Roger Mason Jr.'s hot shooting helped orchestrate a turnaround early last season with Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker out and the Spurs sitting at 1-4.
Jolt by Mason may be what Spurs need
Mike Monroe
As the Spurs struggle to maintain their equilibrium through the worst 10-game start since Tim Duncan joined the team in 1997, they are reminded that they have recovered from a similar cir stance in the very recent past.
“We were 2-5 last year with a veteran team,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich recalled before his team took the AT&T Center court on Thursday and slid to 4-6. “Fifty-three percent of our players are new. It's pretty hard to go in there and say, “What's up with this record here?'”
Indeed, the Spurs last season faced early adversity eerily similar to the problems that have afflicted them in the first 10 games of a 2009-10 campaign Popovich warned would include an adjustment period.
Then, Manu Ginobili was on the sidelines through 12 games, recovering from an injury suffered in the Olympic tournament.
Now he is out with a left groin strain.
Then, Tony Parker sprained his left ankle in Game No. 5, two nights after scoring 55 points in a victory at Minnesota.
Now he has missed four of 10 games with a sprained left ankle.
A year ago, rookie George Hill and newcomer Roger Mason Jr. were thrown together as an emergency starting backcourt. By the time Parker returned after missing nine games, the makeshift duo had helped orchestrate seven wins that got the Spurs back on track, at 8-6.
It was the start of a season that established Mason as a long-distance weapon with the nerves of a cat burglar. In his first season with the Spurs, Mason averaged 14.2 points in those nine games and made 25 of 50 3-point shots, including 14 of 22 in the three games that preceded Parker's return on Nov. 28.
With his former team, the Wizards, making its annual visit to the AT&T Center tonight, Mason is trying to rediscover his offensive mojo. He went into Thursday's game against Utah shooting 20.7 percent from long range.
In 20 minutes against the Jazz, he made 5 of 9 shots, including 2 of 5 3-pointers. He scored 12 points, just his second double-figure game of the season.
“It's funny,” Mason said. “I came into the season all about defense, all about all the other things, and I forgot my jump shot. But you keep plugging and keep working on your game, and I got some shots to fall (Thursday).”
If Mason is emerging from his early-season slump, his timing is ideal.
“He's been having a tough time,” Duncan said. “He just needs a couple of them to go in, and he'll start getting his confidence back up and start rolling for us. We need that from him, especially now.”
Popovich wants Mason to return to the devil-may-care approach to shooting that characterized his first Spurs season. The coach was encouraged by Mason's approach against the Jazz.
“He seemed more comfortable,” Popovich said. “Simple jump shots, not making it difficult. Taking things that were open and not deferring to anybody. Just: ‘I'm open, and I'm going to let it fly.'
“That's a good thing.”
Popovich has responded to his team's early struggles, including Mason's, with remarkable equanimity and patience.
“I'm really happy with the fact these guys don't give in and are getting better,” he said. “We're just playing teams that are a little bit more experienced, probably, and making fewer mistakes. It is a game of mistakes, so we've got to continue to try to play together, learn about each other and learn the system.
“Over time, it will result in wins, but we have to keep our heads up and not worry about records.”
Last edited by duncan228; 11-21-2009 at 03:42 AM.
Anybody else finds the 53% comment really disingenuous?
I mean, two of the new guys have not even played, Hairston only played meaninful minutes last game. Ratliff barely played too, except mostly garbage time against Sacto.
I don't dispute that the new guys need to learn the system. But in order to justify the current struggles solely on the new additions you would need to be actually playing all of them, I think.
I think that just having one guy out of sync in your offensive and defensive schemes can be bad enough..
Could be. I don't know. I think they've been harping on this 'new guys' excuse for more than your average problems.
For example, the defensive intensity has gone up a couple of notches in the last few games, with basically the same personnel and not necessarily because the new guys are playing better defense.
Which BTW is a very welcome sight and I hope doesn't revert once we get our other stars back
Its a combination of having new guys, injuries to key players, some old and new guys not being in game shape.. hard to develop on-court chemistry and consistency with all of that going on in the background. The good news is things should get better with time.
funny. I havent even seen that "defense" yet, Mase.
Last year they had a very efficient Tim Duncan. This year, Tim's not the same guy. Unless Tim gets back to some semblence of his old dominating self this team will not be championship caliber. Another thing is if Mason worked on his defense it sure hasn't shown. Defensively this team is really weak. As far as I can see only Hill and Bogans can stay in front of their opponents, everyone else is chasing, including Tim. One thing that is still the same on this team is how easily team are getting lay ups on our bigs.
Mason's defense sucks, his handle sucks, and his shot sucks. If he is a spot up shooter, he is pretty good, but don't let him handle the ball!
Gotta give Duncan a little more time. He's a month behind on his court work, this month is still his preseason. It was done on purpose and we were told about it. Barring injury, I have no doubt that he'll play like we know he can on a consistent basis as soon as he's fully in game shape.
I actually laughed when I read it - and by that I mean that Pop was being a bit silly. I can't imagine him delivering that line with a straight face. It's like saying a player is 80% healthy. Why not 78%? Why not 82%?
Lets see with Mcdyess and Jefferson getting big minutes thats two guys.
Blair getting minutes is another.
Thats alot of guys to not know a system to throw in all at once to be considered an "excuse"
The fact that he said 53% and not just half of the lineup is new made me lol; like he had someone crunch the numbers so he could use it as a talking point when addressing the team to not get their heads down..
It's just a really tough situation they're in right now.
They've got the obvious turnover in personnel but they don't even have the foundation of a scheme or a cohesive, healthy nucleus to aid in the transition of the newly acquired players.
Pop purposely hasn't implemented the majority of the playbook and as a result, they're playing with more of a pick-up feel then a typical Spurs team; pick-up is probably the right word, when you consider they're coming to the court and playing with a similar but different group on a daily basis. You know the players and what they can do for the most part, but it's not exactly organized or cohesive.
You've got a big-time acquisition in RJ who's trying to adjust his game back to his NJ days, while maintaining the growth he's made since. You've got a guy like 'Dyess who rests his knees during the summer and comes to camp out of basketball-shape as a precautionary measure trying to find his game and way in a new team. And you've got a guy like Blair who looked unfazed by the bright lights to start, but has since begun to show the signs of a young player that's a little unsure of what he should be doing at times.
Those are your three big acquisitions, and in it of itself would be it's own tough transition, but their acclimation can't be done in a vacuum. Their teammates are every bit as in flux as they are.
It seems there's been a new starting-lineup for at least 6 or 7 of the games. Mason's role has definitely been an adjustment. Bogans has begun to play more and is another new cog to the mix. Fin has finally become a bench player, even if he's still getting more time than I'd like this early, but his spacing and corporate knowledge with the starting unit is a semblance of continuity that's no longer there. And because of the injuries to Tim, Tony and Manu there's been no way for the newcomers to see just how and where they fit in, much less be able to thrive and show just what exactly they can bring to the collective; not so much individually.
The bottom line is, this team just has to get healthy. There's just too many moving parts, too many roles yet to be defined or identified, and just too little court-time being shared by the new core-group of players for there to be any cohesion or growth.
If they can just get and stay healthy, then we'll finally get to see what this team can and should be; the early stages of a rotation would definitely be a sight for sore eyes.
Until then, you've just got to hope they can keep trending up on the defensive end and hold the fort down until the cavalry arrives..
Well said Blackjack.
Have to say I don't envy Pop -- I can't recall a Spurs roster with a less obvious series of rotations since I've been watching.
All the past championship runs have boasted players who were clear stand-outs at their positions, but this year? How do we utilize Blair's, Bonner's, RMJr's, Haislip's, Bogans', Ratliff's unique skill sets? Do we play Hill at 1 or 2?
As it stands, we have a core of Tony/Manu/RJ/Tim/'Dyess surrounded by a group of specialist utility players.
How do we organize the chaos to determine whether we have a team or not?
I think TD is doing well. I expected to see a worst TD there since he started a month later this year.
I see Mason worst than last year. His defense is bad, his PG abilities are pathetic. The only thing he done well last season, shooting the ball, is MIA this season
The big difference between this year and last year with Mason is that he was allowed to be a shooter. He played the two guard beside Hill and could run off screens and let it fly. As we saw last year, his shooting problems started when Pop tried to turn him into a backup point.
This year Pop has no choice because there is no one else...and this is bad for Mason. Almost all of his minutes are going to be PG minutes until Parker gets back. With this being the case, I don't see any way he starts got gain any sort of confidence with his shot. The only way to get Mason back to where he was at this point last year is to cut someone and bring in a backup point that will completely absolve him from any PG duties and allow him to run off screens and catch and shoot.
We saw glimpses of the hot shooting, let it fly Mason in the Utah game. His shooting carried the team for a stretch. We will see if that is a fluke as the season goes on.
A lot of teams are integrating new guys and their records don't suck.
Mavs have: Ross, Humphries, Marion, Roddy B, Tim Thomas & Drew Gooden who are all getting minutes that were not there last year.
Celtics have: Wallace, Daniels, Williams all getting minutes and they are new.
Orlando has: Vince Carter, Brandon Bass, Jason Williams, Barnes and Anderson all getting minutes and they are new.
It is not just the fact that the Spurs have "new guys". There are other problems.
As long as he can play his natural position and get enough minutes...I think it will be more than a fluke.
I still love Mason. Pull through it, bro, we need a clutch shot soon.
LMAO. Blair is averaging 8 minutes a game over our three game losing streak. You are such a Popsucker.
Here's the Spurs minutes averaged over our three game losing streak:
Hill 35
RJ 40
TD 38
Finley 27
Dice 24
Mason 21.5
Bogans 18
Bonner 14
Ratliff 13 (one game)
Blair 8.5
Hairston 7.5 (2 games)
Two of the Spurs you cite as an excuse are getting less minutes than Finley. Try again.
Quit blaming it on the new guys. This team needs to do the following to get better:
*Run the offense through Jefferson. He's a volume guy, give him his volume instead of playing him as a complimentary piece.
* At least two of the big four need to be on the court at all times. Yes, Manu is hurt. You're smart, figure it out. No more lineups with Tim and four wings (none of whom are named RJ, Manu, or Tony) out there.
* At least one of McDyess, Blair, or Haislip needs to be on the court with Duncan at all times as the other big.
* small ball. Every time Pop trots out Fin or Jeff at PF next to Tim or one of the other bigs, every Spurs fan in the arena should get to punch Pop in the nuts.
McDyess is averaging 21 minutes per game...
Blair has a 16 minutes average, but in the last two games played 6 and 9 minutes respectively...
I usually don't agree with anything Tpark has to say but he's right on this one.
There are more problems than just having new guys. The real problems are 1) the decline in play from TP. 2) health 3) integrating the new guys into the system and 4) rust.
Those things in order are the real reasons. As I mentioned before, plenty of teams have a lot of new guys to acclimate into their systems. The thing that is catching Spurs fans off guard is their jaded view of where the Spurs were at coming into the year.
Many fans sorely over-estimated how close the Spurs were last year. The Spurs, out of all the "contenders" have the most question marks. You are seeing this now. These things can be corrected, but unlike many other teams, the Spurs have to have a lot of things go their way just to have a shot.
Last edited by DPG21920; 11-21-2009 at 12:28 PM.
Many teams do have health issues, but how many of those teams would you say have players out that are key components of their respective team's system? The Spurs have had key injures to Manu, Tony, and Tim and often a combination of the two.
The Spurs biggest concern right now is getting healthy. Can you really assess this team ability to contend for a le with the way the roster is perpetually in a state of flux?
Add to that the fact that 2-3/5 of your starting line up is new. A missed rotation here and there or an errand pass and you find yourself down by three or four points. As of now, they will go through their growing pains as a group. Like Pop mentioned, they need to learn how to play with each other.
Also, people in here need to readjust their expectations for this team as it is now. The team is showing signs of approving and their energy to compete is there. It is just a matter of time before this team figures it out. We have too many intelligent players on this team for this not to be the case, and we have the perfect guy to lead such a squad in Pop.
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