duncan228
02-09-2009, 11:38 PM
Mason develops into Mr. Big Shot (http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/spurs/Mason_develops_into_Mr_Big_Shot.html)
Jeff McDonald
NEW YORK — When the Spurs made a free-agent run at guard Roger Mason Jr. during the summer, they did so based on one number.
“We knew he shot 40 percent from three,” coach Gregg Popovich said.
Dead-eyed from 3-point range. That was Mason's most obvious NBA skill.
What the Spurs could not have known then, what could not be quantified and what has rapidly become his most valuable skill, is Mason's knack for the dramatic.
How do you put a number on a player's unwillingness to bend to pressure? How do you measure, at a glance, the amount of ice water coursing through a player's veins?
Four times this season, Mason has lined up with a game on the line. Four times, he has swished the kind of clutch shot that would have impressed Robert Horry, one of the NBA's all-time masters of such theatrics.
Mason's latest star turn as Big Shot Rog came Sunday in Boston, when his leaning, off-balance 3-pointer with 20.4 seconds left provided the go-ahead points in the Spurs' upset of the defending champion Celtics.
“I live for those moments,” Mason said afterward. “I look forward to end-of-the-game situations.”
Mason's most recent big shot gave the Spurs a signature victory on their rodeo road trip, which rolls on to New Jersey tonight.
Compared with the rest of his expanding catalogue of last-minute daggers, the one Mason unleashed in Boston almost doesn't count as clutch.
Each of his previous three game-winners — 3-pointers to beat the Clippers and Phoenix, and a traditional 3-point play to beat the Lakers — came with less time on the clock. His Christmas Day miracle against the Suns, in fact, came as the final horn sounded.
Next to that, the 20 seconds remaining in Boston felt like an eternity.
The Spurs, of course, did not know Mason had this in him. Nobody did.
Toiling in Washington the past two seasons, Mason didn't get much of a chance to flash his proclivity for late-game heroics. Not with Gilbert Arenas around.
“Gilbert wouldn't let me take that shot with him on the floor,” said Mason, a career 39.8-percent shooter from 3-point range. “And when he was gone, Caron Butler wouldn't let me take that shot.”
The Spurs have no qualms with letting Mason fire away. It's what he is paid to do.
Mason began the season the way many newcomers to the Spurs' system have in the past. He tiptoed around the stars, deferring to Tony Parker and Tim Duncan and later Manu Ginobili, patiently feeling his way around the offense.
Early on, Popovich did much to try and coax up Mason's confidence and comfort level. The first such move came Nov. 17 against the Clippers at Staples Center.
The Clippers had rallied from an 11-point deficit to tie the game at 83 heading into the final minute. In a timeout huddle, Popovich drew up a play that freed Mason for a 3-point attempt from the top of the key.
Mason nailed it, penning the prologue for the storyline that would define his season so far.
Other memorable shots would follow. Eventually, Mason revealed a shooter's confidence and a shooter's short-term memory.
Whether he's playing well or playing poorly, Mason seems to become automatic when the game clock creeps under a minute.
The winner he tossed up against the Celtics? Mason was 2 of 8 from the field at the time he released it.
“He feels confident he's got the green light,” Popovich said. “Once in a while, there might be a shot that looks like an invention or an experiment. For the most part, we want him to feel free to do that.”
The game-winner at Boston was one of those experiments.
With the Celtics ahead by one, Kevin Garnett had missed a jumper at the other end. Mason snagged the rebound and maneuvered upcourt, pausing only to wait on a screen from Tim Duncan.
There was no timeout called. No play designed. Mason simply pulled up for a fast-break 3-pointer that gave the Spurs their biggest victory of the season.
“We trust him with those shots,” Manu Ginobili said. “He's very confident.”
If the Spurs didn't know that before they signed Mason, they do now.
BETTER LATE THAN NEVER
Just four months into his career with the Spurs, guard Roger Mason Jr. has flashed quite a flair for the dramatic. He has made four game-winning baskets for the Spurs, most recently Sunday afternoon at Boston. Here is a look at Mason’s greatest 11th-hour hits:
Nov. 17 @L.A. Clippers: Spurs, shorthanded with Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker out, are tied at 83 with the lowly Clips. Mason sinks top-of-the-arc 3-pointer with 8.4 seconds left for the final tally. Spurs 86, Clippers 83
Dec. 25 @Phoenix: Mason provides a Christmas Day miracle, knocking down a corner 3-pointer as time expires to rescue victory from clutches of defeat. Spurs 91, Suns 90
Jan. 14 vs. L.A. Lakers: With Spurs in danger of blowing game against Western Conference nemesis, Mason gets three points the hard way. He buries a 20-footer with 10.4 seconds left, drawing a foul on Derek Fisher in the process. The ensuing free throw provides the winning point. Spurs 112, Lakers 111
Feb. 9 @Boston: With Spurs down by one, Mason grabs a defensive rebound and takes off, firing up an off-balance 3-pointer for the go-ahead basket. Spurs hang on down the stretch with free throws. Spurs 105, Celtics 99
Jeff McDonald
NEW YORK — When the Spurs made a free-agent run at guard Roger Mason Jr. during the summer, they did so based on one number.
“We knew he shot 40 percent from three,” coach Gregg Popovich said.
Dead-eyed from 3-point range. That was Mason's most obvious NBA skill.
What the Spurs could not have known then, what could not be quantified and what has rapidly become his most valuable skill, is Mason's knack for the dramatic.
How do you put a number on a player's unwillingness to bend to pressure? How do you measure, at a glance, the amount of ice water coursing through a player's veins?
Four times this season, Mason has lined up with a game on the line. Four times, he has swished the kind of clutch shot that would have impressed Robert Horry, one of the NBA's all-time masters of such theatrics.
Mason's latest star turn as Big Shot Rog came Sunday in Boston, when his leaning, off-balance 3-pointer with 20.4 seconds left provided the go-ahead points in the Spurs' upset of the defending champion Celtics.
“I live for those moments,” Mason said afterward. “I look forward to end-of-the-game situations.”
Mason's most recent big shot gave the Spurs a signature victory on their rodeo road trip, which rolls on to New Jersey tonight.
Compared with the rest of his expanding catalogue of last-minute daggers, the one Mason unleashed in Boston almost doesn't count as clutch.
Each of his previous three game-winners — 3-pointers to beat the Clippers and Phoenix, and a traditional 3-point play to beat the Lakers — came with less time on the clock. His Christmas Day miracle against the Suns, in fact, came as the final horn sounded.
Next to that, the 20 seconds remaining in Boston felt like an eternity.
The Spurs, of course, did not know Mason had this in him. Nobody did.
Toiling in Washington the past two seasons, Mason didn't get much of a chance to flash his proclivity for late-game heroics. Not with Gilbert Arenas around.
“Gilbert wouldn't let me take that shot with him on the floor,” said Mason, a career 39.8-percent shooter from 3-point range. “And when he was gone, Caron Butler wouldn't let me take that shot.”
The Spurs have no qualms with letting Mason fire away. It's what he is paid to do.
Mason began the season the way many newcomers to the Spurs' system have in the past. He tiptoed around the stars, deferring to Tony Parker and Tim Duncan and later Manu Ginobili, patiently feeling his way around the offense.
Early on, Popovich did much to try and coax up Mason's confidence and comfort level. The first such move came Nov. 17 against the Clippers at Staples Center.
The Clippers had rallied from an 11-point deficit to tie the game at 83 heading into the final minute. In a timeout huddle, Popovich drew up a play that freed Mason for a 3-point attempt from the top of the key.
Mason nailed it, penning the prologue for the storyline that would define his season so far.
Other memorable shots would follow. Eventually, Mason revealed a shooter's confidence and a shooter's short-term memory.
Whether he's playing well or playing poorly, Mason seems to become automatic when the game clock creeps under a minute.
The winner he tossed up against the Celtics? Mason was 2 of 8 from the field at the time he released it.
“He feels confident he's got the green light,” Popovich said. “Once in a while, there might be a shot that looks like an invention or an experiment. For the most part, we want him to feel free to do that.”
The game-winner at Boston was one of those experiments.
With the Celtics ahead by one, Kevin Garnett had missed a jumper at the other end. Mason snagged the rebound and maneuvered upcourt, pausing only to wait on a screen from Tim Duncan.
There was no timeout called. No play designed. Mason simply pulled up for a fast-break 3-pointer that gave the Spurs their biggest victory of the season.
“We trust him with those shots,” Manu Ginobili said. “He's very confident.”
If the Spurs didn't know that before they signed Mason, they do now.
BETTER LATE THAN NEVER
Just four months into his career with the Spurs, guard Roger Mason Jr. has flashed quite a flair for the dramatic. He has made four game-winning baskets for the Spurs, most recently Sunday afternoon at Boston. Here is a look at Mason’s greatest 11th-hour hits:
Nov. 17 @L.A. Clippers: Spurs, shorthanded with Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker out, are tied at 83 with the lowly Clips. Mason sinks top-of-the-arc 3-pointer with 8.4 seconds left for the final tally. Spurs 86, Clippers 83
Dec. 25 @Phoenix: Mason provides a Christmas Day miracle, knocking down a corner 3-pointer as time expires to rescue victory from clutches of defeat. Spurs 91, Suns 90
Jan. 14 vs. L.A. Lakers: With Spurs in danger of blowing game against Western Conference nemesis, Mason gets three points the hard way. He buries a 20-footer with 10.4 seconds left, drawing a foul on Derek Fisher in the process. The ensuing free throw provides the winning point. Spurs 112, Lakers 111
Feb. 9 @Boston: With Spurs down by one, Mason grabs a defensive rebound and takes off, firing up an off-balance 3-pointer for the go-ahead basket. Spurs hang on down the stretch with free throws. Spurs 105, Celtics 99