're looking at our new starting 2guard.

And everyone can kiss anything but table scraps goodbye with what we have left.

WTF is everyone saying that Mason is our new starting 2 guard ? How the F*ck does that happen when Manu Ginobili is on your team ? Plus, this is his first year on the team and he wasn't even a starter on the Wizards. He came off the bench and averaged 9 pts a game. He knows hot to do it.

Unless Mason sucks ass like Barry, Finley and Hedo did when they first joined the team, Ginobili is starting. He's an All Star and the ultimate team player but he's also a stud when healthy.

[ChumpDumper]

WTF is everyone saying that Mason is our new starting 2 guard ? How the F*ck does that happen when Manu Ginobili is on your team ?Because Manu Ginobili is on the team.

[AFBlue]

Thank you... that is the only point I have been trying to make and these guys have been killing me. Mason in place of Finley is not an upgrade, but the move was made to allow for us to MAINTAIN our level with a low cost/risk player. He could be an improvement, but not much...

Perhaps a slight upgrade over Finley...

But I was hoping the Spurs would do more with the $5M+ they had at their disposal.

Granted not all of it is gone, so they could still pick up another player...but I'm not sure Mason + a possible "player X" is going to have them keeping pace with the other championship contenders.

Guess we'll see...

[GoGatos]

For that money Mason is starting at SG surely. Pop isn't paying $3.75m a season for a 3rd string PG/SG. We know Manu will come off the bench at so Mason is starting.

Hell they're paying Matt Bonner $2.9 million to sit at the end of the bench for the entire season and dress up in a suit for the playoffs. The only good news is I will almost guarantee Bonner gets traded at the deadline this season because he's an expiring contract at basically $3 million...

[Marcus Bryant]

Perhaps a slight upgrade over Finley...

But I was hoping the Spurs would do more with the $5M+ they had at their disposal.

Granted not all of it is gone, so they could still pick up another player...but I'm not sure Mason + a possible "player X" is going to have them keeping pace with the other championship contenders.

Guess we'll see...

5 yrs, $30 mil gets you Mickael Pietrus.

[Mr.Bottomtooth]

WTF is everyone saying that Mason is our new starting 2 guard ? How the F*ck does that happen when Manu Ginobili is on your team ?

http://www.nba.com/media/manutrophy_300_080421.jpg

Unless Mason sucks ass like Barry, Finley and Hedo did when they first joined the team, Ginobili is starting.
So if he sucks ass he's starting, and if he turns out to be pretty good he comes off the bench?

[DPG21920]

Perhaps a slight upgrade over Finley...

But I was hoping the Spurs would do more with the $5M+ they had at their disposal.

Granted not all of it is gone, so they could still pick up another player...but I'm not sure Mason + a possible "player X" is going to have them keeping pace with the other championship contenders.

Guess we'll see...

I think this move does exactly that, lets us keep pace for very cheap. It does not catapult us to favorites, but allows us to maintain our level with a slight upgrade defensively over Finley.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

WTF is everyone saying that Mason is our new starting 2 guard ? How the F*ck does that happen when Manu Ginobili is on your team ? Plus, this is his first year on the team and he wasn't even a starter on the Wizards. He came off the bench and averaged 9 pts a game. He knows hot to do it.

Unless Mason sucks ass like Barry, Finley and Hedo did when they first joined the team, Ginobili is starting. He's an All Star and the ultimate team player but he's also a stud when healthy.

So you think Manu, with a bum wheel and still leaning towards playing the Olympics in a month, will be ready to start day 1?

Look at all the additions to the team:

Mason
Hill
Hairston
Gist
Mahinmi

The first three months of the season Pop is going to be in mad scientist mode, and he's going to use Mason to give Manu a chance to rest and recuperate.

I'll be surprised if Manu is announced in the starting lineup on day 1.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Perhaps a slight upgrade over Finley...

But I was hoping the Spurs would do more with the $5M+ they had at their disposal.

Granted not all of it is gone, so they could still pick up another player...but I'm not sure Mason + a possible "player X" is going to have them keeping pace with the other championship contenders.

Guess we'll see...

With Maggette off the market, there was really only one other guy worth the MLE, and that was JR Smith. Maybe the Spurs contacted him and he told them no already?

Outside of that, spending the entire MLE on someone would have been overpaying. So without a true MLE type, they went to the next best thing.

[Marcus Bryant]

The Warriors and Elton Brand didn't cooperate, so the Spurs are forced to roll their own. They've done this before.

Maybe Spurs fans shouldn't take as a given that they can land players worth $50 mil for $30 mil, or less.

[AFBlue]

Knowing they were free agents this year.

A fair point.

I'll concede they had interest in him and saw some ability prior to his breakout season they felt they could build on for the future.

Still, I'm not sure they, or anyone on this board for that matter, envisioned a scenario where the Spurs' starting 2-guard for 2008/9 would be Roger Mason...even if they had signed him to a 3yr deal last year.

[SenorSpur]

Vaughn is already signed, I think Najera will want more of the MLE though probobly.

Najera would truly be a nice piece to add. However, I agree. He'll likely command more money than the Spurs have left. Unless of course, they work some sort of sign and trade, while throwing in Bonner's contract to match the numbers.

[tmtcsc]

http://www.nba.com/media/manutrophy_300_080421.jpg

So if he sucks ass he's starting, and if he turns out to be pretty good he comes off the bench?

Oh I get it, the $ 10 million dollar plays off the bench because he's such a nice guy. He did what was best for the team. How do you now tell him that this guy who wasn't starting material on the Wizards will be starting in front of you ?

He'll do it if he has to but it better make sense. BTW, I'm sure that trophy is sitting proudly next to his 1st place bowling trophy from 3rd grade. It took everything he had not to roll his eyes in embarrassment when he got it. Great....I'm the best player off the bench.

[Marcus Bryant]

A fair point.

I'll concede they had interest in him and saw some ability prior to his breakout season they felt they could build on for the future.

Still, I'm not sure they, or anyone on this board for that matter, envisioned a scenario where the Spurs' starting 2-guard for 2008/9 would be Roger Mason...even if they had signed him to a 3yr deal last year.

With JR Smith a RFA and Maggette under contract.

Spurs immediately went after an unrestricted Corey Maggette, on the off chance the Clippers had to renounce him. Or that he was a believer in deferred gratification.

[ChumpDumper]

Oh I get it, the $ 10 million dollar plays off the bench because he's such a nice guy. He did what was best for the team. How do you now tell him that this guy who wasn't starting material on the Wizards will be starting in front of you ?You can do it in English or Spanish.

[Mr.Bottomtooth]

Oh I get it, the $ 10 million dollar plays off the bench because he's such a nice guy. He did what was best for the team. How do you now tell him that this guy who wasn't starting material on the Wizards will be starting in front of you ?

The same way they did with Hedo, Brent, and Mike.

[tmtcsc]

You can do it in English or Spanish.


If he hears that shit, it'll be in Greek.

[AFBlue]

5 yrs, $30 mil gets you Mickael Pietrus.

Or possibly JR Smith, or possibly Josh Childress, or possibly Ben Gordon, or Kelenna Azubuike.

Or, if the Spurs had used $2.5M or even $3M on Mason they might have been able to get Mason + :

Carlos Delfino
Eduardo Najera
Jarvis Hayes
Dorrell Wright

It's possible the Spurs coudl still get one of these guys, but by spending all but $2M it makes it tough to grab another decent player.

[Marcus Bryant]

This just in. The Athens Pantheons offer Roger Mason 3 years, $73 million.

[ChumpDumper]

If he hears that shit, it'll be in Greek.If he wants to leave in a couple of years, godspeed.

And why don't you think he would start in Greece?

[tmtcsc]

The same way they did with Hedo, Brent, and Mike.

Those guys couldn't hit jack unless Tim Duncan was on the floor or Tony was passing them the ball after driving to the hoop. It'll suck if we get a repeat of that.

[tmtcsc]

If he wants to leave in a couple of years, godspeed.

And why don't you think he would start in Greece?

You didn't get it.

[timvp]

Oh and thanks Maggette for making a quick decision. Without that decision, this is the caliber of player the Spurs miss out on.

Mason flew to San Antonio on July 2nd and apparently the Spurs told him he was one of their top options after Maggette. If it was Mason or Delfino (the only two players who got as far as talking contract with the Spurs outside of Maggette), I'm glad the Spurs picked Mason.

[ChumpDumper]

You didn't get it.True.

[Mr.Bottomtooth]

Oh and thanks Maggette for making a quick decision. Without that decision, this is the caliber of player the Spurs miss out on.

Mason flew to San Antonio on July 2nd and apparently the Spurs told him he was one of their top options after Maggette. If it was Mason or Delfino (the only two players who got as far as talking contract with the Spurs outside of Maggette), I'm glad the Spurs picked Mason.

:tu

[Marcus Bryant]

Or possibly JR Smith,

Slight chance.



or possibly Josh Childress, or possibly Ben Gordon, or Kelenna Azubuike.

No chance.



Or, if the Spurs had used $2.5M or even $3M on Mason they might have been able to get Mason + :

Carlos Delfino


Remains to be seen.



Eduardo Najera


Nope.



Jarvis Hayes


RFA. Probably not.



Dorrell Wright


Maybe. Could definitely see Miami matching that.



It's possible the Spurs coudl still get one of these guys, but by spending all but $2M it makes it tough to grab another decent player.

It's a tough market. Spurs made a solid choice.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Or possibly JR Smith, or possibly Josh Childress, or possibly Ben Gordon, or Kelenna Azubuike.

Or, if the Spurs had used $2.5M or even $3M on Mason they might have been able to get Mason + :

Carlos Delfino
Eduardo Najera
Jarvis Hayes
Dorrell Wright

It's possible the Spurs coudl still get one of these guys, but by spending all but $2M it makes it tough to grab another decent player.

If we offered Childress or Gordon the MLE their teams would have happily waited seven days and then matched and fucked us over. What is so hard to understand about that?

Spurs apparently liked Mason more than Kelenna, and we don't know that they didn't contact JR and he said he wasn't interested...

And who's to say they don't get any of those other guys, FA isn't over yet.

[Marcus Bryant]

Oh and thanks Maggette for making a quick decision. Without that decision, this is the caliber of player the Spurs miss out on.

Mason flew to San Antonio on July 2nd and apparently the Spurs told him he was one of their top options after Maggette. If it was Mason or Delfino (the only two players who got as far as talking contract with the Spurs outside of Maggette), I'm glad the Spurs picked Mason.

I recall reading about Mason boarding a plane to visit a team....

[Tully365]

Not so high on players who threaten to kill members of the Spurs while leaving the court when they have an off night.

Why hold that against him? Many people here on this forum seem to do the same thing, and they are actual fans.

[ashbeeigh]

Does someone want to summarize all 22 pages of this for me?

And what the hell is LLE? I know what MLE is but LLE? This has bothered me all off season.

[AFBlue]

Outside of that, spending the entire MLE on someone would have been overpaying. So without a true MLE type, they went to the next best thing.

I suppose we could debate whether or not he was the next best thing, but I think you ultimately have to look at the opportunity cost of paying him more than half the MLE.

Spurs not only lost out on virtually every restricted FA left, but also a number of quality unrestricted FA that will probably command at least half the MLE.

Again, it's just a tough pill to swallow that the Spurs had almost $6M to play with and came out with Roger Mason, who went from injury fill-in to de facto starting 2-guard for a championship-calibur team after one season of decent production.

[AFBlue]

Having said all that...the Spurs still have some money, so I guess I'll hold final judgement for now.

I'll just say it's not the path I was hoping the Spurs would go to this point.

[Marcus Bryant]

Spurs went after a guy who was worth the full MLE (and then some). It didn't work out. So then they go after a diamond in the rough who could conceivably be a solid role player. I'm not excited, but I'm not going to spend the rest of this evening cutting myself.

[Mr.Bottomtooth]

Does someone want to summarize all 22 pages of this for me?

And what the hell is LLE? I know what MLE is but LLE? This has bothered me all off season.

Same thing as the MLE but around 2 million instead of around 6 million and can only be used once every 2 years.

[K-State Spur]

You can do it in English or Spanish.

Hell, Pop could do it in Russian and it would only be confusing until Stan Kelly reads out the line-ups before tip off.

[ChumpDumper]

I suppose we could debate whether or not he was the next best thing, but I think you ultimately have to look at the opportunity cost of paying him more than half the MLE.

Spurs not only lost out on virtually every restricted FA left, but also a number of quality unrestricted FA that will probably command at least half the MLE.

Again, it's just a tough pill to swallow that the Spurs had almost $6M to play with and came out with Roger Mason, who went from injury fill-in to de facto starting 2-guard for a championship-calibur team after one season of decent production.$6 million would have gotten us the same thing in Pietrus.

We'll see how things shake out from here.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Spurs not only lost out on virtually every restricted FA left, but also a number of quality unrestricted FA that will probably command at least half the MLE.

Who are these quality unrestricted guys? The only two I'd be bummed about us missing out on are Najera and Posey, but then you're assuming the Spurs haven't already made contact to find out if they're interested.

And frankly, Najera was secondary to us finding a double figures guy at the 2guard, and Posey doesn't fit that role either.

Don't tell me you're upset about scrubs like Delfino or Hayes. Hell, Mason beat out Hayes for playing time with the Wizards, that tells you all you need to know about Jarvis.

Kelenna's the only guy I'm truly bummed about missing out on, but again you don't know if he was even a target or if he was interested in coming to SA.

Miami likes Wright and if nothing else he's an attractive S&T piece for them.

I guess I just don't see all these options that you somehow think the Spurs left on the table.

[DPG21920]

Spurs went after a guy who was worth the full MLE (and then some). It didn't work out. So then they go after a diamond in the rough who could conceivably be a solid role player. I'm not excited, but I'm not going to spend the rest of this evening cutting myself.

It is like re-signing Finley. This move allows for the Spurs to guarantee no slippage from last year. Nothing special, just the safe play.

[AFBlue]

It's a tough market. Spurs made a solid choice.

That's your opinion and I have mine....Spurs went the safe route and got an unspectacular addition that does nothing to improve their chances to win a title.

You may well be right that the Spurs would've seen all their offers matched and no other players sign...but we'll never know because the Spurs spent somewhere around $4M for the safe pick.

[ChumpDumper]

That's your opinion and I have mine....Spurs went the safe route and got an unspectacular addition that does nothing to improve their chances to win a title.

You may well be right that the Spurs would've seen all their offers matched and no other players sign...but we'll never know because the Spurs spent somewhere around $4M for the safe pick.We'll know for most of them.

[anakha]

I'm not excited, but I'm not going to spend the rest of this evening cutting myself.

After some of the reactions I've been seeing the past couple of days, this take is actually a bit of a refreshing change for me. :lol

[Marcus Bryant]

Spurs could have signed Smith to an offer sheet and spent the next 7 days losing out on Mason and the rest before Denver matched. Safe was smart in this case.

[manufor3]

Oh and thanks Maggette for making a quick decision. Without that decision, this is the caliber of player the Spurs miss out on.

Mason flew to San Antonio on July 2nd and apparently the Spurs told him he was one of their top options after Maggette. If it was Mason or Delfino (the only two players who got as far as talking contract with the Spurs outside of Maggette), I'm glad the Spurs picked Mason.

well, that's good news, he's better than getting carlos d.

[SequSpur]

Roger Mason has went from a who? to a starter for the Spurs in 22 pages.. :lmao

Come on!!!! Bonner > Mason....

You guys are fricking homers to the max... :lol

[SequSpur]

I told you all Maggette wasn't coming here and he would sign with someone else immediately... Go search and you'll see.

Maggette wasn't coming to San Antonio for Bonner money... :lmao

[Tully365]

If the Spurs didn't jump on Mason, there was a very good possibility that they'd get nothing at all. A 7 day waiting period for a restricted free agent would have been a big gamble. I think they made the right choice. They wanted him last year, and he has improved significantly since then. If he plays D and breaks double figures in scoring (10.0001 ppg would be fine), he's a steal. Ronny F*#king Turiaf just got 4 yrs/17 mil!

[AFBlue]

Spurs could have signed Smith to an offer sheet and spent the next 7 days losing out on Mason and the rest before Denver matched. Safe was smart in this case.

Safe was safe....

We'll see if it's smart at the end of a two-year deal, if it takes that long.

[AFBlue]

If the Spurs didn't jump on Mason, there was a very good possibility that they'd get nothing at all. A 7 day waiting period for a restricted free agent would have been a big gamble. I think they made the right choice. They wanted him last year, and he has improved significantly since then. If he plays D and breaks double figures in scoring (10.0001 ppg would be fine), he's a steal. Ronny F*#king Turiaf just got 4 yrs/17 mil!

I doubt the Spurs would've ended up with nothing had they lost out on Mason by trying for one or two of the restricted guys.

But hey, the Spurs liked and apparently targeted Mason from the beginning and they got their guy....just like George Hill.

I'm not crazy about the move, but we'll see how it pans out.

[Bartleby]

Considering how much teams have been overpaying for the talent that is out there, I think it was a smart move. If they can somehow lock up Barry and Thomas I'd consider a decent offseason--not spectacular, but not a disaster either.

[Marcus Bryant]

I doubt the Spurs would've ended up with nothing had they lost out on Mason by trying for one or two of the restricted guys.

But hey, the Spurs liked and apparently targeted Mason from the beginning and they got their guy....just like George Hill.

I'm not crazy about the move, but we'll see how it pans out.

Pietrus got $30 mil before the signing moratorium was lifted. I don't think so.

[SequSpur]

Finley, Barry, the dancing usher are better than Mason... :lmao

The Spurs are topping themselves daily!

[SenorSpur]

:tu

Because the Spurs FO used so much on Mason, I really think the Spurs are going to have to look to Hairston or another Summer League player to fill out the roster with athleticism and youth on the wing.

Given this signing, I'll be watching the performance of Hairston closely during Summer League.

Based on the limited amount of cash left, that's about the best they'll be able to do. However, it's not a bad idea. The Spurs need to see if these guys can play. I certainly wouldn't have a problem force-feeding them minutes during the long, arduous, regular season. I rather go with that strategy than seeing another season of Michael "the matador" Finley.

[Sway]

Is Spurs Report down again or something?


Sigh....

I was just thinking the same damn thing. Its really annoying opening up a Roger Mason thread and having to read through 10 pages of immature fucks arguing.

To those of you that don’t get it, here’s a clue, people are entitled to their opinions. No need to make personal attacks…agree to disagree and STFU. Seriously, the internet tough guy thing is played out, no need for it. Everyone knows if you guys were in the same room, the only thing either one of you would be saying is jack and shit.

And finally for the old heads, you should know better, if you want to act like an ass how about you take that shit to spursreport.

Now on to my take on Roger Mason…hhhmmm…fuck never mind…I forgot what I was going to say after the 10 pages of shit I had to read through.

[mardigan]

I was just thinking the same damn thing. Its really annoying opening up a Roger Mason thread and having to read through 10 pages of immature fucks arguing.

To those of you that don’t get it, here’s a clue, people are entitled to their opinions. No need to make personal attacks…agree to disagree and STFU. Seriously, the internet tough guy thing is played out, no need for it. Everyone knows if you guys were in the same room, the only thing either one of you would be saying is jack and shit.

And finally for the old heads, you should know better, if you want to act like an ass how about you take that shit to spursreport.

Now on to my take on Roger Mason…hhhmmm…fuck never mind…I forgot what I was going to say after the 10 pages of shit I had to read through.

That was tough

[SpursChampsIII]

I can't believe how fucking negative some posters are. Your G-Damn life must suck so bad. I think I'll wait until the off-season is over and see how these guys mesh in the regular season before I become a total fucking loser and quit before even starting. If anyone thinks the Spurs won't be right there in the mix for the title next year, you don't know a G-Damn thing about the NBA.

[TDMVPDPOY]

wow internet gangstas takn over 23 pages of bs

[MarHill]

Roger Mason has went from a who? to a starter for the Spurs in 22 pages.. :lmao

Come on!!!! Bonner > Mason....

You guys are fricking homers to the max... :lol

Homers...yes!

But its funny that a team who has been a championship contender since 1999always seem to find players that fit their system.

Is it a let down that the Spurs didn't Maggette..yes it was. But if Roger Mason provides 10-12 ppg in 25-30 min...then everybody will be cheering (you included SequSpur) that it was a good signing.

We have to see about Mason...but this homer fan will trust the FO and see where the chips fall.

One more fact...since 1999 (except the year 2000) the Spurs have reached the Western Conference Semis and they had to change from Robinson, Elliott, Elie, & Johnson to Ginobili, Parker, Bowen, and Horry and have remained competitive. Hmmm.....

[peewee's lovechild]

Finley, Barry, the dancing usher are better than Mason... :lmao

The Spurs are topping themselves daily!

We get it.

You're a douche who doesn't like the Spurs.

[Marcus Bryant]

Based on the limited amount of cash left, that's about the best they'll be able to do. However, it's not a bad idea. The Spurs need to see if these guys can play. I certainly wouldn't have a problem force-feeding them minutes during the long, arduous, regular season. I rather go with that strategy than seeing another season of Michael "the matador" Finley.

Diawara would make a lot of sense right now.

[SenorSpur]

Yes, but not as a rotation player in SA.

We use Mason because he is improving. If you plot his seasons on a graph, his is an upward curve. Plot Finley's and it's going the opposite direction.

Quit being so dense, Master's boy.

Exactly the point.

It's always a much better strategy to invest in time, money and a roster spot in a player whose production arrow is pointing up (Mason), rather than one that in clearly pointing down (Finley).

IMO, it's a "ripple-effect" signing and a far cry from Maggette, but I'm willing to wait and see the results. Besides, I'm very pleased the Spurs are revamping their supporting cast to this extent. It's long overdue.

[angelbelow]

dont know much about him, i just know we chased him last year too. hope this puts us over the top!

[AFBlue]

Diawara would make a lot of sense right now.

I was thinking the same thing...not from a talent perspective, but that it would be the par-for-the-course, Spurs-type move.

Add another defensive specialist with a questionable jumpshot that can guard multiple positions. :lol

At least he'd come cheap....hopefully.

[SenorSpur]

I think this is a decent signing. First of all, it looks like the Spurs were only wanting to offer two-year contracts. If that is the case, you can't steal any RFA with a two-year contract. So you have to eliminate all the RFA's from discussion.

Out of the UFA's, Mason was one of the few decent options. The Spurs offered him a three-year contract last summer before they signed Udoka. San Antonio was impressed by his defense and the fact that he can play multiple positions enough to give him some sort of three-year offer, which says a lot to me. Now a year later after Mason added a very capable offensive game ... then it's not too much of a surprise that the Spurs like him even more.

Defensively, I've seen him guard 1's, 2's and 3's. He's best defensively against shooting guards, which is good because that's the position the Spurs will likely want him to defend.


This fact alone makes him a much better option than Finley. I don't want to continue bashing the guy, but he's obviously been on the decline the past couple of years. I called him a one-trick pony when he signed, and that's certainly what he turned out to be. If he wasn't consistently hitting his shot, he became a huge liability on the court. I'll be happy to see how Mason fits and I'm glad to know that at least he is a willing and capable shooter and defender.

[nil.ball]

omg! what team did he play for again?

[ChumpDumper]

omg! what team did he play for again?The one that got as far as the Rockets did this season.

[nil.ball]

The one that got as far as the Rockets did this season.

so does that mean the spurs isn't going to persuit that player went deeper into the playoffs than the spurs?

[SenorSpur]

WTF is everyone saying that Mason is our new starting 2 guard ? How the F*ck does that happen when Manu Ginobili is on your team ? Plus, this is his first year on the team and he wasn't even a starter on the Wizards. He came off the bench and averaged 9 pts a game. He knows hot to do it.

Unless Mason sucks ass like Barry, Finley and Hedo did when they first joined the team, Ginobili is starting. He's an All Star and the ultimate team player but he's also a stud when healthy.

Are you from Argentina? Have you been watching the games? He's been using Manu in the 6th man role, off and on, for a couple of years now. With Manu's bum wheel and his extended minuted participating in the Summer Olympics, the best option is to bring him along slowly and manage his minutes. Having him in a 6th man role is the best way to do this. Plus, it gives the team the instant energy and firepower that only Manu can bring. It's not a slight in any way, shape or form. If Manu had an issue with it, we've would've heard by now.

Whether Ginobili starts or not is of no consequence. The bottom line is HE IS THE BEST CLOSER ON THE TEAM. Meaning he WILL be in the game at the end of quarters.

[SenorSpur]

Oh and thanks Maggette for making a quick decision. Without that decision, this is the caliber of player the Spurs miss out on.

Mason flew to San Antonio on July 2nd and apparently the Spurs told him he was one of their top options after Maggette. If it was Mason or Delfino (the only two players who got as far as talking contract with the Spurs outside of Maggette), I'm glad the Spurs picked Mason.

I guess that means they never had Pietrus on their radar after all.

[Obstructed_View]

If the Spurs are determined to have Manu come off the bench and maximize what Duncan and Timmy do, then Barry has a better chance of starting than Mason does.

[AFBlue]

Well it's just past midnight on the east coast so I'm out...but I expect this thread to be at 50 when I wake up in the morning and have at least one more argument that involves tossing around of various advanced degrees and other noteworthy accomplishments (medals?)...

Final Thought:
"Starting at the other guard for your San Antonio Spurs...ROOOGER MAA..son? Is this right?"

Guess we'll see.

[timvp]

I guess that means they never had Pietrus on their radar after all.Spurs were never connected to Pietrus in any free agent talk. He's just not a good fit. His YouTube videos look nice but anyone who actually watched him play could see that he has a painfully low basketball IQ. The last time the Spurs went with the guy with the low basketball IQ just because he was athletic ... that didn't work out that well. The Spurs are a smart basketball team and having a special ed player, especially out on the perimeter, wouldn't work.

Pietrus can't even make the French NT because of his lack of basketball smarts. Great athlete, good shoot, good defender, dumb as a doorknob. He would have been in Pop's doghouse by the third preseason game.

I highly doubt the Spurs considered Pietrus at all.

[baseline bum]

Well fuck, this more than makes up for the Scola for jack shit move last summer.

[timvp]

If the Spurs are determined to have Manu come off the bench and maximize what Duncan and Timmy do, then Barry has a better chance of starting than Mason does.Barry's body is breaking down and he'd no longer defensively capable enough to start in the NBA. That said, I doubt Po will go with Mason right away as the starter. Pop will go with Manu to begin the year as a starter and then make a move at some point, per usual.

[T Park]

Spurs were never connected to Pietrus in any free agent talk. He's just not a good fit. His YouTube videos look nice but anyone who actually watched him play could see that he has a painfully low basketball IQ. The last time the Spurs went with the guy with the low basketball IQ just because he was athletic ... that didn't work out that well. The Spurs are a smart basketball team and having a special ed player, especially out on the perimeter, wouldn't work.

Pietrus can't even make the French NT because of his lack of basketball smarts. Great athlete, good shoot, good defender, dumb as a doorknob. He would have been in Pop's doghouse by the third preseason game.

I highly doubt the Spurs considered Pietrus at all.

And with Tony Parker's increased standing within the organization, him also not being a big fan of Pietrus is also another alarming sign.

[Obstructed_View]

Barry's body is breaking down and he'd no longer defensively capable enough to start in the NBA. That said, I doubt Po will go with Mason right away as the starter. Pop will go with Manu to begin the year as a starter and then make a move at some point, per usual.

That's possible, but Barry didn't look bad either before the injury or in the playoffs. And I don't think he's nearly the defensive liability that last year's starter is. It's about time for him to start scoring like he did in Seattle, and that can happen as a starter. It's the Finley principle: If he's scoring, it's okay if he's not playing D. :)

I also agree that Manu will start; my point was that Mason won't.

[Cant_Be_Faded]

If this guy isn't athletic i see no possible way a shorter than 6'5" shooting guard is going to do anything but ride the bench and slowly learn the system to become barely serviceable by playoffs....

I see no indication that he is a bad ass shooter, so we got another Udoka, but younger. Prahps.

[timvp]

What's funny is we were driving home and I ask Kori if she thought the Spurs did anything while we were gone and she said "Yeah, the Spurs probably signed Roger Mason and the forum is melting down because of it."

I think she's not giving me the full inside scoop :lol :depressed

[Kori Ellis]

What's funny is we were driving home and I ask Kori if she thought the Spurs did anything while we were gone and she said "Yeah, the Spurs probably signed Roger Mason and the forum is melting down because of it."

I think she's not giving me the full inside scoop :lol :depressed

Psychic?
Insider Info?

:smokin

[midgetonadonkey]

I like that he has a few tats, mini dreads and drives an Aston Martin.

He might have exactly what the Spurs need.

[peskypesky]

Roger Mason is exactly what the Spurs needed to insure another shot at the Finals.

Not!

But hey, we can always hope for the best, right?

[angelbelow]

Roger Mason is exactly what the Spurs needed to insure another shot at the Finals.

Not!

But hey, we can always hope for the best, right?

we were a healthy ginobili away for putting up a fight in the WCF. i think we just need to re up on role players and this is certainly a good move so far.

[Cant_Be_Faded]

one year older brah

[midgetonadonkey]

But he has dreads!!

[angelbelow]

That's possible, but Barry didn't look bad either before the injury or in the playoffs. And I don't think he's nearly the defensive liability that last year's starter is. It's about time for him to start scoring like he did in Seattle, and that can happen as a starter. It's the Finley principle: If he's scoring, it's okay if he's not playing D. :)

I also agree that Manu will start; my point was that Mason won't.

dont be so sure mason wont start, hes a good shooter, he plays D and can handle the ball, i think thats a HUGE upgrade at our 2 position just cause he can make plays and play D. he'll spell finleys role just fine imo.

[itzsoweezee]

neither of the two glaring needs the spurs have have been met this offseason. and it looks 90% likely that neither will. it's too bad that great players like manu and tim have such shitheads like holt and buford running this organization.

[itzsoweezee]

dont be so sure mason wont start, hes a good shooter, he plays D and can handle the ball, i think thats a HUGE upgrade at our 2 position just cause he can make plays and play D. he'll spell finleys role just fine imo.

fuck all that. the spurs need someone that can SCORE. this guy is fucking worthless.

[timvp]

fuck all that. the spurs need someone that can SCORE. this guy is fucking worthless.Mason scored more points per minute than any of the free agents being discussed prominently outside of Maggette and JR Smith. Scoring, at least last year, is not a weakness for Mason.

[DesignatedT]

Perhaps we can still land a C.J Miles? someone that can maybe have a shot to come in and bring some needed athleticism?

I like the pickup of Roger Mason. the dude can flat out shoot the ball.. especially from 3 and we could have used that A LOT last year against NO and LA when finley was launching up bricks game after game.

on another note i also agree we need to get a little more athletic then this.. someone who can run in the open floor and make plays happen.. but i like roger mason... hes a good player

[Obstructed_View]

dont be so sure mason wont start, hes a good shooter, he plays D and can handle the ball, i think thats a HUGE upgrade at our 2 position just cause he can make plays and play D. he'll spell finleys role just fine imo.

He might start eventually. If he's the starting 2 in November, either the Spurs are plagued by injuries or Mason's on the way to becoming the free agent steal of the year.

[Spurtacus]

Mason isn't going to be our saviour, but if he's better on both sides of the ball than Finley, that alone is going to help us out tremendously. Afterall, we were a Manu injury away from the Finals. Mason wasn't the best acquisition we could get with the MLE but certainly a player that could thrive under Pop.

[Russ]

I guess that means they never had Pietrus on their radar after all.

Nor JR Smith.

[Cant_Be_Faded]

rofl
Another typical spurs offseason, im glad i never once bit into the hype for this one....lol at you who thought we'd actually sign a player.

If this guy was 6'7" i'd be J'ing off right now but alas, 'twas not to be.

[Spurtacus]

I'm not too thrilled with his height either. Listed as 6'5, but he looks 6'2.

[Cant_Be_Faded]

Half of the shit I look up says he is closer to 6'2". Which makes me lol yet again. I'm completely unsurprised.

even if he was a legit 6'5", that size of shooting guard is near obsolete in today's upper caliber nba team. Especially if they have no freakish athleticism or freakish shot *cough*jrsmith*cough*

[spurman20]

Half of the shit I look up says he is closer to 6'2". Which makes me lol yet again. I'm completely unsurprised.

He is 6-5 not even close to 6-2

[Marcus Bryant]

Half of the shit I look up says he is closer to 6'2". Which makes me lol yet again. I'm completely unsurprised.

He's listed at 6'5" everywhere.

[Cant_Be_Faded]

He's still undersized if he is a legit 6'5". Is he not?

[Obstructed_View]

He's still undersized if he is a legit 6'5". Is he not?

Possibly, but that means something happened to half the shit you "looked up". :lol

[spurman20]

He's still undersized if he is a legit 6'5". Is he not?

no he is about the norm for an NBA 2guard you would like to have someone 6-7 but they are rare...even Kobe who is listed at 6-6 sometimes 6-7 he is no bigger than Bonzi Wells who is 6-5 maybe..

[Marcus Bryant]

6'5" isn't a bad height for a combo guard.

[mexicanjunior]

From what I saw of Roger Mason last year, he did not seem very impressive. I think he will make about as much impact this year as Udoka made last year...I guess having the League Pass this year was the right move, I sure as hell ain't spending another $170 for Roger Mason, George Hill and 2 scraps with what is left of the MLE/LLE.

[Cant_Be_Faded]

6'5" isn't a bad height for a combo guard.


Exactly, but did we really need a combo guard? Seems to me, this is yet another case of conservative spurs free agency dealings. We are hedging our bets in case Mr. IUPUI does not work out.

Regardless of how many optimists here are trying to spin it, what we needed was a new shooting guard of legitimate height. Manu will not start when the down gets dirty next year. This is fact. The spurs brains know this is fact.
It's just the same old same old.
Now I don't know if I want Hill to pan out or not. If he does, Mason is going to be Udoka v2.0, in terms of a player making a first year impact.

Do you think anyone at the top has even considered what we will do if Bruce Bowen does not hold up for another year?
Can you say
SMAAALLLLLL BALLLLLLLLLL

[spurman20]

Exactly, but did we really need a combo guard? Seems to me, this is yet another case of conservative spurs free agency dealings. We are hedging our bets in case Mr. IUPUI does not work out.

He is a shooting Guard who can handle the ball he is not a combo guard....he will play 90% of his min at SG......only way he plays pt is if we are going big and give Tony a rest.

[Marcus Bryant]

Well, he is a combo though more a 2 than a 1.

Anyways, Spurs need guards who can defend, handle the rock, and shoot the 3.

[Cant_Be_Faded]

Well, he is a combo though more a 2 than a 1.

Anyways, Spurs need guards who can defend, handle the rock, and shoot the 3.

Correct me if I am wrong, but didn't Phil Jackson make it a point to take away the 3 in the WCF's? The result was Finley, Udoka, et. al, going for slow unathletic layups and getting swatted with ease.

[Dglue]

I think that they payed way too much for Roger Mason. 7,5 for two years that's way too much for an okay player. I rather have the Spurs give their draft picks the minutes to develop, than this deal...

[Brox6]

I hope this is good. I seen this guy light up 3's, hope he can bring that one here..

[DPG21920]

Well it's just past midnight on the east coast so I'm out...but I expect this thread to be at 50 when I wake up in the morning and have at least one more argument that involves tossing around of various advanced degrees and other noteworthy accomplishments (medals?)...

Final Thought:
"Starting at the other guard for your San Antonio Spurs...ROOOGER MAA..son? Is this right?"

Guess we'll see.

LMFAO! I started the whole degree debacle, my bad...but I do have a state championship medal as well!!

We will see, I am with you..he is a slightly better version of Finley because of the D, but not a better pure shooter overall. Still has some upside, not much but some. I wonder what happens to Ime Udoka now? I mean aren't the second year players like him in our system supposed to do better and get more PT?

[Killakobe81]

He can shoot was a pretty good college player ...congrats Spurs ...i dont think he is extremely athletic but o be fair he didnt always get to drive much with the Wiz ...

[T Park]

I think this is a decent signing. First of all, it looks like the Spurs were only wanting to offer two-year contracts. If that is the case, you can't steal any RFA with a two-year contract. So you have to eliminate all the RFA's from discussion.

Out of the UFA's, Mason was one of the few decent options. The Spurs offered him a three-year contract last summer before they signed Udoka. San Antonio was impressed by his defense and the fact that he can play multiple positions enough to give him some sort of three-year offer, which says a lot to me. Now a year later after Mason added a very capable offensive game ... then it's not too much of a surprise that the Spurs like him even more.

Defensively, I've seen him guard 1's, 2's and 3's. He's best defensively against shooting guards, which is good because that's the position the Spurs will likely want him to defend.

This is one of those unspectacular yet safe and solid signings. Now the question that will be seen is whether the Spurs needed more. Did the Spurs need a top of the line scorer to take the pressure off of the Big Three? Or will adding a capable wing to the mix be enough?

I'm pretty underwhelmed by this development but hopefully this is followed up by something else. If the Spurs are heading into next year with Mason and three rookies as their offseason additions, that'll be scary.

The good news regarding his contract is it is possible that the Spurs will have slightly more than the LLE ... which could be helpful to outbid others for Barry's services. If that's what it takes to get Barry back and let Finley walk, Mason + Barry probably would be an a better outcome than Player X + Finley.


Fuck.

[kobyz]

i see him play a lot in israel and he was not that good in the israeli league, and he unathletic also.

[Texas_Ranger]

I gues he'll be playing just like Udoka did las year.

[Sissiborgo]

:toast

[Sissiborgo]

But i think we should try to get better free agents:toast

[timvp]

After more research, here are some additional thoughts regarding the Mason signing:

Pluses
-Really shot well once he became a part of the rotation. He shot nearly 45% from the field and 41% from the three-point line once he was given a shot.

-When Mason started, his stats were very, very good. If the Spurs plan to start him, perhaps they were looking at how well he played as a starter last year for the Wizards.

-Good guy and team player. Spurs fans are mostly tired of the "good guy" talk but this is another class act that will fit seamlessly into the team.

-He was who the Spurs wanted last year. The money they originally gave Udoka was offered to Mason. So it's not like he had one fluke year and then the Spurs got interested.

-He gives the Spurs good versatility. For example, if the Spurs want to waive Jacque Vaughn to open another spot on the roster, the Spurs now have yet another player that can play minutes at point guard.

-He shoots mostly from the straight away which will be mix nicely with the rest of the team, especially Bowen and Udoka. The Spurs haven't had a player who was really good at straight away threes since Steve Smith.

Minuses
-He's a horrible rebounder. I'm talking one of the very worst in the league. Players like Travis Diener, Brevin Knight and JJ Redick average more rebounds per minute. The only shooting guard who got less rebounds per minute than him last year was Jamal Crawford ... and Crawford played a lot of PG for the Knicks. The only Spur who rebounds worse is Vaughn.

-I have a bad feeling that he'll be consumed by the "first year yips" that we see out of all shooters when they sign with the Spurs. He's had only one good shooting year in the NBA so it's not like he has a lot of confidence to fall back on. Even at Virginia, he shot like 40% in his junior season before declaring for the draft. His shooting numbers this past year look possibly fluke-ish, which isn't good for a guy stepping into a pressure packed situation where it's championship or bust.

-Mason's clutch stats last year weren't too pretty. He was underwhelming in the playoffs and shot 36% in clutch situations last year. The Spurs need their shooters to have ice in their veins. I don't any indication that Mason's blood is cold.

-Size is questionable. 6-foot-5 could really mean 6-foot-3. Combine that with below average athleticism and Mason won't help the Spurs get bigger or more athletic on the perimeter.

[silk]

Very solid signing, with the assets remaining, maybe they can pry away quinton ross and michael doleac and call it an offseason, then let the forum melting out during all the regular season, then win a championship with this team when everyone here gets like "told you so" mode....

[Mr. Body]

Something heart-warming -- Mason was fairly bad in the playoffs this year.

[thekingrobert]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nbadraft/tracker/player?playerId=18353

That's his draft bio coming out of college. And further more he plays point so why do people think all he can do is shoot? How many PGs have no dribble penetration what so ever?

[TDMVPDPOY]

dont judge a book by its cover

i say this guy could offer us more than james jones who got a nice contract from teh heat, more than what we gave to masonjr

[K-State Spur]

Half of the shit I look up says he is closer to 6'2". Which makes me lol yet again. I'm completely unsurprised.

even if he was a legit 6'5", that size of shooting guard is near obsolete in today's upper caliber nba team. Especially if they have no freakish athleticism or freakish shot *cough*jrsmith*cough*

What shit would that be? I remember watching him play at UVA, and he was maybe 6'4 instead of 6'5, but still clearly the height of most 2s. I seriously doubt he has shrunk since them.

As for being obsolete, I think almost everyone would agree that 6'6 is plenty big enough for a 2 guard. Are you telling me that because his head is located one inch below that, he is obsolete? What if his reach is an inch longer than most guys who are 6'6?

[timvp]

I read a few more scouting reports on Mason and he gets criticized for chucking up shots even when he's not open. Usually that is bad news for a prospect but with Pop's mandate that perimeter players shoot when they are open, it's better to go after a guy who shoots too much than a guy who doesn't shoot enough. Mason also has a pretty quick release on his jumper, which should come in handy off of kickouts from Duncan.

I still don't like it that he only has one good shooting season on his resume, dating back to his senior year in college. Hopefully Mason AKA "The Potomac Rainmaker" won't be known as the "Muddy River Drought" this upcoming season.

[The Truth #6]

I know a lot more about his hair, tattoo, personal chef, architecture degree, and Aston Martin then how he is as a player. That's always a good sign.

[coachmac87]

Things Roger Mason can do better than last years starting 2 guard!

1) Defense
2) 3pt Shooting
3) Ovr Field Goal %
4) getting to the FT line
5) FT %
6) Midrange Shot
7) Can shoot off dribble ( not the one dribble move Finley pulled)
8) Scoring( scored 20pts or more 6 times, including 2 games over 30)
9) Ball handling
10) at being our starting 2 guard

so uh if u really want to bitch about the spurs offseason....just imagine MICHAEL FINLEY as our starting shooting guard for another year....:lmao

:flag:

[Mr. Body]

Roger Mason is the greatest player of all times.

[coachmac87]

Roger Mason is the greatest player of all times.



better than finley or brent fuckin barry

[SuperDave]

Can someone describe this guy as a defender to me in more detail? I've seen very little of him, but I realize that prior to 2007-8, he made team's rosters mostly on his defensive ability.

Based on his size, I'm assuming he primarily defends 1's and 2's, although there are some 3's he could match. Does he have a long reach? Is he a disrupter, or is he more of a position defender? Does he have stopper capability, or is he just a solid defender a la Udoka?

Thanks in advance.

[Mr. Body]

I guess he's a good defender? He doesn't do much other than shoot. No rebounds, no assists, no steals, no blocks.

[Mr. Body]

better than finley or brent fuckin barry

G.O.A.T. >>> finley

[DPG21920]

He is not a stat stuffer, but no one we could of realistically gotten for this money would have been. Like I said he is a plug to a leak, not a complete repair. He allows us to not slide backwards and to just maintain. He does not catapult us forward, but keeps us from tumbling backwards.

[Budkin]

I never even heard of this dude before we signed him...

[DPG21920]

You are not taking into consideration the learning curve...Finley knows the system and is comfortable, that puts him up a little more and will drop Mason. Hopefully Mason can just do exactly what Finley did for us offensively and up the defense a little.

[Brutalis]

I never even heard of this dude before we signed him...

Not to offend you but, if you followed the NBA as an average fan you would.

[DPG21920]

Not to offend you but, if you followed the NBA as an average fan you would.

True...but some people are just Spurs fans, not basketball fans. That in not a knock, but that is the general public, same goes for every team and their fans.

[z0sa]

Not to offend you but, if you followed the NBA as an average fan you would.

Although I'm not much more than a spurfan, I can't help but feel a little weird seeing this. I have never seen this guy play, nor heard his name more than a couple times.

I doubt the "average fan" has heard much about this guy, either.

[Brutalis]

There is no ESPN news of us signing RMJr. Just some WP link.

It's been all day..

[timvp]

SAN ANTONIO -- The San Antonio Spurs and unrestricted free agent Roger Mason have agreed to terms on a two-year deal worth more than $7 million, Mason's agent said Thursday.

"We've got a deal done," Mark Bartelstein told The Associated Press by phone.

Mason, a 6-foot-5 guard, averaged a career-high 9.1 points and 1.7 assists in 80 games last season with the Washington Wizards. He played in a reserve role for all but nine games. In his previous season with the Wizards, Mason averaged 2.7 points.

Bartelstein said the deal would pay Mason "just a little less than" $8 million. He said he expected Mason, 27, to sign with the team on Friday.

Spurs spokesman Cliff Puchalski said the team had no comment.

Mason averaged eight points and one assist in the playoffs.

$7.4M = little bit less than $8M?

Or is the actual offer more than what we've seen reported?

[Mr.Bottomtooth]

$7.4M = little bit less than $8M?

Or is the actual offer more than what we've seen reported?

Hopefully 600K is a little bit to his agent. Any more would just be adding fuel to the contract fire.

[bdictjames]

I like him.He can shoot. Better have any movement than none.

[dastrey]

I guess he's a good defender? He doesn't do much other than shoot. No rebounds, no assists, no steals, no blocks.

Finley = no defense, no rebounding, no assists, no steals and no blocks.

[Josepatches]

But Roger Mason doesn't have as talent as Michael Finley had.Now Finley is old so Mason could be better to play 82 games but if we were in the last seconds of one playoff game then I would put Finley before Mason.Finley is old but he still can shoot like he did in Game1 against the suns.Yes Finley is old but Mason never will be an All Star.If he is starter maybe we will have one of the worst starter at SG of the NBA.

[Obstructed_View]

Not to offend you but, if you followed the NBA as an average fan you would.

:lol That's why Kori had to post up little facts about him.

[Mr.Bottomtooth]

:lol That's why Kori had to post up little facts about him.

The average fan shouldn't be able to know whether or not a player can play piano.

[spurman20]

You are not taking into consideration the learning curve...Finley knows the system and is comfortable, that puts him up a little more and will drop Mason. Hopefully Mason can just do exactly what Finley did for us offensively and up the defense a little.

Our system is not complicated.....he will pick it up over the first few weeks of the season.....He will be a better addition than other FA we have attained in the past because he can get to the hoop and isnt just a jump shooter

[Obstructed_View]

The average fan shouldn't be able to know whether or not a player can play piano.

Hmm. I guess I'm not an average fan then. I wouldn't figure the average fan would have recall of the name of every player on every team. I'm sure I'd seen him play, and his face looked familiar when I saw his picture, but I didn't know the name or who he played for the first time I heard it.

[Obstructed_View]

You are not taking into consideration the learning curve...Finley knows the system and is comfortable, that puts him up a little more and will drop Mason. Hopefully Mason can just do exactly what Finley did for us offensively and up the defense a little.

How long would it take Mason to miss rotations, block out his own players and sag away from his man allowing open three pointers? Hell, if you teach Mason to shoot a thousand of those 18 foot elbow jumpers before each game and you have his clone as long as he misses enough of them in the actual games.

[Mr.Bottomtooth]

Hmm. I guess I'm not an average fan then.

You knew he played piano in a band?

[AFBlue]

Our system is not complicated.....he will pick it up over the first few weeks of the season.....He will be a better addition than other FA we have attained in the past because he can get to the hoop and isnt just a jump shooter

When will you stop being wrong in general?

The system is tough enough that the general consensus is players don't really "get it" until year 2.

Mason might be somewhat effective this year, but we'll probably see what he's really made of in 2009.

Also, Mason isn't really known as a guy who can put the ball on the floor and finish at the rim. He's actually not really known as an offensive player in general. We'll see what he's made of, but I don't think you can expect Mason to be the "fourth scorer" that we've been hoping for.

[Obstructed_View]

You knew he played piano in a band?

:lol :lol :lol
Whew. I needed that. Thank you.

[Mr.Bottomtooth]

:lol :lol :lol
Whew. I needed that. Thank you.

Anytime. :)

[spurman20]

The players dont get it becasue they are 1 trick ponies!!! They catch and shoot thats all.......so it takes a while for a shooter to learn where to be without getting in the way and causing the O to bog down......however with players like mason who can shoot and get to the rack.....the learning curve is not as steep so He should pick it up quickly especially since he came from washington were they run a movement based Princeton style O.......The spurs run basically 3 sets that just require the shooter to read and react but players who can put the ball on the floor have more flexiblity....Mason isnt known because he place with the NBAs biggest BLACK HOLE IN GILBERT!!!! MICHAEL JORDAN WOULDNT BE KNOW PLAYN WITH THAT CLOWN.....HE CONSTANTLY HAS THE BALL. Mason is not explosive but he can drive and pull up and he is sneaky quick

[TIMMYD!]

Yeah

[DPG21920]

Mason does not do dick besides shoot and handle the ball ok. He does not rebound, he is not athletic so he can not create for himself, does not dish the ball that well and is not a good defender...this is a terrible mistake of a signing, but it is not costing the Spurs much, I would much rather of had Finley back. He is a poor mans Finley.


When you look at what Finley has done over the course of his ENTIRE career, yes, a poor mans Finley. Finley in the clutch as well is ice cold, he has hit many big PLAYOFF shots, Mason has not. I am indifferent with the move as long as they are not expecting him to shoulder too big a load, especially defensively.


He plays better defense than Barry and Finley combined. It's one of his known traits.

My god kid, do you follow the NBA?



You have to realize, if DPG hasn't seen a guy light up the Spurs or be clutch in the NBA Finals, he doesn't have a fucking clue about him.


HE PLAYS D WHAT THE HELL
his o is limited somewhat though

:hat

[benefactor]

http://www.nursesblog.com.sg/shefaly/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/pat.jpg

[DPG21920]

http://myspace-341.vo.llnwd.net/00520/14/36/520826341_m.gif

[EricB]

What do you want, a cookie?

[DPG21920]

Oh look, the armchair a-holes are out. Yayyyyyyyyy!

Don't want a cookie, but it is funny being heckled by others during a debate when they think they know everything. Especially when you can tell they have never watched certain players play.

Like when people call you an idiot and tell you David Lee is an amazing shot-blocker and jump shooter.


Wrong.

Roger Mason is a damn good defender.

[manufan10]

http://www.nursesblog.com.sg/shefaly/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/pat.jpg


http://www.sportsconcerts.com/concert-pics/jerry-seinfeld.jpg

"She has man hands!!"

:lol

[TIMMYD!]

d'oh

[z0sa]

pat yourself on the back some more there, DPG. For the price, we couldn't have asked for more. Pop pushed him into roles we found out he couldn't fulfill. He's a mediocre backup point but he's more than just a spot up shooter. And he's not a good defender, but he's above the average. He caught on the system pretty quickly, but seemed to lose his legs as the season went on. Shouldn't be a problem this season.

[DPG21920]

He is not an above average defender. Finley and Bonner both defended better than him. What else can he do besides spot up shoot? He has an ok pick and pop, but still very limited overall. To be expected if you watched him play before the Spurs.

I said from the beginning that I was ok with signing because it was low risk and he would be a piece to keep the team from sliding. I was not thrilled about it, but it was all the Spurs could do. Then they realized this year they had to do something serious. I said if the Spurs had to rely on him too much, it would be a disaster. When Manu went down, Mason had to be that guy in Manu's role and he could not do it.

I actually think Mason did much better than I thought he would and he was worth every penny. But it was only because of his shooting. He shot extremely well (outside of the playoffs).

Don't rain on my parade bc I am joking about calling some people out, especially when they were mocking me because at the time I was the new guy. Saying "my God kid, do you follow the NBA" and "you have no f'ng clue" deserves a little bump. All in good fun, no need to :cry

[z0sa]

He is not an above average defender. Finley and Bonner both defended better than him.

Finley's matador defense failed on a number of occassions. Bonner is a good defender, not athletic but great at being in the right position and guaridng faster perimeter players.

Mason just needed to increase his stamina while regaining his legs over the summer. I guess we'll just agree to disagree.




When Manu went down, Mason had to be that guy in Manu's role and he could not do it.

Listen to what you're saying, man! Manu is fucking Manu. Now I know you're going to say you aren't comparing the two, but a 3.5mil guy shouldn't have anywhere near those expectations. He averaged double digits, hit a number of cold blooded shots, and IMO played pretty good defense. This season he could really shine. Imagine him playing that clutch shooting Horry-type role nearly every champ has these coming playoffs when there's not nearly as much pressure on him to produce.

[DPG21920]

Also, adding a guy like Mason to a team like this I really like. But at the time, when he was the main move, most Spurs fans knew it would not be enough in all likelihood. I thought if everyone was healthy, maybe. But then the Lakers had Gasol with a year under his belt, Bynum back along with Ariza.

Most Spurs fans were disappointed because they knew it would not be enough and we want to win it all. He will be a valuable piece now however. I am not knocking the guy at all, just being honest about his abilities. He fills a much needed, valuable role on this team.

[DPG21920]

Finley's matador defense failed on a number of occassions. Bonner is a good defender, not athletic but great at being in the right position and guaridng faster perimeter players.

Mason just needed to increase his stamina while regaining his legs over the summer. I guess we'll just agree to disagree.





Listen to what you're saying, man! Manu is fucking Manu. Now I know you're going to say you aren't comparing the two, but a 3.5mil guy shouldn't have anywhere near those expectations. He averaged double digits, hit a number of cold blooded shots, and IMO played pretty good defense. This season he could really shine. Imagine him playing that clutch shooting Horry-type role nearly every champ has these coming playoffs when there's not nearly as much pressure on him to produce.

Well, we can disagree and it is your right, but I feel most of us think Mason was the worst defender on the team last year. You might not agree, I just think so.

Point is, thread got bumped, people that did not watch him before the Spurs were dogging me for saying he was not a good defender and they had never seen him play. I jokingly :hat'd them. I did not even bump the thread.

I agree. His role will be better this year. But people were talking about him like he could do a wide variety of things at the beginning of this thread and were in typical ST fashion projecting their hopes onto him. It was not realistic.

[z0sa]

Well, we can disagree and it is your right, but I feel most of us think Mason was the worst defender on the team last year. You might not agree, I just think so.

Who's 'most of us?'


Point is, thread got bumped, people that did not watch him before the Spurs were dogging me for saying he was not a good defender and they had never seen him play.

What does that have to do with what I was saying? I didn't dog you, did I?


I agree. His role will be better this year.

If Manu would have been healthy last year, Mason would never have had the pressure he did in the playoffs. This year, we've added tons of wing depth with RJ and Manu returning healthy. And maybe I'm just being forgetful, but Mason didn't seem like a below average defender to me.


But people were talking about him like he could do a wide variety of things at the beginning of this thread and were in typical ST fashion projecting their hopes onto him. It was not realistic.

Out of so many opinions, of course not. Then again, there's your type on the other side downing the guy both before and after its all been said and done.

[silverblackfan]

I am sorry, Finley is a worse defender than Mason. Finley has been playing longer and should recognize a bit more where to move, but does not have the speed or agility to get there. Mason was learning the system and will do even better this year as a role player. As it was, until the first and only round in the play offs, he was pretty clutch.

[DPG21920]

Who's 'most of us?'

Most of the regulars on the board




What does that have to do with what I was saying? I didn't dog you, did I?

You did say "pat yourself on the back there some more, DPG." Then proceeded to "defend" Mason, better than he can defend himself.




If Manu would have been healthy last year, Mason would never have had the pressure he did in the playoffs. This year, we've added tons of wing depth with RJ and Manu returning healthy. And maybe I'm just being forgetful, but Mason didn't seem like a below average defender to me.

Very valid point and I agree that he will be better next year because he will play the role he is capable of. I never dogged him, just gave an accurate description of his game. I like Mason. Just was refuting some misconceptions about his game.




Out of so many opinions, of course not. Then again, there's your type on the other side downing the guy both before and after its all been said and done.

Where did I "down" him? I simply gave an evaluation of his ability. Once again, I like Mason. I did not like the signing because the Spurs made no other moves, but I acknowledged it was low risk and he could fill a role.

If I say Tim is a bad FT shooter, is that dogging him? No. It is being honest. Saying what a player does well along with pointing out his weaknesses is not dogging a guy.

[z0sa]

Most of the regulars on the board

WTH does that have to do with anything??


You did say "pat yourself on the back there some more, DPG." Then proceeded to "defend" Mason, better than he can defend himself.

Yeah, which you admittedly did.

And I'm not defending Mason as much as saying for his price and abilities, he's not someone you should be calling "i told you so's" on.


Very valid point and I agree that he will be better next year because he will play the role he is capable of. I never dogged him, just gave an accurate description of his game. I like Mason. Just was refuting some misconceptions about his game.

Pop said multiple times throughout the season that they surprised them by being able to play point. If people said that when he was first signed, then it was followed up by Pop saying it, does that make a misconception? I'm not even saying he can play point WELL, but he can play point.

And again, I don't consider him a below average defender. He just had too much on his shoulders on the other end with manu out. He's already said he's improved his legs. It can only be assumed he will need to compete hard defensively to continue earning decent minutes. Maybe you have a misconception?


Where did I "down" him? I simply gave an evaluation of his ability. Once again, I like Mason. I did not like the signing because the Spurs made no other moves, but I acknowledged it was low risk and he could fill a role.

So you didn't like the signing due to a lack of signings. Great logic.


If I say Tim as a bad FT shooter, is that dogging him? No. It is being honest.

Uh, yeah! Tim shoots around 70% for his career. That's not exactly bad. A bit below average, but "bad"?


Saying what a player does well along with pointing out his weaknesses is not dogging a guy.

It seems to me, like you're happy he "lived up" to ultimate failure in the playoffs. Why tear him down, when he actually overachieved in many ways?

[DPG21920]

WTH does that have to do with anything??

You keep asking me questions and then when I answer you say WTH does that have to do with anything. You asked, "who is they". I answered




Yeah, which you admittedly did.

And I'm not defending Mason as much as saying for his price and abilities, he's not someone you should be calling "i told you so's" on.

What you continue to fail to recognize is that I am calling the "I told you so" on people being douches to me. Not on Mason. People saying "do you know the game kid...". Mason fit my description, that is not a bad thing. This is not about me being "right" about Mason, it is about needling people for some of their comments.



Pop said multiple times throughout the season that they surprised them by being able to play point. If people said that when he was first signed, then it was followed up by Pop saying it, does that make a misconception? I'm not even saying he can play point WELL, but he can play point.

Well we are discussing what he can do. Anyone can do anything by your logic. Duncan can dribble quite well, but would he be an effective PG? No. Mason is not an effective PG, so what is the point at saying he can play point?


And again, I don't consider him a below average defender. He just had too much on his shoulders on the other end with manu out. He's already said he's improved his legs. It can only be assumed he will need to compete hard defensively to continue earning decent minutes. Maybe you have a misconception?

Defense has nothing to do with the offensive weight he had on his shoulders. Sure you might be able to argue he was more tired than normal from taking on more offensive responsibility, but that is pretty weak imo.

Like I said, I highly doubt me thinking Mason was a below average defender was a misconception if you take emotion out and just assess his game last year.


So you didn't like the signing due to a lack of signings. Great logic.

I clearly said that I did not like that he was the "main" move. The signing in and of itself was fine. The fact that it was the big move, was not.




Uh, yeah! Tim shoots around 70% for his career. That's not exactly bad. A bit below average, but "bad"?

Don't be so literal. I was making a point that pointing out a weakness or misconception about a players game is not knocking the guy. It would be different if I said "Mason is garbage and he sucks so bad, what a worthless...". I did not. I gave a player assessment from what I had seen.




It seems to me, like you're happy he "lived up" to ultimate failure in the playoffs. Why tear him down, when he actually overachieved in many ways?

Not at all. The Spurs lost. That does not make me happy. What makes me happy is knowing the Spurs made enough moves to give them a chance, which gives Roger a chance to excel.

I actually said he did better than I thought, and that was with his increased role. But it was fools gold all along and anyone could see that. He could not be successful in the role many envisioned him in and in the role fate thrust him in last year.

If you understand that the ":hat" was about their attitude and not about Roger, you might get it.

[DPG21920]

Ok, but overall, where would you rank his defensive performance for the year? Was he one of the worst on the team? One of the best? In the middle?

Also, after reading some of the comments in here with regards to his defensive abilities coming in, did he surpass, just meet or fall below defensive expectations?

I forgot about this thread :lol

[z0sa]

You keep asking me questions and then when I answer you say WTH does that have to do with anything. You asked, "who is they". I answered

i'm wondering why you think it should matter - this season could be much different. Not why you answered.


What you continue to fail to recognize is that I am calling the "I told you so" on people being douches to me. Not on Mason. People saying "do you know the game kid...". Mason fit my description, that is not a bad thing. This is not about me being "right" about Mason, it is about needling people for some of their comments.

I do understand, but I think you are a bit off base with your description.


Well we are discussing what he can do. Anyone can do anything by your logic. Duncan can dribble quite well, but would he be an effective PG? No. Mason is not an effective PG, so what is the point at saying he can play point?

I'm just trying to clear up what misconceptions people had that you were so right about and they were so wrong about. Is it a misconception that he can't play point nor defense, even though Pop said he can do both?

You're ignoring my angle on the issue, which is that he could be - will be required to be - stronger on defense this season. IE, too early for "i told you so's". Is your angle different? why don't you tell me yours?


Defense has nothing to do with the offensive weight he had on his shoulders. Sure you might be able to argue he was more tired than normal from taking on more offensive responsibility, but that is pretty weak imo.

This was his first year with a big role, and that role increased substantially and even unexpectedly as the season went on. I think his legs came out from under him because he wasn't used it. He's worked on that and he won't be called on as much this year. I think that couple translate into better defense - besides the obvious, if he doesn't play D he'll be on the bench.


I clearly said that I did not like that he was the "main" move. The signing in and of itself was fine. The fact that it was the big move, was not.

Why was it a "big" move? because the Spurs made a steal according to "everyone" but you?


Don't be so literal. I was making a point that pointing out a weakness or misconception about a players game is not knocking the guy. It would be different if I said "Mason is garbage and he sucks so bad, what a worthless...". I did not. I gave a player assessment from what I had seen.

Fair enough. But I still get the feeling you feel he somehow should have succeeded in situations he doesn't have enough ability to do anything in but fail.


Not at all. The Spurs lost. That does not make me happy. What makes me happy is knowing the Spurs made enough moves to give them a chance, which gives Roger a chance to excel.

Roger did excel - just not in the role he was required to if he we wanted a championship. Not unexpected for a 3.5 million dollar role player.


I actually said he did better than I thought, and that was with his increased role. He could not be successful in the role many envisioned him in and in the role fate thrust him in last year.

Agreed

[DPG21920]

I don't feel like doing the entire quote thing anymore so I will say these last few things:

The misconceptions were that "he was known for his defense". He has never been a great defender. Pop was wrong about Mason being able to play point in this system. In a more hectic system where you can take bad shots (like Washington) he looked decent. But overall, he cannot do it with any amount of success for sustained periods of time. He might be able to have some success every once and a while, but not overall. It is not his strength. He is not quick enough and his ball handling is not strong enough.

These are not the Spurs of old. Mason does not have to be better on defense, same with Bonner. Bonner actually did ok. Would it be nice if Mason picked it up? Of course. Pop will not be benching many people because of defense anymore. He does not have the luxury. Unless some new guys turn into defensive dynamos, the Spurs seem to be going for more offense.

He will never turn into something more than what he is, or at least not a quantum leap. Even if he improves his defense next year in a reduced role, he will not "be known" for his defense, which is what people were saying. The "I told you so" will not change the fact my scouting report on him was accurate. He can still play a great role for the Spurs, but the scouting report will not change. That is my angle.

It was a "big move" because that took up most of the Spurs MLE. Once again, do not be so literal. When I say "big move" I did not mean the Spurs expected him to become part of a big 4, but that he was their biggest signing that summer.

I don't get how you can say I think he should have succeeded in situations he can't because that was my whole point. To make an assessment of what he can and cannot do.

Lastly, I did not bump the thread, but I will not apologize for needling some people every once and a while :lol

[MaNu4Tres]

I agree with everything DPG said the first 10 or so pages of this thread. He was spot on in his description of Mason. Kudos to him.

[Mr.Bottomtooth]

What do you want, a cookie?

Yes.

[hater]

Short term contract for a bench role.

:lmao :lmao

[DPG21920]

^ If Manu was healthy, it probably would have been a bench role.

[DPG21920]

Overall I am happy with Mason and I am glad the Spurs have him to play his role. I wish his defense would pick up, but I like what he brings to a stacked team like the Spurs.

[hater]

Your not gonna convince these knuckle heads.

:lol

:pop:

[hater]

good, good. I think this means Barry is going. if not. Mason + Barry will be great off the bench.

I am happy with this. Mason is clutch and has great handles. and is not lazy on D either. and has a nice shot. He is one of the players that came through for Wizards when Arenas was out. He was great when Wiz beat Boston twice in 3 nights.

he will fit in the spurs like a glove. you shall see and quote me on this.

:tu :tu :tu

[hater]

:lmao what a waste of $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

:lmao

thanks whoever bumped this thread!

[DPG21920]

Except his handles are not great and he sucked on defense and he melted down in the PO's.

[MaNu4Tres]

Finley is a better defender than Mason physically and mentally. That is a lot to say about Mason's defense.

[hater]

Except his handles are not great and he sucked on defense and he melted down in the PO's.

nobody in the Spurs FO expected him to have Bowen type defense. IMO he came as replacement of Barry a clutch good cheap shooter. He was that and then some.

good signing for the money :tu

not to mention he is no PG either. Pop fucked up on that one. But he had no choice, we didnt have a backup PG.

[DPG21920]

I agree with that, but your post said he had "great handles", "not lazy on D" and "clutch". He did have a fantastic regular season with the game winners, but the playoffs were lacking.

It does not worry me though. He is not the kind of player that can be clutch when teams game plan for him. But when they have TP, Manu, Tim and RJ to worry about, he should step up.

[hater]

not lazy on D, which means he tries. His D does not suck that bad.

he has good handles for a SG, not a PG

I see him continuing to contribute as a solid backup for the Spurs this season .you can bump this next year.

[DPG21920]

I think the same thing.