McDonald: Mason rebounds after slow start

[Blackjack]

Spurs' Mason rebounds after slow start
Jeff McDonald - Express-News

HOUSTON — Two quarters into his first preseason game in a Spurs uniform, Roger Mason Jr. felt a little lost.

It wasn't just that he was thinking too much.

“I was thinking about not trying to think too much,” Mason said.

Mason, a 6-foot-5 guard signed away from Washington in the offseason to replace Brent Barry and now needed to pick up some scoring slack with Manu Ginobili out, missed all four of his first-half shots in the Spurs' 85-78 loss to Houston.

A halftime powwow with coach Gregg Popovich set his mind right. In the first half, Mason said he spent too much time worried about being in the right place at the right time.

“In the second half, Pop told me to just go out and play,” Mason said.

The results weren't groundbreaking, but they were encouraging. Mason made two of his four field goals in the third quarter, scoring his only four points of the game.

More than that, he just looked more at home in his new No. 8 Spurs jersey after intermission. There was a reason for that.

“The second half, I felt much more comfortable,” Mason said. “I just played more off instinct.”

Barry likes Spurs' chances: Barry hasn't been in Rockets red for very long, so his opinion of his former team still carries some weight.

It should please his erstwhile teammates to know Barry believes the Spurs will be competitive to start the season, even with Ginobili expected to be sidelined until December while recovering from ankle surgery.

“A lot of teams are thinking the good news is that Manu is out for a month and a half,” Barry said. “Well the bad news is he's going to be back in a month and a half. He's going to have a month and a half of rest, and a few hard weeks of conditioning, and he's going to be fresh for most of the season.”

Knowing all he knows about the Spurs, Barry says he will be shocked if Popovich doesn't find a way to keep his team's head above water while Ginobili is out.

“There's no way with coach Pop and Tony (Parker) and Tim (Duncan) and the experience that squad has that they're going to find themselves in a hole they can't get out of,” Barry said. “It would be ridiculous to think that.”

Bring in the vets: Tonight's exhibition against New Orleans at the AT&T Center should feature an appearance by a few of the more recognizable Spurs.

Tim Duncan, Bruce Bowen and Michael Finley all sat out the team's loss to Houston. Popovich says at least some of those veterans will play against the Hornets, though he's not quite sure who or for how long.

Injured pair closer to action: Popovich said he expects injured forward Kurt Thomas (strained hamstring) and injured guard Salim Stoudamire (strained groin) to return to return to practice “in a week at the most.”

Thomas arrived at training camp last week hobbled, while Stoudamire suffered his injury on the first day of workouts and hasn't practiced since.

The timing is particularly bad for Stoudamire, who must first make the team before he receives a fully guaranteed contract.

Popovich says if Stoudamire does indeed get back to practice next week, he would still have plenty of time to earn his spot.

“There are four or five games after these two, and another three weeks of practice,” Popovich said. “So he'll still have time to show us what he can do.”
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/Spurs_Mason_rebounds_after_slow_start.html

[Blackjack]

Popovich says if Stoudamire does indeed get back to practice next week, he would still have plenty of time to earn his spot.

“There are four or five games after these two, and another three weeks of practice,” Popovich said. “So he'll still have time to show us what he can do.”

:tu

[Ice009]

If we saw anything from this first preseason game is that we NEED guys that can hit a shot. You give Stoudamire the time he needs to heal and show us what he can do before you make a decision that you'll regret later on down the line.

[Brox6]

“A lot of teams are thinking the good news is that Manu is out for a month and a half,” Barry said. “Well the bad news is he's going to be back in a month and a half. He's going to have a month and a half of rest, and a few hard weeks of conditioning, and he's going to be fresh for most of the season.”
:ihit:ihit:ihit

[Manufan909]

Damn, what about Ian's recovery time?

[SenorSpur]

If we saw anything from this first preseason game is that we NEED guys that can hit a shot. You give Stoudamire the time he needs to heal and show us what he can do before you make a decision that you'll regret later on down the line.

Yeah, like when he's on someone else's roster draining jumpers against our team.

[Tmac&Luther]

“A lot of teams are thinking the good news is that Manu is out for a month and a half,” Barry said. “Well the bad news is he's going to be back in a month and a half. He's going to have a month and a half of rest, and a few hard weeks of conditioning, and he's going to be fresh for most of the season.”
:ihit:ihit:ihit

and that's coming from a "homeboy" that just sat on yall's bench....just saying.

Truth of the matter is the rest of the league (the top tier of the west) doesn't give a crap about Manu...Houston just toyed with y'all's bench (y'all seriously have got to get a bench), despite most our team being without barry hitting jack shit. Don't want to sound like a dick, but y'all don't really scare anybody.....your backups couldn't hit the bright side of the barn during noon up.

[mystargtr34]

Is this guy being serious?

[Tmac&Luther]

Yep, your bench sucks ass......sorry, but it does.

[ChumpDumper]

You'd think the rocketfans would notice their own pattern after so many years.

[kobyz]

signing Mason is another mistake by Buford, Mason is like Bonner - both of them not belong to this level, Mason was an average player in Europe

[Buddy Holly]

Yep, your bench sucks ass......sorry, but it does.

Without Tim and Manu and only Parker playing 20 minutes (none in the second half) and the Spurs still nearly beat your Rockets who played Yao and Artest... :lol

And you can still hold your head up and talk shit about a preseason game? :lol

[mrspurs]

Yeah, like when he's on someone else's roster draining jumpers against our team.

Nah when hes on the other teams bench like what he's used to.

[Solid D]

and that's coming from a "homeboy" that just sat on yall's bench....just saying.

Truth of the matter is the rest of the league (the top tier of the west) doesn't give a crap about Manu...Houston just toyed with y'all's bench (y'all seriously have got to get a bench), despite most our team being without barry hitting jack shit. Don't want to sound like a dick, but y'all don't really scare anybody.....your backups couldn't hit the bright side of the barn during noon up.

Good thing Coach Rick called a timeout, with 6 minutes left, to stop the bleeding when the Spurs' JVs cut the lead down to 4.

That's the fun of it. If we win, nobody cares, and if we lose nobody cares.” - Coach Gregg

[I Love Me Some Me]

LOL @ Rocket fans premature ejaculation.

[BlackSwordsMan]

damn rockets blow they barely beat a bunch of 3rd and 4th stringers

[benefactor]

HOUSTON — Two quarters into his first preseason game in a Spurs uniform, Roger Mason Jr. felt a little lost.

It wasn't just that he was thinking too much.

“I was thinking about not trying to think too much,” Mason said.


Yeah...he looks like Hill did in the Summer League...like he is thinking too much.
:hat

[Flux451]

and that's coming from a "homeboy" that just sat on yall's bench....just saying.

Truth of the matter is the rest of the league (the top tier of the west) doesn't give a crap about Manu...Houston just toyed with y'all's bench (y'all seriously have got to get a bench), despite most our team being without barry hitting jack shit. Don't want to sound like a dick, but y'all don't really scare anybody.....your backups couldn't hit the bright side of the barn during noon up.

Wow, thats a great assumption, being that you had an allstar and soon to be allstar playing.
Plus, some of those cats won't even make the team. And yes they do give a crap about Manu, cuz he can work anyone. He is clutch, not like anyone on the Rockets...TMAC is overrated!!!!
He doesn't even know where to start at clutch time...the proof is in the past.
And as far as not scaring anyone...no one ever has been scared of the spurs as a team...they are underrated and still have 4 trophies since 99...what does the Rockets have with the current members of their team?????

[SenorSpur]

Popovich says if Stoudamire does indeed get back to practice next week, he would still have plenty of time to earn his spot.

“There are four or five games after these two, and another three weeks of practice,” Popovich said. “So he'll still have time to show us what he can do.”


:tu :tu

[ducks]

signing Mason is another mistake by Buford, Mason is like Bonner - both of them not belong to this level, Mason was an average player in Europe

you do realize last year he did play for wizzards
who are on the nba

[fyatuk]

you do realize last year he did play for wizzards
who are on the nba

Last 2 years for the wizards, and before that with toronto and chicago, though last year was by far his best year.

[benefactor]

Mason is gonna be fine. I think he knows we are depending on him while Manu is out and it got into his head a little last night. He should be pretty comfortable by opening day and playing instead of thinking about playing. I'm more concerned about how fast he picks up the system over his ability.

[Obstructed_View]

your backups couldn't hit the bright side of the barn during noon up.

Yet they played the Rockets starters even in the third quarter and outplayed rotation guys in the fourth to cut it to 4 points.

[HarlemHeat37]

he'll be fine..don't forget he was our #2 option in this game, which is something he won't be this year..when Duncan plays, it's a completely different game for our team..

Mason is a shooter..he's gonna have games where he doesn't play well..this is his 1st game in our system..let's give him time, before we overreact to a preseason game where our 2 of our 3 best players didn't even play..

[Obstructed_View]

The Rockets did a great job of covering the shooters in the first half, so the Spurs didn't get many good shots and consequently couldn't hit the few that they got. Having Duncan in the game suddenly opens a lot of that up.

[FromWayDowntown]

I guess the West's other teams got together and decided that there's just no reason to give a crap about one of the 15-20 best players in the game. That makes sense; you can worry all you want about Manu, but if he's healthy, there's not much that anyone's going to do to stop him from being a destructive force on the floor in some facet of the game. Why worry about what you can't change, I guess.

And *snicker* at evaluating a bench in a preseason game. *snicker* *snicker*

[bdictjames]

I see Mason as a ballhog. But it could very well be what we need.

[wisnub]

and that's coming from a "homeboy" that just sat on yall's bench....just saying.

Truth of the matter is the rest of the league (the top tier of the west) doesn't give a crap about Manu...Houston just toyed with y'all's bench (y'all seriously have got to get a bench), despite most our team being without barry hitting jack shit. Don't want to sound like a dick, but y'all don't really scare anybody.....your backups couldn't hit the bright side of the barn during noon up.

Are you serious?? I like Yao Ming, but I never seen him getting past 2nd round. "y all" thing is funny and before Rockets really beat up everybody then u can talk all you want..but its going to be another bullshit talk with no evidence. Rockets look solid but dont bullshit before any proven result being made...its entertaining though

[HarlemHeat37]

a Houston fan talking shit? LOL what has this world come to?..

even right now, when you look at team forums, the Spurs scare teams much more than the Rockets do..every team always likes avoiding us in the playoffs for obvious reasons..Manu is a highly respected player, for obvious reasons..

Houston's 2 best players can't even stay healthy for the majority of the season..neither has ever gotten past the 1st round..Houston has a lot to prove..I wouldn't be talking after beating a team with no Duncan, Ginobili, Bowen, Finley or Thomas..

[wisnub]

He said he was becoming more comfortable and then score 4 points. Then his presence WLL NOT make a difference...it takes some time to adjust with Spurs. HOW LONG FOOL...HOW LONG.....we just have to rely on familiar faces to win then...these newbies are unreliable, I wish Gist and Splitter were here. At least Im hoping Ian will play bettter than these bench guys

[xtremesteven33]

He said he was becoming more comfortable and then score 4 points. Then his presence WLL NOT make a difference...it takes some time to adjust with Spurs. HOW LONG FOOL...HOW LONG.....we just have to rely on familiar faces to win then...these newbies are unreliable, I wish Gist and Splitter were here. At least Im hoping Ian will play bettter than these bench guys


:rolleyes