Signing Review: Spurs Sign G Roger Mason Jr.

[Mr.Bottomtooth]

The Spurs went into the offseason looking at 3 needs, with one of them being a younger swingman to replace either Michael Finley or Brent Barry, preferably Finley. Among most of our favorites were Corey Maggette, Mickael Pietrus, Kelenna Azubuike, JR Smith, and even Ramunas Siskauskas.

But again, the Spurs went on another path very few of us actually thought they would go by signing 6'5" swingman Roger Mason Jr. from the Washington Wizards.

The basics of Roger Mason Jr.:

D.O.B.: 9/10/1980 (currently 27 years old)
Height: 6'5"
Weight: 212 lbs.
Years Pro: 4
College: Virginia

Now let's see what are the pros and cons of this new Spur:

PROS:


He's younger than our current swingmen. Being 27 years old and bringing along a good skillset of passing and defense, somewhat similar to Brent Barry, it looks as though he's already got a spot in the rotation.

His shooting abilities emerged last year, averaging 44% FG, ~40% 3PT, and 87% FT.

He has the ability to play point (again very Barry-like). Although he averaged only 1.7 assists per game, he's a better passer than what the stat can say.

He can play defense. With that alone, we should feel much better about the defense, instead of having frickin Michael Finley out there.

He doesn't have an attitude problem. He has class and hasn't had any run-ins with the law or has any bad blood with former teammates.


CONS:


He's not exactly that young of a player we were counting on. Sure he's 27, but in a couple of years we'll have the age problem rising up again.

The price. He came to us for ~$7.5M over 2 years, which is ~$3.75M a year. That seems pretty reasonable, but considering he soaked up more than half the MLE kinda puts a damper on the rest of the offseason. We're left with ~$1.9M of MLE and the same amount of LLE.

He's not a good rebounder. Not that we're in dire need of a rebounding swingman, but hell, he averaged less than 2 in 21 minute a game.



Overall, the Spurs didn't exactly find their fourth scorer in this FA market, but they did find a relatively better swingman than both Barry and Finley. Time will tell whether this was a good signing, but as of now, it doesn't look so bad.

Oh yea, and he has poofy hair. :)

Grade:

B-



http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb192/Mr_Bottomtooth/mason.jpg

Welcome to San Antonio, Roger. I'm sure you'll have a pleasant stay.

[Mr.Bottomtooth]

Also, if anyone finds any errors or a gramatically better way of putting a statement that I made above, feel free to point it out.

[spurman20]

Figures we would sign the least athletic FA on the market!

[spurman20]

Seems a bit high price for him....I figured maybe 2 m at the most

[xtremesteven33]

agreed....good analysis

i honestly think ppl are overreacting to this whole..."were too old" thing. all we need is maybe 10-15 points off the bench and we will be set.

hill looks to be a solid developing PG, who will catch a lot of people by surprise. im guessing he averages around 5-7 ppg.

Mahimni im guessing will average around 7 ppg also.

mason looks to be a solid SG. hopefully he can shoot and play defense very well.

[rj215]

he would've been nice for the LLE with the MLE going to Maggette, Kalenna or JR....

[Spurs Brazil]

Good post Mr.Bottomtooth

It's not a great sign but I think is solid.

Mason numbers are very similar with Kelena.

I think the Spurs wanted a guy for a 2 year deal and don't want to wait on RFA. That's why they choose Mason.

Do you think he will start or come off the bench?

[Mr.Bottomtooth]

Good post Mr.Bottomtooth

It's not a great sign but I think is solid.

Mason numbers are very similar with Kelena.

I think the Spurs wanted a guy for a 2 year deal and don't want to wait on RFA. That's why they choose Mason.

Do you think he will start or come off the bench?

I believe if the Spurs feel as though Manu needs to get back to the bench, he's definitely gonna be the one starting. Right now, it's basically him or Manu.

[dbestpro]

Magette vs Mason

Can a comparison be done. It is a given that Mason plays better D so lets look at the offense.

Cory played on a team where the ball was in his hands alot. Here in SA he would get shots but not be able to control the ball as he would have to share with the big 3.
As a result Cory shot a ton from the foul line with the ball in his hands and may not get the same here with SA. Mason had to get his when he could and is more of a pure shooter. So the only way to compare them offensively because of their different styles and ball control is to look at their points on the floor.

Magette scored an average of 1 point every 2.52 minutes not inlcuding free throws.
Mason scored an average of 1 point every 2.58 minutes not including free throws.

Mason has a career free throw average of 87%.
Magette has a career free throw average of 82%.

Magette costs 10 mil per year.
Mason about 3.5 mil per year.

So now who do you think got the better deal?

[AFBlue]

You could delete the "Pro" that says he's a good shooter to "he shot well last year".

I'll say it again, the guy didn't have good shooting numbers in his first three years and will have to prove to me that last year wasn't a statistical anomoly before I anoint him a "good shooter".

[Mr.Bottomtooth]

You could delete the "Pro" that says he's a good shooter to "he shot well last year".

I'll say it again, the guy didn't have good shooting numbers in his first three years and will have to prove to me that last year wasn't a statistical anomoly before I anoint him a "good shooter".

Noted. :tu

[DespЏrado]

When Corey signed with GS there were no "fourth options" left on the market. The Spurs opted to take a flyer out on a guy who is going to be an upgrade over Finley, who looks like a perfect compliment in a Tony Parker lead lineup (IE he can catch and shoot without hesitation.)

And his contract is just right to be an extremely tradable asset at the deadline. Package him with a resigned Kurt Thomas and I think you might have one of the best package deals to offer at the deadline of any team. Along with our draft picks and Udoka the Spurs can meet any teams needs at almost every position in a trade.

[Spurs Brazil]

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb192/Mr_Bottomtooth/mason.jpg

He looks like J.Jackson in 01-02 :lol

[Big P]

I give it a c to c-...signing him for $3.75 mil is overkill...$2.5, maybe $3 mil a year, but since we consumed most of our MLE, they get a lower grade from me.

[Amuseddaysleeper]

This offseason can't get any worse

[Spurtacus]

Nice hair and nice car.

[AFBlue]

Noted. :tu

:tu Back at you!

Nicely done

[Mr.Bottomtooth]

:lol Thank you.

[spurs1990]

The guy dropped 32 and 31 points in games this past season.

He can play.

[Marcus Bryant]

The guy dropped 32 and 31 points in games this past season.

He can play.

Willie Burton once scored 50 points in a regulation NBA game.

[Marcus Bryant]

Just saying. I think Mason was a solid signing.

[Tully365]

Magette vs Mason

Can a comparison be done. It is a given that Mason plays better D so lets look at the offense.

Cory played on a team where the ball was in his hands alot. Here in SA he would get shots but not be able to control the ball as he would have to share with the big 3.
As a result Cory shot a ton from the foul line with the ball in his hands and may not get the same here with SA. Mason had to get his when he could and is more of a pure shooter. So the only way to compare them offensively because of their different styles and ball control is to look at their points on the floor.

Magette scored an average of 1 point every 2.52 minutes not inlcuding free throws.
Mason scored an average of 1 point every 2.58 minutes not including free throws.

Mason has a career free throw average of 87%.
Magette has a career free throw average of 82%.

Magette costs 10 mil per year.
Mason about 3.5 mil per year.

So now who do you think got the better deal?

Why would you not include free throws in scoring? They do actually count on the score board.

[Tully365]

The two teams I follow most closely are the Spurs, because I love the way they play, and the Knicks, because I was born and raised in NY. Here are the most common posts (paraphrased) that I've read from the forums and blogs of those two teams in the last month.

The Knicks:

"Do you think it's possible that we maybe make the playoffs this year??"


The Spurs:

"Our Front Office fucking blows 'cause they can't sign a fourth star to play along with Duncan, Parker, and Ginobili! RC should be killed! Pop should be shot! I'm so fuckin' pissed right now!"

[K-State Spur]

Once Maggette went bye-bye, I was hoping to split the MLE between Mason and Najera. It wouldn't be a "sexy" offseason, but I think it would greatly improve the team over last year's edition.

Now, whether we have enough left over for Najera (or if that's even a direction that Pop/RC are interested in going) remains to be seen.

[MI21]

This guy can play, and he is an absolute gunner. He will have his moments where he gets the Spurs out of there patented scoring slumps. Didn't realise he was 6'5 which is decent size for a SG, I always thought he was around 6'2.

I think he is a good signing, but like other people have said, if this is the only signing then it is very underwhelming. Spurs have overpaid a bit as well. But this guy is better than Duhon who got the full MLE. I would of preferred for the Spurs to not split the MLE and go for someone who could have more impact, but oh well.

How good this signing is really depends on whether there is another signing/trade etc...

[timvp]

Nice writeup. The deceptive thing about Mason (at least last season) is he scored the ball very well. He scored 17 points per 40 minutes, which is better than anyone on the Spurs outside of the Big Three. If he can bring that kind of scoring next year to San Antonio, that'd obviously help the offense.

The Spurs wanted him last season even before Udoka -- and that was when Mason's stats were horrible -- so they must see something in him. I guess we'll find out what exactly they saw in him to target him so highly two years in a row.

[Marcus Bryant]

After the slight chance that was Maggette, who else was left? Realistically, not much.

And the Spurs chased that slight chance. Believe it or not, in the NBA it's hard to pull name talent when you're offering the MLE or less.

[MI21]

Yeah, a lot of people expect the Spurs to be able to pull the talent for half of what they are worth.

Everybody is saying that $3.75M is to much, which I think it is a little overboard, but in the grand scheme of things it's not a horrible contract. Especially compared to Duhon, Pietrus etc.

[AFBlue]

Add to the "Pros" that he's got a two-year contract, which means his salary won't be on the books when the Spurs go out and try to get a real FA...:lol

Just kidding, but put it if you want to.

[Marcus Bryant]

Yeah, a lot of people expect the Spurs to be able to pull the talent for half of what they are worth.

Everybody is saying that $3.75M is to much, which I think it is a little overboard, but in the grand scheme of things it's not a horrible contract. Especially compared to Duhon, Pietrus etc.

Spurs only offered that much per season so he'd take the short term deal.

[timvp]

Believe it or not, in the NBA it's hard to pull name talent when you're offering the MLE or less.True and add in the fact that the Spurs didn't want to offer more than a two-year contract and this is the sort of player you can get. Even Carlos Delfino was demanding a third year to his contract.

Mason isn't a wow signing but with a two-year contract as bait, it's really difficult to land better. This is definitely a boring signing ... but oh well, the Spurs still have a lot of flexibility in the short-term and long-term so we'll see what the next step is.

Perhaps they can wait on for summer league and see what they have. At that point, they'll have slightly more than the LLE to get someone off the trash heap. Or they can now just outbid the Sprockets and other teams for Barry. Or they can get active in a sign and trade.

We'll see which direction they go in.

[MI21]

Spurs only offered that much per season so he'd take the short term deal.

Yep, which makes this contract not nearly the stretch that it initially appears.

[Sway]

Good write up Tooth.

I have to admit I was disappointed, not because I think Mason is a bad player, but because I was hoping for something better.

Overall, I think Mason is a good signing for the money. Production wise he seems similiar to Azubuike, without the penetration and rebounding.

[Supergirl]

How is Mason's age a problem (27) when Maggette's age was not (28)?

Mason's bigger than I thought - my concern about him was that I thought he was more PG size. But other than that I actually liked him a lot. I think he has the potential to be very good in the Spurs system.

[The Truth #6]

Good write up, but I would say rebounding is something we do need from the swing position, because other than Tim no one rebounds very well, and even KT didn't rebound as well as he did compared to how he played in Seattle.

[romsho]

Nice writeup. The deceptive thing about Mason (at least last season) is he scored the ball very well. He scored 17 points per 40 minutes, which is better than anyone on the Spurs outside of the Big Three. If he can bring that kind of scoring next year to San Antonio, that'd obviously help the offense.

The Spurs wanted him last season even before Udoka -- and that was when Mason's stats were horrible -- so they must see something in him. I guess we'll find out what exactly they saw in him to target him so highly two years in a row.

That's the thing about this offseason....the draft and now free agency, the Spurs have gone way off the board with their personnel choices. I hope they really are smarter than everyone else this time. They better be right.

[The Truth #6]

True and add in the fact that the Spurs didn't want to offer more than a two-year contract and this is the sort of player you can get. Even Carlos Delfino was demanding a third year to his contract.

Mason isn't a wow signing but with a two-year contract as bait, it's really difficult to land better. This is definitely a boring signing ... but oh well, the Spurs still have a lot of flexibility in the short-term and long-term so we'll see what the next step is.

Perhaps they can wait on for summer league and see what they have. At that point, they'll have slightly more than the LLE to get someone off the trash heap. Or they can now just outbid the Sprockets and other teams for Barry. Or they can get active in a sign and trade.

We'll see which direction they go in.


Do you think they would try to trade Bonner? I realize we need to sign KT, so trading a big seems premature at this point, but I'm curious if Bonner is someone they want to play or move.

[Obstructed_View]

You could delete the "Pro" that says he's a good shooter to "he shot well last year".

I'll say it again, the guy didn't have good shooting numbers in his first three years and will have to prove to me that last year wasn't a statistical anomoly before I anoint him a "good shooter".

Remember that he played in Greece and Israel between his first three years and the last two. If he's exactly as consistent as Finley but plays a little defense it's a good trade-off.

[Marcus Bryant]

Looking through the bargain bin...

Yakhouba Diawara - would make sense as an IR learn the game kind of player.
Tony Allen - maybe he needs to be in the right situation. Then again, maybe he was in the right situation.
Devin Brown - second time's a charm?
Devean George - as a 5th swingman, I guess.
Walter Herrmann - wouldn't be that bad.
Matt Barnes - I think he could fit in well in SA.
Bostjan Nachbar - backup SF. Can shoot it. Looking for a long-term deal though. Not really worth that.
Bonzi Wells - if he came for what the Spurs have to offer, why not?
Ronald Dupree - Spurs have been interested in him before.
Gordan Giricek - depending on what happens with Barry.
Primoz Brezec - buy low. Really low.

[timvp]

Do you think they would try to trade Bonner? I realize we need to sign KT, so trading a big seems premature at this point, but I'm curious if Bonner is someone they want to play or move.His contract is decent enough that the Spurs may be able to come up with a sign-and-trade using something like Bonner and a second rounder. We'll see but the Spurs still have a decent amount of flexibility.

[timvp]

This signing will make a lot more sense if Barry is signed using the rest of the MLE. If Barry told the Spurs they need to outbid the other teams, the only way to do that would be via the MLE. Dangling two years and $7.4M, Mason is about as good as you're going to do.

[T Park]

Looking through the bargain bin...

Yakhouba Diawara - would make sense as an IR learn the game kind of player.
Tony Allen - maybe he needs to be in the right situation. Then again, maybe he was in the right situation.
Devin Brown - second time's a charm?
Devean George - as a 5th swingman, I guess.
Walter Herrmann - wouldn't be that bad.
Matt Barnes - I think he could fit in well in SA.
Bostjan Nachbar - backup SF. Can shoot it. Looking for a long-term deal though. Not really worth that.
Bonzi Wells - if he came for what the Spurs have to offer, why not?
Ronald Dupree - Spurs have been interested in him before.
Gordan Giricek - depending on what happens with Barry.
Primoz Brezec - buy low. Really low.

I'd take on Giricek.

Barnes and Wells too.

[Obstructed_View]

This signing will make a lot more sense if Barry is signed using the rest of the MLE. If Barry told the Spurs they need to outbid the other teams, the only way to do that would be via the MLE. Dangling two years and $7.4M, Mason is about as good as you're going to do.

Surely Barry and KT are the priority, right? I have this lurking fear that the priority is actually Finley and Horry. :(

[objective]

Hermann would be nice.

[timvp]

Surely Barry and KT are the priority, right? I have this lurking fear that the priority is actually Finley and Horry. :(Thomas for sure. Next after him is either Finley or Barry. If you held a gun to my head I'd say the Spurs could like Finley more ... but then again that could just be my pessimism talking.

[Blackjack]

Hopefully he can keep the seat warm untill the all-star break...

Hairston should be ready to bench his ass by then. :smokin :lol

[Obstructed_View]

Thomas for sure. Next after him is either Finley or Barry. If you held a gun to my head I'd say the Spurs could like Finley more ... but then again that could just be my pessimism talking.

Yeah, I have no faith in Pop's judgment when it comes to certain guys. Finley is the anti-Beno in his mind.

[timvp]

http://spurstalk.com/roger-mason.jpg

I like what I see here. The Spurs have lacked a player who excels shooting from straight away and in the midrange game. No one on the Spurs shoots very well from midrange. In fact, Parker is one of the best on the team. If Mason continues that sort of shooting, he'd be the best on the team.

But even more impressive is where he hits his three-pointers. He's actually a very good fit on the court with Bowen. In that left corner is where Bowen likes to shoot from and Mason doesn't shoot from there so they won't get in each other's way. If Udoka is the future defensive stopper, Udoka also shoots from the corners so having a shooter who shoots from the top of the key and the arch is important.

It's staggering how little Mason gets in the lane but that's not too different than the other guards the Spurs have had throughout the years. His ability to hit straight-away threes and shots in midrange should be a good fit.

[angelbelow]

Nice writeup. The deceptive thing about Mason (at least last season) is he scored the ball very well. He scored 17 points per 40 minutes, which is better than anyone on the Spurs outside of the Big Three. If he can bring that kind of scoring next year to San Antonio, that'd obviously help the offense.

The Spurs wanted him last season even before Udoka -- and that was when Mason's stats were horrible -- so they must see something in him. I guess we'll find out what exactly they saw in him to target him so highly two years in a row.

yea i fully agree with this.

[Obstructed_View]

http://spurstalk.com/roger-mason.jpg

Got one of these for Finley, just for comparison?

[loveforthegame]

With this signing alone I think Finley and Barry are gone unless one of them are happy to sit on the bench. Even limiting Bowen and Ginobli's minutes I don't see enough to go around.

Bowen/Ginobli/Udoka/Mason will eat up all the minutes at sg/sf.

[timvp]

Got one of these for Finley, just for comparison?


http://spurstalk.com/michael-finley.jpg

Similar to Mason but Mason is even less reliant on the corner three-pointers. Mason could fill Finley's spots on the floor, and fit Finley's shoes in terms of never taking the ball to the basket :shootme

Seriously though, Mason is a good fit in regards to where he gets his shots. The only other shooter on the team that doesn't rely on the corners is Manu.

[Mitch Cumsteen]

I figured we would get Mason from the beginning. He fits all of the criteria... good citizen, team guy, defense, outside shooter, not going to break the bank. I like that Mason had the balls to turn them down last year and play for a bigger contract, and that he came through and got his bigger payday. That shows a lot for what he thinks of himself and his confidence.

The Magette thing was a tease. If the Warriors want to pay him that much and destroy their salary structure, then more power to 'em. Compared to what the rest of this lousy free agent class is getting, the dollars for Mason aren't that bad... the Spurs had to pay him a little more than market value for a shorter term deal. But it makes sense for them to do so if they want to stick with the 2010 plan.

The 2010 plan is making less and less sense to me, though. Half the teams in the league are angling to get under the cap, and there aren't enough quality free agents to fill the demand. If you think the contracts being handed out this year are ridiculous, and that's with almost every team having only the mid-level available, just wait until 2010. There are going to be some really marginal players getting huge paydays. The Spurs would be better off going with a 2011 or 2012 plan --- certainly there will be more value in those free agent classes.

[GoGatos]

And his contract is just right to be an extremely tradable asset at the deadline. Package him with a resigned Kurt Thomas and I think you might have one of the best package deals to offer at the deadline of any team. Along with our draft picks and Udoka the Spurs can meet any teams needs at almost every position in a trade.

AND, you can throw in Bonner's deal which expires at the end of the season. Mason at two years $3.75 mil (team option for 3rd year) and Bonner's expiring deal at $3 mil/year PLUS the (hopefully) trade-friendly contract of Kurt Thomas would be more than enough to land an impact player at the deadline, IMO.

If my dreams came true, the Spurs would find a way to move Bonner's expiring deal, Mason's deal and KT for Ron Artest.

In any case, we could very well just be renting Roger Mason for the first half of the year to give Manu a breather. Depending on how he plays, we package him at the deadline with somebody to get that 4th scorer for a run at the playoffs. Don't be suprised to see Bonner get a lot of time early in the season and close to the deadline in an effort to up his value so we can dump his ass...

[timvp]

AND, you can throw in Bonner's deal which expires at the end of the season. Mason at two years $3.75 mil (team option for 3rd year) and Bonner's expiring deal at $3 mil/year PLUS the (hopefully) trade-friendly contract of Kurt Thomas would be more than enough to land an impact player at the deadline, IMO.Bonner doesn't have an expring deal.


If my dreams came true, the Spurs would find a way to move Bonner's expiring deal, Mason's deal and KT for Ron Artest. If the Kings are going to dump Artest, it won't be for a package that consists of two unathletic bigs with multiple years left on their contract.


In any case, we could very well just be renting Roger Mason for the first half of the year to give Manu a breather. Depending on how he plays, we package him at the deadline with somebody to get that 4th scorer for a run at the playoffs. Don't be suprised to see Bonner get a lot of time early in the season and close to the deadline in an effort to up his value so we can dump his ass...Spurs tried to sign Mason last year to a three-year deal. There's real interest. I can guarantee the Spurs didn't sign him thinking they will trade him at the trade deadline.

[Kori Ellis]

....
Spurs tried to sign Mason last year to a three-year deal. There's real interest. I can guarantee the Spurs didn't sign him thinking they will trade him at the trade deadline.

Since they tried to sign him last year before Udoka, I seriously doubt their plan is to trade him anytime soon. Unless he REALLY bombs, he'll be here for 2 years.

[Blackjack]

True and add in the fact that the Spurs didn't want to offer more than a two-year contract and this is the sort of player you can get. Even Carlos Delfino was demanding a third year to his contract.

Mason isn't a wow signing but with a two-year contract as bait, it's really difficult to land better. This is definitely a boring signing ... but oh well, the Spurs still have a lot of flexibility in the short-term and long-term so we'll see what the next step is.

Perhaps they can wait on for summer league and see what they have. At that point, they'll have slightly more than the LLE to get someone off the trash heap. Or they can now just outbid the Sprockets and other teams for Barry. Or they can get active in a sign and trade.

We'll see which direction they go in.

:tu

A sign and trade is what I'm hoping for at this point. That, or to be a third-party for a trade where our TE could come in handy. Maybe something similar to how we aquired Hedo?

Before the Mason signing I was thinking about the possibility of D.Wright, Najera, and resigning Barry. Now I'm not so sure....

Perhaps we could still aquire Wright with some combination of Bonner and Javtokas? The Heat do need big-men and 3-point shooting so maybe something like that could get it done.

Barring a trade of some sort though, it's looking to be another underwhelming off-season. (i.e. Elson and Butler) Although, that underwhelming off-season did lead to a championship..... :smokin

[GoGatos]

Bonner doesn't have an expring deal.

My bad... I thought Hoopshype told me he did, but when I double-checked I realized I saw the "$0" next to JV's name in 2009, and he's right under Bonner. Damnit. I knew it was too good to be true.

And can someone please explain to me how the hell the Spurs can justify paying Matt freaking Bonner $3.2 million next year? Anyone? God I wish I hadn't read that wrong. Now I'm just angry.

[Obstructed_View]

And can someone please explain to me how the hell the Spurs can justify paying Matt freaking Bonner $3.2 million next year? Anyone? God I wish I hadn't read that wrong. Now I'm just angry.

Hell, I still can't figure out why the Spurs pay players they have no intention of giving any PT.

[Marcus Bryant]

And can someone please explain to me how the hell the Spurs can justify paying Matt freaking Bonner $3.2 million next year? Anyone? God I wish I hadn't read that wrong. Now I'm just angry.

ROFL at what Spurs fans get upset about.

[T Park]

My bad... I thought Hoopshype told me he did, but when I double-checked I realized I saw the "$0" next to JV's name in 2009, and he's right under Bonner. Damnit. I knew it was too good to be true.

And can someone please explain to me how the hell the Spurs can justify paying Matt freaking Bonner $3.2 million next year? Anyone? God I wish I hadn't read that wrong. Now I'm just angry.


Yeah having decent bigmen that can shoot at bargain prices is such a horrible thing.

Swing off the shower rod already.

[T Park]

Hell, I still can't figure out why the Spurs pay players they have no intention of giving any PT.

and if they didn't they would be labled cheap.

The Spurs are fucked either way they go with you people.

[Kori Ellis]

Yeah having decent bigmen that can shoot at bargain prices is such a horrible thing.

Swing off the shower rod already.

I have no problem with Bonner getting 3M a year if he plays and performs. But rotting on the bench for 3M isn't worth the bargain. If they aren't going to use him this year, they might as well deal him for nothing (picks/cash/whatever) and give a roster spot to Gist or someone who they are interested in developing.

[Buddy Holly]

I have no problem with Bonner getting 3M a year if he plays and performs. But rotting on the bench for 3M isn't worth the bargain. If they aren't going to use him this year, they might as well deal him for nothing (picks/cash/whatever) and give a roster spot to Gist or someone who they are interested in developing.

I agree. 3 million to be in the dog house is... :nope

[timvp]

The Wizards will have approximately $2.5 to $3 million under the luxury tax threshold ($71.15 million) to sign a free agent once Arenas signs the six-year, $111 million deal he agreed to last week.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/09/AR2008070902297.html
That probably explains why the Wizards had to let him go. Matching the Spurs' offer probably would have cost the Wizards ~$12M.

[DPG21920]

He was unrestricted

[Tully365]

Don't think of it as paying Matt Bonner 3 million -- think of it as NOT paying Nesterovic 8.4 Million, which is what Indiana will do this year.

Oberto, Udoka, and Mason combined will be paid just a bit less than Nesterovic this year. Now, that's a good deal.

[T Park]

He was unrestricted

Matching in saying "we will match San Antonio's contract"

Not a restricted FA offer sheet.

[T Park]

I have no problem with Bonner getting 3M a year if he plays and performs. But rotting on the bench for 3M isn't worth the bargain. If they aren't going to use him this year, they might as well deal him for nothing (picks/cash/whatever) and give a roster spot to Gist or someone who they are interested in developing.


I agree with that.

[tp2021]

Mason isn't a wow signing but with a two-year contract as bait, it's really difficult to land better. This is definitely a boring signing ... but oh well, the Spurs still have a lot of flexibility in the short-term and long-term so we'll see what the next step is.

Perhaps they can wait on for summer league and see what they have. At that point, they'll have slightly more than the LLE to get someone off the trash heap. Or they can now just outbid the Sprockets and other teams for Barry. Or they can get active in a sign and trade.

What are some potential S&T scenarios? Would Bonner be in pretty much any offer?

[SenorSpur]

Once Maggette went bye-bye, I was hoping to split the MLE between Mason and Najera. It wouldn't be a "sexy" offseason, but I think it would greatly improve the team over last year's edition.

Now, whether we have enough left over for Najera (or if that's even a direction that Pop/RC are interested in going) remains to be seen.

I like the way you think. That would be a good solution to end the FA period. If not Najera, I'll take Dorell Wright.

[SenorSpur]

The Spurs went into the offseason looking at 3 needs, with one of them being a younger swingman to replace either Michael Finley or Brent Barry, preferably Finley. Among most of our favorites were Corey Maggette, Mickael Pietrus, Kelenna Azubuike, JR Smith, and even Ramunas Siskauskas.

But again, the Spurs went on another path very few of us actually thought they would go by signing 6'5" swingman Roger Mason Jr. from the Washington Wizards.

The basics of Roger Mason Jr.:

D.O.B.: 9/10/1980 (currently 27 years old)
Height: 6'5"
Weight: 212 lbs.
Years Pro: 4
College: Virginia

Now let's see what are the pros and cons of this new Spur:

PROS:


He's younger than our current swingmen. Being 27 years old and bringing along a good skillset of passing and defense, somewhat similar to Brent Barry, it looks as though he's already got a spot in the rotation.

His shooting abilities emerged last year, averaging 44% FG, ~40% 3PT, and 87% FT.

He has the ability to play point (again very Barry-like). Although he averaged only 1.7 assists per game, he's a better passer than what the stat can say.

He can play defense. With that alone, we should feel much better about the defense, instead of having frickin Michael Finley out there.

He doesn't have an attitude problem. He has class and hasn't had any run-ins with the law or has any bad blood with former teammates.


CONS:


He's not exactly that young of a player we were counting on. Sure he's 27, but in a couple of years we'll have the age problem rising up again.

The price. He came to us for ~$7.5M over 2 years, which is ~$3.75M a year. That seems pretty reasonable, but considering he soaked up more than half the MLE kinda puts a damper on the rest of the offseason. We're left with ~$1.9M of MLE and the same amount of LLE.

He's not a good rebounder. Not that we're in dire need of a rebounding swingman, but hell, he averaged less than 2 in 21 minute a game.



Overall, the Spurs didn't exactly find their fourth scorer in this FA market, but they did find a relatively better swingman than both Barry and Finley. Time will tell whether this was a good signing, but as of now, it doesn't look so bad.

Oh yea, and he has poofy hair. :)

Grade:

B-



http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb192/Mr_Bottomtooth/mason.jpg

Welcome to San Antonio, Roger. I'm sure you'll have a pleasant stay.

Very nice summary Tooth! :toast

[T Park]

All I want to know is,

is the guy able to score enough to give Ginobili some nights off.

If not, then the Spurs are no better off than they were 2 months ago.

[Streakyshooter08]

I am really not that excited about the signing. The thing I don't like about it that now the Spurs have literally only 2 LLE's left to sign a free agent that really helps them to beat the Lakers. I simply just don't see how he improves the team. Along with that his rebounding is horrible. He is a solid NBA player that is for sure but he is not enough for me to believe the Spurs could beat the Lakers or Celtics in a series. Looking at the options, he was probably the only decent available wing. It will be interesting to see what will happen with Smith and Azubuike.

That said, I will wait till the season starts to judge what the Spurs did. Nobody knows what the will do the next couple of weeks. For now, I am just not too excited.

[wildbill2u]

Does this mean Pop moves Manu back to starting at SG? For some reason I don't see Mason replacing Finley in the starting lineup.

Is our SG rotation Manu, Mason, Hill. I can live with that.

But what are we going to do to shore up our front line?

[tav1]

The two teams I follow most closely are the Spurs, because I love the way they play, and the Knicks, because I was born and raised in NY. Here are the most common posts (paraphrased) that I've read from the forums and blogs of those two teams in the last month.

The Knicks:

"Do you think it's possible that we maybe make the playoffs this year??"


The Spurs:

"Our Front Office fucking blows 'cause they can't sign a fourth star to play along with Duncan, Parker, and Ginobili! RC should be killed! Pop should be shot! I'm so fuckin' pissed right now!"


Well, each fan base has to have different expctations of their team.

[tav1]

I have no problem with Bonner getting 3M a year if he plays and performs. But rotting on the bench for 3M isn't worth the bargain. If they aren't going to use him this year, they might as well deal him for nothing (picks/cash/whatever) and give a roster spot to Gist or someone who they are interested in developing.

What she said.

I'd like to see the Spurs trade Bonner--not because he's awful, but because we need a bench Pop is willing to play.

[michaelwcho]

Thank you for the write-up. Before this, I thought Mason was a mean power forward who could dribble and shoot free throws funny.

As far as critiques, I guess you are wanting to get into writing as a possible career? If so, I hope you stick with it!

I think you supplied a good amount of information with a friendly style. What I would watch out for is excess words (a no-no in professional writing). The old advice is to pretend _you_ have to pay for each word, like in a telegram. That should help make your sentences leaner and cleaner. It will feel strange and empty at first, but it will help you develop a truly professional style.

This is a little awkward:
"But again, the Spurs went on another path very few of us actually thought they would go by signing 6'5" swingman Roger Mason Jr. from the Washington Wizards."

Some things work in speech but not on paper. This sentence feels a bit clumsy and labored. Let's see what we could cut.

"The Spurs went on another path very few of us actually thought they would go by signing 6'5" swingman Roger Mason Jr. from the Washington Wizards." (do we need But again? Remember, you're paying!)

"The Spurs went on a path very few of us actually thought they would go by signing 6'5" swingman Roger Mason Jr. from the Washington Wizards." (exchanged a for another--possibly smoother)

"The Spurs went on an unexpected path by signing 6'5" swingman Roger Mason Jr. from the Washington Wizards." (saved more money! The sentence flows better, I think. Also: surprising, shocking, etc.)

"The Spurs took an unexpected path by signing 6'5" swingman Roger Mason Jr. from the Washington Wizards."
(exchanged "took" for "went on")

This is just an example of the fine-toothed comb you can use to tame yo nappy sentences. I realize you probably didn't spend so much time being anal about it, but it's simply an exercise you can use to make your sentences more efficient, more in-line with journalistic conventions, ane ultimately more marketable.

The second advice is to use active, colorful verbs whenever possible. Like Dick Vitale, adding a little spice can, sometimes, polish a turd.

Please don't take all this as negative--I'm no pro myself! Good luck and keep up the good work!

[Mr.Bottomtooth]

Thank you for the write-up. Before this, I thought Mason was a mean power forward who could dribble and shoot free throws funny.

As far as critiques, I guess you are wanting to get into writing as a possible career? If so, I hope you stick with it!

I think you supplied a good amount of information with a friendly style. What I would watch out for is excess words (a no-no in professional writing). The old advice is to pretend _you_ have to pay for each word, like in a telegram. That should help make your sentences leaner and cleaner. It will feel strange and empty at first, but it will help you develop a truly professional style.

This is a little awkward:
"But again, the Spurs went on another path very few of us actually thought they would go by signing 6'5" swingman Roger Mason Jr. from the Washington Wizards."

Some things work in speech but not on paper. This sentence feels a bit clumsy and labored. Let's see what we could cut.

"The Spurs went on another path very few of us actually thought they would go by signing 6'5" swingman Roger Mason Jr. from the Washington Wizards." (do we need But again? Remember, you're paying!)

"The Spurs went on a path very few of us actually thought they would go by signing 6'5" swingman Roger Mason Jr. from the Washington Wizards." (exchanged a for another--possibly smoother)

"The Spurs went on an unexpected path by signing 6'5" swingman Roger Mason Jr. from the Washington Wizards." (saved more money! The sentence flows better, I think. Also: surprising, shocking, etc.)

"The Spurs took an unexpected path by signing 6'5" swingman Roger Mason Jr. from the Washington Wizards."
(exchanged "took" for "went on")

This is just an example of the fine-toothed comb you can use to tame yo nappy sentences. I realize you probably didn't spend so much time being anal about it, but it's simply an exercise you can use to make your sentences more efficient, more in-line with journalistic conventions, ane ultimately more marketable.

The second advice is to use active, colorful verbs whenever possible. Like Dick Vitale, adding a little spice can, sometimes, polish a turd.

Please don't take all this as negative--I'm no pro myself! Good luck and keep up the good work!

:tu Thanks a lot. I didn't take any of it as negative, I'm just out trying to improve myself.

[Slippy]

I like the way you think. That would be a good solution to end the FA period. If not Najera, I'll take Dorell Wright.

Wouldn't mind seeing that scenario pan out at all.

[Brutalis]

He needs a haircut.

[Mr. Body]

Dorell Wright will get too many suitors, no? We have a wee slice of the MLE left; can't see many bargains with that.

[AFBlue]

I like the way you think. That would be a good solution to end the FA period. If not Najera, I'll take Dorell Wright.

Neither Najera or Dorrell Wright are realistic options at this point.

[AFBlue]

Dorell Wright will get too many suitors, no? We have a wee slice of the MLE left; can't see many bargains with that.

I think the QO to Wright was actually somewhere above what the Spurs have left in the MLE. If Miami thought enough of him to extend the QO, they'll gladly match a multi-year deal for less than it.

[Obstructed_View]

All I want to know is,

is the guy able to score enough to give Ginobili some nights off.

If not, then the Spurs are no better off than they were 2 months ago.


The Spurs are fucked either way they go with you people. :rolleyes

[Mr. Body]

I think the QO to Wright was actually somewhere above what the Spurs have left in the MLE. If Miami thought enough of him to extend the QO, they'll gladly match a multi-year deal for less than it.

I'm mystified why they gave so much money to Roger Mason.

[picnroll]

What again was your plan for picking up players Mr Body, just so you're on record?

[Obstructed_View]

I'm mystified why they gave so much money to Roger Mason.

I'm having difficulty believing that you are unable to follow the logic. Did you suffer a head injury?

[Mr. Body]

I'm having difficulty believing that you are unable to follow the logic. Did you suffer a head injury?

Excuse me, did your asshole just talk?

[tav1]

I've not read every post here, so forgive me if this has been addressed previously.

1) The market on Kurt Thomas might be hotter than anticipated. Perhaps the Spurs knew that using their full MLE and giving Thomas a contract that would keep him in San Antonio without incurring tax was not a possibility. Mason might represent the best use of a partial MLE signing. This is debatable on a couple levels, but $$$ attached to Kurt Thomas' contract should shed some light.

2) The Spurs are putting their money where their mouth is regarding the projected play of Hill, Hairston, and Mahinmi. They're either really smart or really stupid, if this is the case.

3) At this point, I think there is a strong possibility that some free agent(s) will slip through the cracks and have to accept an Ime Udoka type contract at the end of free agent season. Who knows, maybe someone like Azubuike will remain. The Spurs should stand pat and see who shakes out prior to signing another player. This also gives them a chance to look at summer league.

They won't sing another player whose name is not Kurt Thomas until late July/early August.

4) If Buford needs something to do in the meantime, he should shop the TE and Matt Bonner, simply to see what's available. I'm still of the opinion that the Spurs should package Bonner and a couple 2009 2nd round drafts picks to see what they can fetch.

[Brutalis]

I think this signing shows Gist and Hairston will be riding D League next season.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

I've not read every post here, so forgive me if this has been addressed previously.

1) The market on Kurt Thomas might be hotter than anticipated. Perhaps the Spurs knew that using their full MLE and giving Thomas a contract that would keep him in San Antonio without incurring tax was not a possibility. Mason might represent the best use of a partial MLE signing. This is debatable on a couple levels, but $$$ attached to Kurt Thomas' contract should shed some light.

2) The Spurs are putting their money where their mouth is regarding the projected play of Hill, Hairston, and Mahinmi. They're either really smart or really stupid, if this is the case.

3) At this point, I think there is a strong possibility that some free agent(s) will slip through the cracks and have to accept an Ime Udoka type contract at the end of free agent season. Who knows, maybe someone like Azubuike will remain. The Spurs should stand pat and see who shakes out prior to signing another player. This also gives them a chance to look at summer league.

They won't sing another player whose name is not Kurt Thomas until late July/early August.

4) If Buford needs something to do in the meantime, he should shop the TE and Matt Bonner, simply to see what's available. I'm still of the opinion that the Spurs should package Bonner and a couple 2009 2nd round drafts picks to see what they can fetch.

I think you're putting way too much thought into the Thomas situation.

We paid Mason more because we needed him to accept a two year deal.

[Dex]

:tu Thanks a lot. I didn't take any of it as negative, I'm just out trying to improve myself.

Don't forget, it's who when you're speaking about the subject of the sentence and whom when you're speaking about the object.

....or is it.....the other way around?

Oh, who gives a fuck?

Or is it whom gives a fuck? :downspin:

[Obstructed_View]

Excuse me, did your asshole just talk?

Yes. See the above quote for proof.