Mason Jr slump

[Spurs Brazil]

Another 0pt game

Is he just adjusting to his bench role and in a mini slump or we need to start worrying about Hedo - Part 2?

[Mugen]

pop murdered him.

[Bulwark]

Adjusting. But it's hard to adjust not knowing what you have to adjust to with the rotation being in flux and all.

Was Hedo coming off the bench?

[VI_Massive]

Another 0pt game

Is he just adjusting to his bench role and in a mini slump or we need to start worrying about Hedo - Part 2?

I agree with what some others here have said -- Mason and Finley are kind of the same player, especially of late when Mason has taken the habit of playing "ghost" games like Finley. It seems like every night we're going to have one of them contributing while the other disappears.

[lefty]

WGAF

Mason will make clutch shots for us in the playoffs

[EricB]

He's not being agressive.

I think he only took two shots.

If he can't adjust, then he wasn't the clutch player we thought he was then.

[Spurs Brazil]

Adjusting. But it's hard to adjust not knowing what you have to adjust to with the rotation being in flux and all.

Was Hedo coming off the bench?

Hedo was a starter

[Spursmania]

I don't know. But confidence is a huge issue here. It's worrisome.

[EricB]

Adjusting. But it's hard to adjust not knowing what you have to adjust to with the rotation being in flux and all.

Was Hedo coming off the bench?

Hedo came off the bench and was pathetic.


With Hedo he had to have his hand held.

With Mason its "pop's fault"

Go figure.

[Spurs Brazil]

Last Three Games before tonight
Date Opponent Result MIN FGM-A 3PM-A FTM-A OFF DEF REB AST STL BLK TO PF PTS
Mar 31 vs. OKC L 95 - 96 29 3 - 10 1 - 6 3 - 3 0 2 2 2 1 0 2 1 10
Mar 29 @ NOH L 86 - 90 23 0 - 4 0 - 2 0 - 0 0 4 4 1 0 0 0 1 0
Mar 27 vs. LAC W 111 - 98 27 3 - 9 1 - 6 1 - 1 1 7 8 6 1 0 0 1 8

[Mal]

Mason is going to be another players, who have his games and simply shoted out (can I tell shot out , as being out of ammo ? :) )

[Capt Bringdown]

Only 2 shots. Clutch performer sent to the bench, I'd say this one's mostly on Pop.

[EricB]

Only 2 shots. Clutch performer sent to the bench, I'd say this one's mostly on Pop.


So Pop told him "take only two shots, become really passive"?

Interesting.

[Spurs Brazil]

Only 2 shots. Clutch performer sent to the bench, I'd say this one's mostly on Pop.

It all started when he started playing backup PG

[SPURS vs NBA media]

come Sunday he will be the difference

[Bulwark]

Hedo came off the bench and was pathetic.


With Hedo he had to have his hand held.

With Mason its "pop's fault"

Go figure.

I'll figure Pop knows more about coaching and coaching the Spurs players than I do. Amazing how quick we've thrown him overboard here.

[jag]

So Pop told him "take only two shots, become really passive"?

Interesting.

I think he had a difficult time defining his role on the team once Pop stuck him at PG. He had to figure out when to become a shooter and when to become a distributor.

The guy is not a distributor and playmaker....he's a f'n shooter, a spot up shooter, at that. Having a varying role, after he had already found his niche, has f'd with his head.

[SenorSpur]

We've already seen that Mason is most effective when he starts the game. He's even more effective when he doesn't have to be saddled with the backup PG responsibilities. A position he's simply not good for. Yet Pop continues to jack around with him. Much in the same way he's jacked around Hill. Is it any wonder their performances have been adversely affected by all this upheaval?

[Chomag]

Mason's slump is all mental and not physical with him. Pop has seriously messed this guys head up.

[urunobili]

:pop:

[Borosai]

Set the rotation + clearly define roles = CHAMPIONSHIP!



Well, maybe not, but that's what they need now: health and, of course, consistency in rotations, playing time, expectations, and performance. And where the hell is the defense?

[Capt Bringdown]

Mason was doing very well in his role as a shooter/scorer earlier in the season.
Then Pop decided to use him as a PG, and we know the rest of the story.

Seems to me Mason exceeded expectations until Pop started this experiment. And I don't recall Hedo winning games for us with clutch shooting, so I don't think the comparison is very apt.

[manu_maniac]

0/2

I agree, Mason has been more effective as a starter, and Manu is always Manu, regardless, so I don't know why Pop switched them, but it was a win.

The PG Mason experiment has also been a bad idea.

[Hemotivo]

we need to start worrying about Hedo - Part 2?

:(

[WalterBenitez]

So Pop told him "take only two shots, become really passive"?

Interesting.

Nop, POP told him to take as many shots as balls you have :wakeup

[SenorSpur]

Pop has successfully turned this guy's strength into a weakness.

[poop]

steroids are the answer to this problem.

[holcs50]

Well mason playing worse of late is a bunch of things.
1. He has never been a quick player-as in he can't drive to the hoop effectively-so he becomes one dimensional because D's can always play his shot
2. Pop has been awful this year finding effective rotations ( You all remember when TP and Gino were out and Hill and Mase got 20-30 minutes each and clearly knew what their roles were-mase starting at 2 and hill starting as 1). When roles are defined night in and out players feel more comfortable and play better. Hill was an early contender for rook of year-he was averaging double dig, getting assists and playing great....and Mason was avg. high teens and draining. Now after pop has tried so many diff positions/lineups/ and minutes for these two guys-they are lost.
3. Confidence is down (see above).
4. He is a good shooter but he's not and never will be an all star caliber player that maybe some of you expected after he played so well early this year. I still strongly believe we should have given up mason and hill (if we needed) to get Vince Carter-but that's past so whatever.

[Baseline]

Pop is a serial confidence killer.

Mason is yet another victim.

[TDMVPDPOY]

exposed

[Russ]

He only took two shots. He went 0 for 2. Big deal.

Please don't compare a clutch shooter like Mason to Hedo.:(

[EricB]

I think he had a difficult time defining his role on the team once Pop stuck him at PG. He had to figure out when to become a shooter and when to become a distributor.

The guy is not a distributor and playmaker....he's a f'n shooter, a spot up shooter, at that. Having a varying role, after he had already found his niche, has f'd with his head.


Amazing how he played just fine earlier in the year when he was a PG.


This is a BS excuse.

[EricB]

Pop has successfully turned this guy's strength into a weakness.


bullshit.

He's become passive and scared. Pop didn't tell him to all of a sudden to freaking stop shooting.

[EricB]

He only took two shots. He went 0 for 2. Big deal.

Please don't compare a clutch shooter like Mason to Hedo.:(


While I agree, his passiveness and reluctance to all of a sudden shoot is maddening.

[xtremesteven33]

Yall are crazy..

Good players dont let this stuff get in their head like that..its not a mental thing, its a physical thing. Hes not comfortable playing the PG and its obvious.

[hater]

he hates Manu

[rayray2k8]

Mason is doing a nice disappearing job.
Useless.
Bankrupt Mason is more like it now.

[spursfan1000]

I havent watched the last couple Spurs games, but it seems as if he is doing bad. Hopefully he can get it together before playoffs start. Go Spurs Go!

[Spursmania]

:pop:

[SouthTexasRancher]

Another 0pt game

Is he just adjusting to his bench role and in a mini slump or we need to start worrying about Hedo - Part 2?


Pop screwed with his head and once again another good player will soon find another team like the looooooooooooooooonnnggg string of ex players that now enjoy kicking our ass. Pop is losing it. He ain't what he used to be.

[Ice009]

pop murdered him.

He was playing like crap before the move to PG.

His slump started before the All Star game. I think it could be just the fact that teams have adjusted to him and starting paying more attention to him.

The pressure has gone up too so he may be getting rattled a little bit.

[timvp]

While I agree, his passiveness and reluctance to all of a sudden shoot is maddening.

I'm not sure which game you watched but I didn't see Mason pass up many shots. The closest I can remember was when he passed to an even more open Parker in the corner.

Mason just wasn't very involved in this game. The Pacers trapped him a couple times when he was at point guard and they were mostly rotating off of the bigs while he was out there.

[Ice009]

So Pop told him "take only two shots, become really passive"?

Interesting.

I agree with T-Park here.

[timvp]

He was playing like crap before the move to PG.

His slump started before the All Star game.You keep saying this and I keep pointing out it's not true.

In the seven games before becoming the backup point guard, Mason was averaging 12.7 points per game on 43% shooting. I don't see how that is "playing like crap" or a "slump".

[Ice009]

bullshit.

He's become passive and scared. Pop didn't tell him to all of a sudden to freaking stop shooting.

I agree again. I love Stephen Jackson and I like players like Sjax who have confidence in their shot and are fazed by the pressure.

Mason Jr I think is feeling the pressure and it's letting him affect him.

It's money time.

[Austin_Toros]

Shouldn't this slump be an excuse to play Bowen?

[Ice009]

You keep saying this and I keep pointing out it's not true.

In the seven games before becoming the backup point guard, Mason was averaging 12.7 points per game on 43% shooting. I don't see how that is "playing like crap" or a "slump".

When did you point out it's not true. If you did say that too me I guess I didn't read your reply to one of my previous posts.

I just remember games like Boston and New York on the RRT that Mason started playing worse at around that point. I know he had the great game against the Wizards, but I don't recall any other good games on the trip. I was starting to get worried about his defense at that point too cause it was really dropping and he was also missing shots. I haven't really been happy with his defense since then either.

Was he playing PG then? I'm pretty sure Hill was the back up PG at that stage.

[Ice009]

You keep saying this and I keep pointing out it's not true.

In the seven games before becoming the backup point guard, Mason was averaging 12.7 points per game on 43% shooting. I don't see how that is "playing like crap" or a "slump".

Also, offensive numbers don't tell the whole story. I think that's when I really started getting on Mason about his defense at that point cause it was worse than earlier in the reason.

Defense is the other half of the game, so yes I can say he was "playing like crap" since then.

[Ice009]

You keep saying this and I keep pointing out it's not true.

In the seven games before becoming the backup point guard, Mason was averaging 12.7 points per game on 43% shooting. I don't see how that is "playing like crap" or a "slump".

When was the game that he moved to back up PG?

[onarollbaby]

He played like shit out there.. Is he lost or something?

[Ice009]

Well Timvp. You got any replies to my questions?

[lefty]

During the 1st half of the season, he had a killer jump shot.

Now it's more like a slump shlot

[HarlemHeat37]

I'm not worried about Mason..

he's a streak shooter, so we have to get used to the good and the bad..

the problem is that a lot of people don't see him for what he is..HE'S A SHOOTER..that's it..he can't dribble, he can't create off the dribble, doesn't create for his teammates, doesn't slash..he's a SHOOTER..

his confidence is NOT an issue..if there's something I've learned about Roger, it's that he has a lot of balls..confidence isn't an issue for him..he doesn't pass up shots, he's shown he plays for the big moments..

Pop just needs to adjust his role..

Mason is best coming off screens..we need to have him coming off screens WITHOUT the ball..those are his best plays..he should handle the ball at times, but only to come off screens..his ONLY role should be to shoot off screens, or take open shots..

[SenorSpur]

bullshit.

He's become passive and scared. Pop didn't tell him to all of a sudden to freaking stop shooting.

Bullshit! He's a shooter not a damn ball handler and setup man. He's got no business playing backup PG. It's simple. Pop needs to let the guy do what he does best. Stop trying to turn him into something that he's not.

Same shit with Hill. He functioned fine as Tony's primary backup. Now Pop's stripped him of his PG duties and benched him in favor of Vaughn. If Pop's not happy with Hill running the backup PG spot, Pop should've drafted Chalmers.

[EricB]

I'm not sure which game you watched but I didn't see Mason pass up many shots. The closest I can remember was when he passed to an even more open Parker in the corner.

Mason just wasn't very involved in this game. The Pacers trapped him a couple times when he was at point guard and they were mostly rotating off of the bigs while he was out there.

I've watched the last few.

He's become passive and very Brent Barry on the perimiter.

[EricB]

Bullshit! He's a shooter not a damn ball handler and setup man. He's got no business playing backup PG. It's simple. Pop needs to let the guy do what he does best. Stop trying to turn him into something that he's not.

Same shit with Hill. He functioned fine as Tony's primary backup. Now Pop's stripped him of his PG duties and benched him in favor of Vaughn. If Pop's not happy with Hill running the backup PG spot, Pop should've drafted Chalmers.


Amazing how Mason played that backup point fine in the begining of the year and no one bitched.


He's become passive. get a clue.

[SenorSpur]

Amazing how Mason played that backup point fine in the begining of the year and no one bitched.


He's become passive. get a clue.

You should get your eyes fixed. Then perhaps you'd find your own clue. You're the only one here that believes the Mason backup PG experiment has been a success. :lol

[xtremesteven33]

Amazing how Mason played that backup point fine in the begining of the year and no one bitched.


He's become passive. get a clue.



are u serious??

:td

[MaNu4Tres]

I have to agree with EricB on this one for once.

The reason for Mason's struggles has more to do with the opposing teams having him scouted and trapping or hedging his pick and roll opportunities. NOT because of this " Pop is messing with his head" crap. That's a bullshit excuse. The guy is 28 years old not a 15 year old freshmen.

In the beginning of the year teams would be lackadaisical defensively on the pick and rolls for Mason and they would go under the screen (giving Mason 10 feet to shoot). It's a different story now. It's not Pop. It's Mason's skill set. Hate to break it to you some of you Spur fans but Mason overachieved the first half of the year because of this very reason. When in reality he brings just as much as Finley and nothing really more. That's why I don't understand how some of you dog Finley but not Mason from time to time.

I don't mind Mason bringing the ball up the floor. But I do mind Mason getting pick and rolls called for him because it has become a waste of 10 seconds off the shot clock, as teams have him scouted and know he can't be effective penetrating so they play the shot. If he's going to be back up pg he should just bring up the ball and let Manu be the creator with the pick and rolls.

[ElNono]

Amazing how Mason played that backup point fine in the begining of the year and no one bitched.

He's become passive. get a clue.

You sure you weren't watching Wizards games from last year?...
Mason got the backup PG spot around the All Star break... and it's been painful ever since...

[MaNu4Tres]

You sure you weren't watching Wizards games from last year?...
Mason got the backup PG spot around the All Star break... and it's been painful ever since...

Mason actually did well in the beginning of the year being back up pg. That is because teams didn't really have him scouted. Read my post above.

[ElNono]

I should add that there's probably nothing wrong with Mason, as far as offense go. He's just a little more passive since Manu came back and took the new role of coming from the bench. It takes some time to adapt and find your role. That's why I said I wish Pop would settle on a rotation, so everyone can get on the same page.

[ElNono]

Mason actually did well in the beginning of the year being back up pg. That is because teams didn't really have him scouted. Read my post above.

I agree with your post. Teams just figured they have to make him a driver, and a little pressure can make him turn the ball over. What he did early in the year is no consolation though. Right now, teams have figured him out and the experiment of him playing PG has indeed failed.

[MaNu4Tres]

I agree with your post. Teams just figured they have to make him a driver, and a little pressure can make him turn the ball over. What he did early in the year is no consolation though. Right now, teams have figured him out and the experiment of him playing PG has indeed failed.

I hate to break it to you but pretty much a big portion of his scoring the first half of the year came from the pick and rolls. What do you define playing pg? do you define it as bringing the ball up the court? Or do you define it as being the creator and the ball handler on pick and rolls?

The only reason I'd want Mason as back up pg is to just solely bring the ball up the floor, which would give us 3 damn good shooters on the perimeter and more spacing. The only situation I'd want Mason to bring the ball up the floor is if Manu is on the floor with him. With Manu being responsible for being the creator on all the pick and rolls called. ( this is when Parker is out). This is the only situation where I think Mason can be " back up pg". But when he's bringing the ball up, and the two other wings aren't creators, then yeah I think it's working against us having Mason as back pg because he would be responsible for being the creator. And since hes been scouted and is inferior at creating. It works to our disadvantage.

[Ice009]

I have to agree with EricB on this one for once.

The reason for Mason's struggles has more to do with the opposing teams having him scouted and trapping or hedging his pick and roll opportunities. NOT because of this " Pop is messing with his head" crap. That's a bullshit excuse. The guy is 28 years old not a 15 year old freshmen.

In the beginning of the year teams would be lackadaisical defensively on the pick and rolls for Mason and they would go under the screen (giving Mason 10 feet to shoot). It's a different story now. It's not Pop. It's Mason's skill set. Hate to break it to you some of you Spur fans but Mason overachieved the first half of the year because of this very reason. When in reality he brings just as much as Finley and nothing really more. That's why I don't understand how some of you dog Finley but not Mason from time to time.

I don't mind Mason bringing the ball up the floor. But I do mind Mason getting pick and rolls called for him because it has become a waste of 10 seconds off the shot clock, as teams have him scouted and know he can't be effective penetrating so they play the shot. If he's going to be back up pg he should just bring up the ball and let Manu be the creator with the pick and rolls.

I've been treating Mason almost the same way as Finley since his defense was not at a very good level just before the All Star game. For me it was the dip is Roger's defense that caused me to start criticizing him then his offensive drop and poor play at back up PG. I still think Roger can turn it around this season.

Also, I'm going to have to disagree with SenorSpur. Why do you think Pop gave him the back up PG position?????? It certainly can't be based off of his play of late, it's got to be because of how he played back up PG earlier in the year. Pop had to have based it off of that so I'd say T-Park is somewhat right.

[ElNono]

I hate to break it to you but pretty much a big portion of his scoring the first half of the year came from the pick and rolls. What do you define playing pg? do you define it as bringing the ball up the court? Or do you define it as being the creator and the ball handler on pick and rolls?

Playing PG is more than just bring the ball up court. Specially when TP sits and Manu is unavailable. We don't just play pick and roll. Sure, most of his scoring came from that early on, but once teams stopped sagging on him, the whole pick and roll thing didn't work out anymore for him.


The only reason I'd want Mason as back up pg is to just solely bring the ball up the floor, which would give us 3 damn good shooters on the perimeter and more spacing. The only situation I'd want Mason to bring the ball up the floor is if Manu is on the floor with him. With Manu being responsible for being the creator on all the pick and rolls called. ( this is when Parker is out). This is the only situation where I think Mason can be " back up pg". But when he's bringing the ball up, and the two other wings aren't creators, then yeah I think it's working against us having Mason as back pg because he would be responsible for being the creator. And since hes been scouted and is inferior at creating. It works to our disadvantage.

But if you have Manu on the floor with him, then let Manu play backup PG. He already has better ball handling skills and can play the role better being he's a creator also. Basically, let Mason be Mason, and Manu be Manu.

[ElNono]

Also, I'm going to have to disagree with SenorSpur. Why do you think Pop gave him the back up PG position?????? It certainly can't be based off of his play of late, it's got to be because of how he played back up PG earlier in the year. Pop had to have based it off of that so I'd say T-Park is somewhat right.

Because he played that position with the Wizards last season when Arenas went down, and he did a fairly good job then. Then again, that was the Wizards in the East. This is the Spurs in the West.

[SenorSpur]

It's clear that the dude has lost confidence, which has most definitely affected his shooting. Still if there's no way anyone can deny that the additional backup PG duties have helped his situation. He's been getting trapped all over the court. Teams are forcing him off the arc and into doing things he doesn't do well. I just don't believe he needs any additional responsibilities, other than shooting, at this point.

[LaMarcus Bryant]

Mason is finished. Not that it is his fault, but he is finished. At least Hedo could grab a few rebounds, but he will be an even bigger liability come playoff time.

[HarlemHeat37]

it would be sad if Mason doesn't perform well in the playoffs, and Hill doesn't even get the opportunity..obviously I want both to perform well regardless of the situation, but it sucks even more knowing that we could have potentially acquired Carter for them..so Pop better use their strengths when we need them..

[MaNu4Tres]

I wish we had traded for Carter.

[024]

he hasn't been the same since he lost the 3pt shooting contest.