Stop the Roger Mason Hating

[spurspokesman]

Despite the egg he laid this postseason I am all for keeping this guy. He was thrown into A situation that he's just not cut for. He was mishandled along with Hill. His game is to spot up and knock down shots. (Something he did even with A hand in his face most of the time. He enticed us with his play in Washington. A team that has the ability to get him open looks i.e Nick young. Butler, Jamison with there drive and kick ability. This team has that with gino but washington has A wealth of it, thus meaning defenders could babysit Rog and he's used to coming off screens and spotting up when the defense collapses on the post or slashers(Who can make the post collapse and make A great pass on this team accept tim. Tony parker has the ability but he is A score first guard. His style of play helps and hurts you at the same time. He is not the greatest passer neither. He is A beast and the fastest guard in the league but he does not create offense for others like chris paul and J. kidd. Though they don't score like parker they make average players and scrubs like udoka and bonner look good ( Like dampier and Hollis. He would make Drew gooden an all star if these players are looking good. Parker though great(and future hof er)doesn't have this Dimension and it hurts players like Rog. If he played alongside A paul or kidd, billups he'd be even better. (See denver after arrival of billups.)This guy has did well in A offensive system not rigged for him. Give em A break. He'll find his way in our system.

[fyatuk]

The biggest problems with Roger Mason are that he's mediocre on defense on a good day, and that when he has the ball in his hand, he's looking to come off a screen and jack up a long jump shot like 70% of the time.

If he goes through a Bruce Bowen workshop (not saying become a Bruce, just needs to improve there) during the offseason and doesn't run the point next season, he's a nice fit. He needs to be strictly a wing.

[to21]

Not to worry he's on a long list of other folks that didn't perform in the post season.

[spurspokesman]

The biggest problems with Roger Mason are that he's mediocre on defense on a good day, and that when he has the ball in his hand, he's looking to come off a screen and jack up a long jump shot like 70% of the time.

If he goes through a Bruce Bowen workshop (not saying become a Bruce, just needs to improve there) during the offseason and doesn't run the point next season, he's a nice fit. He needs to be strictly a wing.

I see you get my point. He's A wing that shoots lights out. I agree with you on his D but i'm sure he'll pick it up. Besides that he's A keeper. No point guard duties though:lol

[kobyz]

Mason is not NBA level

[mexicanjunior]

We should have signed Petrius...Mason is a one dimensional player that is useless if he isn't spoon fed wide open 3's...

[anonoftheinternets]

if he improves his D, he is defintely a keeper.

[blackfire12]

I dont hate Mason but he really does need better D and be kept out of the PG position

[TDomination]

Improve defense and stay away from the pg and he should be fine.

[spurtech09]

we all know mason can hit big shots.....thats what he is a jump shooter.....so yeah he didn't play that well in the play-offs....he did have a good game in game 2.....I don't think it was all mason that didn't perform well there were other players on the spurs roster that didn't bring there A game...So to me the reason mason didn't perform well is that pop was trying to make mason a back up pg that it kinda messed up his rhythm......

[xtremesteven33]

Mason deserves one more year.

He needs to play with Manu more and im sure if the Big 3 are healthy he will find more open shots and knock them down....

[baseline bum]

Pop royally screwed up putting Roger at the point, but he's still gotta hit open shots. It's not a good sign that his shooting could be thrown off so easily, and you have to wonder whether he's another Hedo.

[SA210]

Mason deserves one more year.

He needs to play with Manu more and im sure if the Big 3 are healthy he will find more open shots and knock them down....

Yea, I blame Pop for what happened to Mason. Did you see this guy, when this guys in a groove, I trust him to launch that killer 3. Dude's got a stroke. Just keep him away from pg duties, and YES play him with Manu and we're good.

And get better on D.

[z0sa]

no hate. Pop played him at PG, essentially the opposite of what he's good at, and it completely threw him off his roll.

Now that Pop has seen Hill is the obvious backup PG, Mason should return to his normal position as wing shooter.

[Yuixafun]

Mason deserves one more year.

He needs to play with Manu more and im sure if the Big 3 are healthy he will find more open shots and knock them down....

Yea that.

RMJ is a role player, as is Matt Bonner. Expecting way too much from them. Knights can't move like Queens.

They just need to focus on some defined roles and put all their energy into fulfilling that aspect of their games.

[SouthTexasRancher]

Mason has proven himself to be weak mentally and emotionally. Yes Pop takes some blame for messing with him but, nothing your average NBA player couldn't handle. Hell in Magic's 1st season Kareem went out in the playoffs and Magic was forced to play center and the Lakers won the championship. Mason totally disappeared in the playoffs just like Bonner, Udoka among others. I have lost pretty much all confidence in the extremely one dimensional Mason. He canNOT drive to the basket. He canNOT play defense. And he freezes under pressure. He is NOT Spurs material. Send him and Bonner to Timbuktu for several tractor-trailer loads of African sand to put on our over-passes when it snows this summer in South Texas. And if they won't trade us any sand them stick Mason on the bench at the #8 or #9 spot. But, he is NO starter!!!

[peacemaker885]

Mason has proven himself to be weak mentally and emotionally. Yes Pop takes some blame for messing with him but, nothing your average NBA player couldn't handle. Hell in Magic's 1st season Kareem went out in the playoffs and Magic was forced to play center and the Lakers won the championship. Mason totally disappeared in the playoffs just like Bonner, Udoka among others. I have lost pretty much all confidence in the extremely one dimensional Mason. He canNOT drive to the basket. He canNOT play defense. And he freezes under pressure. He is NOT Spurs material. Send him and Bonner to Timbuktu for several tractor-trailer loads of African sand to put on our over-passes when it snows this summer in South Texas. And if they won't trade us any sand them stick Mason on the bench at the #8 or #9 spot. But, he is NO starter!!!

Inasmutch as I like Roger, I have to agree with you. George Hill is the perfect subject: played first half of the year, spot minutes second half, to 0 in the last few games and into the post season till game 4 and 5. He handled it beautifully.

[holcs50]

Sorry not buying it. So for half your argument you pretty much focus on parker and his weakness and make that as an excuse to why mason bombed....Nice. Parker gets plenty of shots for people , maybe not cp3 level, but plenty. Parker shouldn't even be brought up when focusing on MASON. Like others have said, he's completely one dimensional, all teams have to do is play close to his body, go over screens, and he's nothing-and yea his foot speed is majorly lacking leading to holes in the D. The only way I'd want him back is a bench player who get 15-20 mins at most. He's a shooter that counts on others to get him the ball, he can't create himself.

The way I see it as he is our most valuable expiring contract for next year and if we want to make a trade to upgrade to a player that REALLY will help us and play consistently well mason will have to be included in the deal. We need to package him, and some of the other expiring contracts to hopefully find a team that wants a lot of free space for next year. Spurs really can't wait till next year because team are passing them by talent wise and they need to take advantage of TDs few years left. Sorry mase just comes down to needing someone who is multi-dimensional and more athletic.

[Fingaroll44]

Mason has proven himself to be weak mentally and emotionally. Yes Pop takes some blame for messing with him but, nothing your average NBA player couldn't handle. Hell in Magic's 1st season Kareem went out in the playoffs and Magic was forced to play center and the Lakers won the championship. Mason totally disappeared in the playoffs just like Bonner, Udoka among others. I have lost pretty much all confidence in the extremely one dimensional Mason. He canNOT drive to the basket. He canNOT play defense. And he freezes under pressure. He is NOT Spurs material. Send him and Bonner to Timbuktu for several tractor-trailer loads of African sand to put on our over-passes when it snows this summer in South Texas. And if they won't trade us any sand them stick Mason on the bench at the #8 or #9 spot. But, he is NO starter!!!

No you didn't compare Magic Johnson to Roger Mason lol...c'mon...to me Magic is in the top 3 all time SIMPLY FOR THE FACT he can play all 5 positions...remember how bad Horry was in his 1st playoffs w/ the Spurs?...Finley too...i think Mason's confidence was definitely thrown off by Pops rotation or whatever but the point is...I have to give him another year...

[crc21209]

Agree on this topic. Mason will be fine...with a fully healthy Spurs team with TP, Manu, and TD..everyone will be back on Mason's nuts next year in no time. He just needs better looks to shoot...SHOOT, which will open up more when Manu gets back on the court. He is strictly a shooter...not a PG.

[SenorSpur]

No hate on Mason. However, I'd like to bitch out the head coach for virtually "screwing up" the rhythm and tempo of players, like Mason and Hill, who were settling into their roles with the team. I truly believe part of Mason's struggles were him being forced into the backup PG role - a role for which he is clearly not suited for. Pop needs to get over himself and stop listening all of us who have labeled him with the "genius" tab.

[Yuixafun]

Pop was forced into that decision when he realized deep down that Manu was done for the year.

He had 2 options, a vet who had played some PG before in Mason, or Hill a rookie with limited knowledge and experience. (JV notwithstanding)

Don't blame Pop for Mason not being capable.

You can blame pop for having faith in Mason over Hill.

[Duff McCartney]

I'm not hating on Mason. And maybe people will be on his nuts again next season but I won't be. Not until he does something in the playoffs. That 3 against Phoenix and that game winner against LA don't mean shit to me if he scores 1 point combined in Game 4 and Game 5 that the Spurs had to have to win the series.

No excuses. Play like a champ or don't. If he doesn't then they need to get rid of him.

[Spursmania]

I don't hate Mason at all. I think Pop really threw him off his rhythm by having him play PG, a position that clearly he was never comfortable with. I think he can develop, and we should give him one more shot unless we sign an incredible player.

He does need improvement on Defense though.

[crc21209]

I'm not hating on Mason. And maybe people will be on his nuts again next season but I won't be. Not until he does something in the playoffs. That 3 against Phoenix and that game winner against LA don't mean shit to me if he scores 1 point combined in Game 4 and Game 5 that the Spurs had to have to win the series.

No excuses. Play like a champ or don't. If he doesn't then they need to get rid of him.

You cant fairly judge him without Manu out there. Mason is a role player...not a star player...I think people may have expected TOO much from him. Without Manu...and with role players like Bonner and Udoka not doing a thing either...Mason's looks were very limited.

[bdictjames]

I said on the beginning of the season that Mason was a guy who chucked up shots and that's about it.

I thought I was wrong with the regular season.

I'm wrong now. The guy is a team player, but stick to what you've been doing you're whole career and shoot.

[SouthTexasRancher]

Inasmutch as I like Roger, I have to agree with you. George Hill is the perfect subject: played first half of the year, spot minutes second half, to 0 in the last few games and into the post season till game 4 and 5. He handled it beautifully.


I just hope Pop saw what so many of us saw in George Hill. I hope Pop really gives the kid minutes early in the 2009-2010 season and let him learn from his mistakes.

I wouldn't mind Mason sticking around but, no more trying to make him into what he is not. He is an offensive #2 guard who can jump shoot from a distance. He was fearless in the first half of the season and then Pop screwed with his head and he was never the same. Hopefully, it is not permanent and he'll be hitting shots again next season. But, coming off the bench. He is just not a starter and shouldn't be until he learns how to drive to the hoop. He seems afraid of the paint area.

[SouthTexasRancher]

No you didn't compare Magic Johnson to Roger Mason lol...c'mon...to me Magic is in the top 3 all time SIMPLY FOR THE FACT he can play all 5 positions...remember how bad Horry was in his 1st playoffs w/ the Spurs?...Finley too...i think Mason's confidence was definitely thrown off by Pops rotation or whatever but the point is...I have to give him another year...


Got your attention with the ol' Magic man, eh! he,he

Magic & Michael were special!!!

[spurspokesman]

Agree on this topic. Mason will be fine...with a fully healthy Spurs team with TP, Manu, and TD..everyone will be back on Mason's nuts next year in no time. He just needs better looks to shoot...SHOOT, which will open up more when Manu gets back on the court. He is strictly a shooter...not a PG.

Spot on c