http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/s...ike_Mason.html
Roger Mason Jr. attended an exclusive middle school that included, among others, Chelsea Clinton. He designed his house in Maryland.
He has his own construction business, and that figures. A Washington Wizards executive says Mason might be the only player who could make more money outside the NBA than in it.
His father was an outstanding eye surgeon who died of kidney failure when Roger Jr. was 11. Then, Roger Jr. decided he had to be “the strong one” because he had a little brother and two little sisters.
The stories go on and on. The newest Spur is part Steve Kerr and part Bruce Bowen, with some David Robinson thrown in, and Mason arrived Monday at the Spurs' media day with the personality in place. Mason went from camera to camera, greeting everyone with a handshake and a smile.
But it won't be long before no one cares. For about the first six weeks of the season, Mason will be asked to ease the loss of Manu Ginobili, and there are reasons to think he can't.
There are also reasons to think he can.
Specifically, there are 101.
The Spurs settled on a few less this past summer when they signed Mason. He is versatile, he can shoot 3-pointers, and he can defend.
They love who he is, too. He's a smart, engaging man who fits in this locker room. Mason has earned his success, and this goes back to when he left Virginia after three years.
He entered the draft because some analysts thought he would be a top-15 pick. Some scouts don't remember rating him that high, but none of it mattered when Mason crashed to the floor during a workout before the draft. He still has the scar on his right shoulder from the surgery that followed, not far from a tattoo in honor of his late father.
Mason fell to the second round. The injury kept him out for nine months, and then he was caught in a regime change in Chicago. He went to Greece and Israel, the kind of path other Spurs have taken before, if just to play again.
He played summer league, too, and the Spurs brought him into their summer program in 2006. They liked him but had no place for him, and the next summer, the Spurs brought him back. Then they offered him a small, three-year deal that wasn't fully guaranteed, and he chose to return to the Wizards in a make-good year.
Mason had bet on himself. And when Gilbert Arenas went down early, Mason slid over a few seats on the Wizards' bench and helped stabilize a group that wasn't supposed to make the playoffs. But it did.
“He has meant as much to this team as myself or Caron Butler,” Antawn Jamison said last spring. “He's one of those stories of a guy who wouldn't give up.”
His coach, Eddie Jordan, called Mason “the quiet assassin” because he showed no emotion on big shots, and the Wizards wanted him back. Handcuffed by negotiations for Arenas, however, they couldn't counter the Spurs' offer.
Few saw the signing as significant. Mason wasn't the sexy free agent that Corey Maggette was, and this goes back to the scouts' initial impression of Mason. He's never been physically imposing; it takes time to appreciate what he does on the floor.
That's partly because it's taken time for Mason to get better. For example, a year ago, he would end every summer workout the same way. His trainer, Joe Connelly, would require Mason to make five consecutive 3-pointers.
This summer, Mason took it further. Connelly says Mason missed only two days; the day Mason signed his contract with the Spurs, he flew back to the Washington area and was in the gym that night.
“He's no longer just a spot-up shooter,” Connelly said Monday. “He's revolutionized his game, and here's my prediction. He will be a candidate for the league's most-improved player award.”
The Spurs aren't anticipating that. But they don't yet know what Connelly knows, and what happened the day before Mason left for San Antonio earlier this month.
Connelly didn't have Mason make five 3-pointers to end the workout. Mason instead shot 109.
And made 101.
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Nice article. It may sound weird but this Spurs team may only be as good as Mason turns out to be. If he proves to be an adequate Ginobili replacement and a player who can be the fourth scorer, the Spurs can be damn good. If he endures the typical first year struggles that almost all shooters face while with the Spurs, this team may simply not have enough firepower to get it done.
For a guy who signed a relatively small contract, Mason might be the make-it or break-it player this season.
101 of 109.... hmmm... sounds like something a paid trainer might say in an interview to drum up some more clients.
That is sick!
Sounds like the typical Spur to me.
I'm sure someone on the forum will find a reason not to like him though.
God, I need to post quicker.
mason must be greater then mike finley
I really hope for the sake of Pop and the rest of the team that Mason hits the ground running. It would be awesome to see Roger explode for 20 points in his first game and get everyone in the city energized!
So, out of 109 threes, he missed 8. That's his jersey number. Who is this guy?
I've only said positive things about Mason all summer. I'm simply doubting his trainer. Over-react much?
He had 8 last year with Washington
hey I like him alreadyHe is versatile, he can shoot 3-pointers, and he can defend.
They love who he is, too. He's a smart, engaging man who fits in this locker room.
Connelly didn't have Mason make five 3-pointers to end the workout. Mason instead shot 109.
And made 101.
Not exactly 93%, but not bad.
101 of 109 for a professional NBA basketball player whose strong point is shooting three-pointers isn't amazingly impressive. You have to be pretty darn good to make the NBA.
Unreal. Of course he'll have to be tested with somebody guarding him while shooting those.Connelly didn't have Mason make five 3-pointers to end the workout. Mason instead shot 109.
And made 101.
Gotta be the smartest (IQ/educated) dude in the NBA.Roger Mason Jr. attended an exclusive middle school that included, among others, Chelsea Clinton. He designed his house in Maryland.
God damn!!! If that is true, that is some crazy .
Hope he truly turns out to be more than a "spot-up" shooter.
And I was waiting for 101 to be referenced.
Then why is this a thread?
This has been posted before (by timvp), but I felt this would be a good time to repost it:
I'm not sure where these 101 of 109 three-pointers were taken (probably all over the court, actually), but last year Mason really excelled at the straight-away three-pointer. This is really exciting to me, because it's not something we've had for a while (most of our long-range shooters prefer the wings or the corners), so if he can stand at the top and take open threes, I think it really opens up our offense.
Specifically, I think above the top of the key is a spot where shooters can get open off of double-teams on Tim Duncan, and a place where Timmy can find them with a pass out of the double fairly easily.
It's Buck's column le, and he's been know to be clueless.
Very true
The Spurs haven't had too many great straight-away shooters in recent years. The last really good straight-away shooter I remember on the Spurs was Steve Smith. And even though his career was all but over when he arrived, he was able to shoot well -- in part because he'd get free spots from straight on.
Mason's shooting chart, in theory at least, is almost a perfect fit for what the Spurs need.
I've loved it since we signed him..I love his game..I love the way Wizards fans feel about him..you go to any Wizards forum, and you'll see that they all love the guy, and love his game..the only reason he wasn't re-signed was because they had Nick Young waiting in the wings..
the guy has improved every year he's been in the L, and he finally got a shot last year..he's a classy guy that belongs on our team..he could be a huge blessing for us..unlike others we've had, Mason can get hot off the dribble, as well as his spot-up shooting..we don't have any guys outside of our big 3 that can create on their own, so this is a huge plus for us..not to mention that he plays good defense..
we need him badly this year..
Stats for the 9 games Mason started last year:
37 mpg
17.4 ppg
3.4 apg
3.0 rpg
52.6% FG
43.1% 3PT
90.1% FT
I've been trumpeting Mason's abilities from the day he was signed, but T Park is a judgmental contrarian know-it-all blowhard, and can't understand the difference between doubting the claims of a trainer and liking a player.
I like Mason a lot. I think he will work out quite well for us.
the 101-109 is impressive and all, but it doesn't have any effect on my opinion of Roger..I'd just like to see him show us how good he is during actual games, not just shoot-arounds(obviously)..
Michael Finley could hit a huge % of 3's too, but he's done IMO..
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